Jaqueline Elma Olivier was born on October 28, 1929 to Jacques Joseph Olivier (known as “Jake”) and Elma Veillon Olivier. Known as “Jacky”, she was a noted historian and genealogist. She graduated as valedictorian from Sacred Heart High School and later attained a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as a member of Kappa Delta Pi and Sigma Kappa Delta. On June 3, 1947, she married Drouet W. Vidrine and they had seven (7) children.

Mrs. Vidrine published five (5) major books on genealogy and Louisiana history, as well as numerous papers and articles. She performed on-site source research in the archives of the Opelousas Post, New Orleans, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, DC, Canada, France and Mallorca, Spain.

Mrs. Vidrine collaborated on genetic research projects with Tulane and Louisiana State University. She was a member of many professional societies, notably as a founding associate of the National Historical Society, elected president of the Louisiana State Historical Association, and a founding member of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). She was also appointed by the Governor as a member of the State of Louisiana’s Commission on Historical Records and its Commission on Cultural Resources.