Former Louisiana Secretary of State and Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown was the guest speaker today (Tuesday) at the Ville Platte Rotary Club meeting at the Ville Platte Civic Center. Brown, who writes a newspaper column, has written a memoire entitled " My Louisiana Odyssey". Brown has served 28 years in public service including as state senator. He was seated next to Judge John Saunders who have been good friends while they both served in the state Senate. Brown told club members that the state is rich culturally with our music and food. He urged rotary club members to begin a diary to leave to your children and grandchildren. He shared a story in 1958 how he was in a high school gym dancing up a storm to the big hit song by Jerry Lee Lewis "Whole Lot of Shaking Going On". Ten years later, after graduating from law school, he started his law practice in Ferriday, Louisiana where his very first client was Jerry Lee Lewis. He later did legal work for Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart, two cousins. He did legal work for former Governor Jimmie Davis. He shared the story that he was called to prepare Davis's last will and testimony. He prepared the will and asked the governor who was sitting in his bed to sing a few lines of his famous song "You Are My Sunshine and he did. Davis died two weeks later. He said he spoke to former Governor Edwin Edwards a few weeks ago and asked how he was doing. Edwards told him, "I am 92 years old, I have a 49 year old wife and a six year old son and I feel great.". Brown has a famous daughter, Campbell Brown who worked on "The Today Show" on NBC and later worked as a reporter on CNN. She is now in charge of News for Facebook. Brown was the special guest of Nick LeBas. The Rotary Club welcomed its newest member, Erin Hoffpauir, with the Evangeline Chamber of Commerce.