T. I. St. Martin Family Papers

Thaddeus Ignace St. Martin (1886-1968) was born in a settlement later known as Bayou Dularge in lower Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. His parents were Armond and Cecile Daigle St. Martin, and his mother was descended from a French-speaking Creole family. T. I. St. Martin attended Louisiana State University and the Tulane University Medical College, and interned at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He entered into private medical practice in Houma, Louisiana in 1911, and in 1914 married Gladys Davidson (1889-1979). In 1917, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, and served at Camp Sevier in France as a member of the Medical Corps. His wartime experience inspired an interest in X-ray technology, and upon returning to his medical practice he became a diagnostic radiologist. St. Martin also wrote short stories and novels based on the people and customs of Terrebonne Parish. His only published novel was Madame Toussaint's Wedding Day (1936), though he also contributed reviews to literary publications. Gladys St. Martin served as a research assistant and editor for her husband's writings. The St. Martins were members of a literary circle which included Pat O'Donnel, Roark Bradford, Lyle Saxon, and John Steinbeck. Over the course of their lives, the St. Martins became close to Marion Cecele Edsberg (1909-2006), whom they considered their adopted daughter.