Respected as a seasoned veteran in his field, Herman J. Lowe has gathered a wealth of professional skills, knowledge and experience during his 43 years in public accounting and his 35 years in the banking industry. Lowe, who graduated from LSU in 1949 with a B.S. in Accounting, began his professional career in public accounting with the local firm of B.M. Lee and Company. A man of high ambition, he soon went on to found his own public accounting firm - H. J. Lowe & Company.

Lowe has served the accounting profession in many capacities since then. In 1992 he assumed the role of president/CEO of the Bank of West Baton Rouge, with which he had previously served as a board member and chairman of the board. He is active in several professional organizations, including the Society of Louisiana CPAs (SLCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has also chaired the Ethics Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

The accounting field is not the only area Lowe has been successful in though. Having served earlier in his career as City Clerk of Port Allen and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer of West Baton Rouge, Lowe decided to pursue his interest in the government sector further and ran successfully for the Louisiana Legislature as a delegate to Louisiana's 1973 Constitutional Convention (CC73). In addition to this, Lowe was elected treasurer of the executive board, served as chairman of the State of Louisiana's Board of Tax Appeals, and also chaired the Committee on Establishment of a Modified Accrual System of Accounting for Louisiana State Government.

Lowe's diverse background includes notable contributions to the field of education. He served as a part-time instructor in the Accounting Department at LSU for twelve years and also taught professional education development sessions for the AICPA and SLCPA, as well as other state societies. Complementing this service, Lowe held the position of president of the Louisiana Accounting Education Foundation, was on the advisory council of the Research and Development Division of LSU's Business Administration College and was also a member of LSU's Business Partnership Foundation.

Even with his extremely busy schedule, Lowe still finds time to be active in the Baton Rouge community. He served on the board of directors for various civic associations including the Baton Rouge City Club, the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Public Affairs Research Council as well as the Baton Rouge Rotary Club, and has served as president of the Council for a Better Louisiana and the Baton Rouge YMCA.

Truly a man to be admired, Lowe has been graced with numerous accolades. In addition to receiving the Louisiana Banker's Association Award, he was also named "Accountant of the Year" by LSU's chapter of Beta Alpha Psi National Honorary Accounting Fraternity. Lowe has received the SLCPA Distinguished Service Award for meritorious service to his profession, unselfish devotion to its cause and dedication to its highest ideals, and in 1994 was awarded the AICPA's Gold Medal - the organization's highest award.

Lowe and his wife, Carolyn, have four daughters, all of whom received their degrees from LSU.

[ Personal Reflections ]