The first president of the Society of Southwest Archivists, A. Otis Hebert, Jr. (1930-1976) was a noted  historian, educator, archivist, and expert on Louisiana and the culture of Acadiana. An editor of Louisiana History  and a member of the National Archives Advisory Council, Hebert served as director of the Louisiana Department of Archives and Records from 1966 to 1974. He left the state archives to become director of the Center for Acadian Folklore and Culture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana from 1974 to 1976.