Governor Blanco began her career as a public servant in 1984，when she became the first woman ever elected to represent the people of Lafayette in the state Legislature．Five years later she was elected to the Public Service Commission，where she became the first woman to serve as a Commissioner（委员，专员）and，later，as the first woman to chair the Commission（1993—1994）．
Before joining the public sector，Governor Blanco taught at Breaux Bridge High School，a public school in Southwest Louisiana，not far from the community of Coteau，where she was born．She received a B．S．degree in Business Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette．
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and her husband Raymond have been married since 1964．They are the parents of six children and the proud grandparents of seven．
State Bird州鸟
鹈鹕在1966年7月27日成为路易斯安那州州鸟。鹈鹕有一张又长又大的嘴巴。嘴巴下面还有一个大大的喉囊。巨大的嘴巴和喉囊使鹈鹕显得头重脚轻。当鹈鹕在地上走路的时候总是摇摇摆摆步履蹒跚。这是因为鹈鹕的大嘴很碍事。在本州州旗上都有鹈鹕的标志，本州别名之一就叫做：“鹈鹕之州”。鹈鹕对幼鸟呵护给早期到来的欧洲殖民者留下了深刻的印象，之后她便成为易斯安那州的一种象征。
The brown pelican became Louisiana’s official bird on July 27，1966．It nests from South Carolina to Brazil．Pelicans are famous for their large bill，the lower portion of which has a pouch（小袋）which may be greatly extended．
The pelican is featured on Louisiana’s flag and state seal，and one of Louisiana’s nicknames is “The Pelican State”．This bird has been a symbol of Louisiana since the arrival of early European settlers who were impressed with the Pelican’s generous and nurturing attitude toward their young．
The birds，depending almost entirely on fish for food，scoop up（铲起）quantities of water into their pouches as they seize prey（被掠食者）from salt water．As the bill is elevated the water dribbles（滴下）from the mandibles（下颚），and the pouch contracts as fish are swallowed．Five pounds of fish a day is the average consumption of a one－month old pelican．
The use of pesticides caused the Brown Pelican，native to the area，to stop nesting along the Gulf coast in the 1960s．By 1966，the bird had disappeared in Louisiana．In 1968，Louisiana began importing fledglings from Florida in an attempt to repopulate（使人重新住入）the coastline and，in 1970，the Federal Government declared the Brown Pelican an endangered species．Protection of the Brown Pelican’s habitat along with repopulation efforts resulted in the Federal Government’s declaration，in 1995，that the bird had “recovered”in Louisiana．
Identification：
1．Length：41inches
2．Wingspan：90inches
3．Sexes similar
4．Huge，dark bird
5．Long bill with a pouch，dark on Atlantic/Gulf coasts；bill paler along Pacific coast，becomes yellow during breeding season
6．Flies with neck tucked
7．Plunges from great heights into water to catch fish
Adult alternate：
1．White foreneck and head with yellow crown
2．Chestnut neck and nape
3．Gray－brown body plumage with slightly darker flight feathers
Adult basic：
1．Yellowish crown
2．White head and neck
3．Gray－brown body plumage with slightly darker flight feathers
Immature：
Dark brown overall，gradually acquiring ***** plumage over three years
State Flower州花
本州州花是南方木兰花。木兰花以其白色花朵的浓烈香味和常绿的叶子成为森林中最典雅的花木之一。而且它也是一种很普遍的观赏植物，在世界各地都有种植和栽培。在美国常见种植的木兰花有两种：本土种和亚洲种。本土木兰花花期从春末到夏季，有白色、黄色或绿色之分。亚洲木兰花花期从早春到末春，有白色、粉红色、红紫色和紫色之分。
The state flower of Louisiana is the magnolia．Southern magnolia（Magnolia grandiflora），also called evergreen magnolia，bull－bay，big－laurel（［植］月桂树），or large－flower magnolia，has large fragrant white flowers and evergreen leaves that make it one of the most splendid of forest trees and a very popular ornamental（观赏植物）that has been planted around the world．
Magnolias commonly grown in the United States are of two kinds—native and Asian．Native magnolias bloom from late spring to summer and have white，yellowish（微黄色的），or green flowers．Asian magnolias bloom in early to late spring and have white，pink，or reddish－purple to purple flowers．Native magnolias are evergreen or deciduous（每年落叶的）（leaf shedding）；Asian magnolias grown in cultivation are deciduous．
Size：60to 80feet in height with a spread of about 30to 50feet．There are numerous cultivars，and there can be variation between seedlings．Grows at about a medium rate with a pyramidal（金字塔形的）habit．Generally branched to the ground and best left this way since growing anything under them is futile（无用的）．
Leaf：Alternate，******，pinnately veined and evergreen，5to 8inches long，oval（椭圆形）in shape with an entire margin．Very waxy/shiny above，and reddish tomentose（［植］被绒毛的）below．
Flower：Creamy white，sweet lemony fragrance，6″to 12″in diameter．Flowering begins in late May－early June and continues sporadically（零星地）all summer．Trees grown from seed generally start flowering within 10years．Fruit is a pinkish red aggregate of follicles（小囊）about 5in length，splitting open in the late summer to expose the dark red seeds．
Fruit：An aggregate of follicles，green changing to red，cylindrical（圆柱的），3to 5inches long with red seeds，1/2inch long．Maturing October to November．
Twig：Stout，with white to rusty tomentum（绒毛）and a long（1to 11/2inches）silky white to rusty red terminal bud．
Bark：Brown to gray，thin，smooth/lenticellate（［植］产皮孔的）when young，later with close plates or scales．
Form：A medium－sized tree with a pyramidal crown．When open grown，the crown is dense with low branches．
State Flag州旗
在路易斯安那成为州之前，许多国家的旗帜都曾在路易斯安那升起过。特别是法国、西班牙、美国和联邦。路易斯安那州现在使用的州旗是由本州盾徽固体蓝底、鹈鹕以及下面一条白带组成。在白带上写着“团结、公平和信心”。1912年立法机关通过采用此旗作为州旗一项议案。
Flags of many nations were raised over the Louisiana Territory before Louisiana became a state，notably flags of the French，the Spanish，the United States and the Confederacy．This official flag of Louisiana is that flag now in general use，consisting of a solid blue field with the coat－of－arms of the state，the pelican feeding its young，in white in the center，with a ribbon（带子）beneath，also in white，containing in blue the motto of the state，“Union，Justice and Confidence”．It was adopted by an Act of the Legislature in 1912．
The official pledge of allegiance（［美］对美国的效忠宣誓）for the state was adopted in 1981and reads as follows：
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana