Paul Picard

Paul Romeo Picard (July 17, 1930 – October 3, 1994) was an American film producer best known for his role in developing the series The Dukes of Hazzard with Philip Mandelker and creator Gy Waldron.[1]

Early Life and career

Paul was born as Paul Romeo Picard 17 July 1930 in Warwick, Rhode Island to Romeo Joseph Picard and Irene Gertrude Mineau. Paul's father Romeo was a painter in the building industry in Rhode Island. Paul was the grandson of barber Albert Nazaire Picard and his wife Marie Sevigny and Joseph Isaac Mineau and Matilda Josephine Contois. He was the oldest of four children. Paul is of French Canadian descent. Paul was a 1949 graduate from De LaSalle Academy, in Newport, Rhode Island. He was a former communicant of St. Mark Church, in Jamestown, Rhode Island. Paul served in the army from 1951 to 1953 as an interpreter in France. His brother was Gérard J Picard who did have Down Syndrome and died at the Ladd School Mental Hospital in Exeter, Rhode Island in 1971. In Providence, Rhode Island Paul's mother Irene sued The Ladd School Mental Hospital for $10 million for alleging medical neglect that contributed to Paul's brother death in 1971. Paul's sisters were Claire Antoinette Picard and Gertrude "Sister Claudine" Picard. Paul's sister Gertrude was a nun within the Roman Catholic Church. Paul Picard was born and raised in Rhode Island before making it in Hollywood. After starting as an actor, Picard was the director of daytime programming for ABC. and then moved on to oversee shows including The Lawrence Welk Show, The Hollywood Palace and the broadcasts of the Emmy Awards and Academy Awards. During his career, he worked at MGM, American International Pictures and Warner Brothers. In addition to Dukes of Hazzard, he oversaw Scruples, California Fever and The Pirate.

Death

He died at his home in Tuscany, Italy from pancreatic cancer on October 3, 1994.[2]

Personal life

Paul was first married to Phyllis Carolyn Keune in Cranston, Rhode Island on May 19, 1951. Then his third marriage was to Louise Latham in Hamilton, Texas on July 23, 1968.

Ancestry

Paul Romeo Picard is the direct descendant of the French pioneer Philippe Destroismasons dit Picard Senior and his wife Marie Martine Crosnier. He's also a descendant of Zacharie Cloutier, Jean Guyon, and as well as the French explorer Jean Nicolet and Jean's native American spouse Gisis Bahmahmaadjimiwin a.k.a. Jeanne Nipissing through their daughter Madeleine Euphrosine Nicolet. Basically all on his father Romeo Joseph Picard's side of his family. He's also a descendant of Pierre de St. Pierre and French pioneer Jean Pelletier as well as the French pioneer Robert Levesque. So Paul Romeo Picard is basically purely of French Canadian ancestry with small amounts of native American ancestry since Jean Nicolet's native American spouse is the only native American ancestor that can be found in the Picard family's ancestry dating back to the 17th century of Paul R. Picard's family history going back to the native homeland of the Picard family in France.

References
  1. Staff report (October 18, 1994). Paul R. Picard; Producer of 'Dukes of Hazzard.' Los Angeles Times
  2. Staff report (October 15, 1994). Paul R. Picard, 63, TV Producer, Dies. New York Times

Paul Picard's obituary as published in the Providence Journal. October 4, 1994

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