At Home With Louisiana’s First Lady

By Sara Blackwell




I recently sat down with Supriya Jindal, the First Lady of Louisiana, in her husband’s spacious office at the governor’s mansion. A small red toddler’s riding toy in the hallway leading to the office is evidence of the first family’s young children. The hallway is lined with several oversized photographs of Supriya and Bobby Jindal at his inauguration. My favorite piece in the mansion is a painting of the first couple next to the Blue Dog, painted by George Rodrigue.

The governor’s wife kindly greets me, offering coffee and cookies. Stylishly understated in a black top and matching pants with a short, brown jacket; her black hair is simply styled and her make-up is subtle. 

Jindal is the eldest of two children; her younger brother is a lawyer in Virginia.  Her parents and her parents-in-law live nearby, enabling for close relationships between the families. She has lived in Baton Rouge and New Orleans virtually her whole life.

Not much in the four-story mansion has changed since it became the family’s home.

“The Governor’s Mansion Foundation was formed by Alice Foster when she was first lady,” Jindal said. “What they have done is raised private funds to maintain the mansion. So, all of the rooms you see that are so beautifully decorated have all been done mostly through her efforts and the foundation’s efforts. So, there is a board of the foundation that maintains them and they do a wonderful job. Everything looks so beautiful.”

However, there was one thing about the home that had to be amended. “The mansion traditionally has artwork from galleries and other art collectors,” Jindal said. “But one thing I noticed when I got here was that there was no place to salute our young children artists across the state. So, we dedicated one wall. When you walk out to the rotunda on your left, you will see two black frames.  Every month, we rotate out different children’s artwork from across the state.”

Jindal and her husband have a daughter Selia, 6, and two sons, Shaan, 4, and Slade, 2.  According to their mother, it took some time for the children to acclimate themselves to the mansion when they first arrived.

“It was hard for the kids at first to understand that there were parties going on . . . in the mansion that they were not invited to,” Jindal said.  “We had to explain to them that they had to stay in the back of the house or stay in their room.  So, it was a little challenging when we first got here, but I think they finally caught on.  The main thing is that they’re so young and they don’t fully understand the things that are happening around them.  I think that is a good thing.”

“When we first came, Bobby would have a meeting downstairs,” she said. “We would tell the children, ‘Look, Daddy has a meeting, be respectful of that.’ Lo and behold, they would go to the top of the rotunda and shout, ‘Daddy, it’s bedtime, read me a book,’ or ‘Daddy, so-and-so just hit me.’ Whatever the issue of the moment is. . .  But most of the people all had similar stories and could relate, so they got a chuckle out of it,” she laughed.

To help the children feel more a part of the events that take place on the first floor, Jindal described how she brought them outside on the courtyard of the mansion one summer afternoon with easels, canvases and paint.  After a fun day of painting, the children’s artwork was placed in a special place in the mansion. “Walk into the ladies’ bathroom and knock on the men’s’ bathroom and look in there. I allowed them to hang their artwork in there.  And, of course, their artwork is hanging in their bedroom upstairs.”

In a further attempt to create a feeling of home for the children, the Jindals have dedicated one room for their personal play. All three share a bedroom so that the extra quarters can be used as a place for their toys.  “We do not want them to feel like they live in a museum where they can’t touch anything or do anything,” Jindal said.

“We brought all of their toys from their old house and all of the old furniture and put it in that one room. We said, “Okay, this is your room. You can play in it,’” she said. “Bobby told them, “You can do whatever you want in this one room.”  The governor went up there one day and found that Shaan, who was three at the time, had written his name on the furniture he had brought from the house.

“Bobby said, ‘Shaan, why did you do that.  You would never do that at your old house.  Why would you do that here?’  He said, ‘Well, Daddy, you said I can do whatever I want in this room, so I put my name on everything.’  Bobby told him, ‘Don’t tell Mom I said that!’” she laughed.

The family tries to spend as much time together as possible, given the governor’s busy schedule. “What we try to do is bedtime rituals,” she said.  “After they brush their teeth and say their prayers, which is very important to us, he tries to work in a game of Hide-n-Seek or Simon Says, or just some type of little something before they read books.” 

The governor has made it to all of Shaan’s soccer games and he will be at Selia’s dance recital.  “The kids adore their dad and, of course, their dad adores his kids,” Jindal said.

Life in the mansion is exciting, Jindal said. “It’s been hectic; it’s been tiring; it’s been fun. There are always different events going on.”  There are constant tours throughout the day; several nonprofit groups meet at the mansion, and various events are scheduled throughout the year.

Jindal indicated that she has very little time for herself. She tries to stay up late and wake up early for some quiet time. She typically wakes before her children, using the time to exercise on the elliptical machine and with free weights. There is no need to leave the comfort of the mansion since the equipment is there for her use. In addition to working out, she uses her morning time to drink a cup of coffee with the newspaper.
   
When asked if she had any self-indulgences, Jindal didn’t hesitate: “Dessert—chocolate!” she laughed. She says her husband’s favorite is chocolate chip cookies, which he counteracts with exercise.  “[Bobby] exercises every day,” she said. “He makes sure he gets it in.  It is one of those things where I think it clears his mind and he feels good after doing it, and it gets him started for the day.” 

Jindal may not have ample opportunities to spend time alone, but in those rare occasions, she enjoys driving around the area.  “I used to enjoy quiet rides looking at the beautiful neighborhoods with good music on the radio and have some quiet peaceful time to collect my thoughts.  But that does not happen too much anymore,” she said.

Jindal enjoys jazz and classical music, but also listens to alternative music and tunes from the 70s and 80s. Her favorite artist of the moment is Josh Groban.  There is not much time for reading with her busy schedule, but she prefers legal and financial thrillers. 

When she’s not with her children, Jindal is busy carrying out her duties as First Lady of Louisiana. “I try to focus on things that affect children; that help children’s lives,” she said.  “I have gotten involved with the Pediatric Cardiology foundation. I have gotten involved with Special Olympics.  I try to do some things with Salvation Army, Red Cross and other charities as well,” she said.

“You will see me getting more involved with education going forward with our children, particularly science and math, given my background,” she said. “Hopefully, I will be able to talk to children a little bit about science and math and technology.” She is aware that many of the jobs of the future will require a lot of technical training. “We want to make sure our children are prepared for that.”

Jindal graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and went on to get her master’s degree from the same university. She worked at Monsanto Chemicals, and then went on to Albemarle Corporation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “The National Governor’s Foundation confirmed that I am the only engineer in the country who is [either] a governor or a first spouse,” she said proudly.

Although currently not in the work force, she plans to return in the future.  “It is one of those things where when you are working, you miss spending time with your children, and when you are with your children, you think of all those things that popped up on your desk,” she said.

At this point in her life, she indicated that it’s nice for her to be able to step out of the workplace. “I joke that I have my unpaid employment now,” she said.  “I can take on different issues and do things during the day while the kids are at school, and then when they come home, I am able to spend time with them doing their homework and all of their after-school activities.  I hope to go back to the work force one of these days. We will see when the time is right.”

At the end of our meeting, Jindal smiled for the photographer.  Several women touring the mansion seized her arm and showered her with praise.  Jindal never faltered in her role as hostess of the house as she graciously thanked the ladies for their kindness. Then, her Chief of Staff swept her away for the final photographs in the dining room, which was set for a pastor’s dinner with the governor. 

After the last picture was taken, the First Lady of Louisiana thanked me for the interview and disappeared through the back doors of the mansion.  Before we departed, my photographer and I invaded the bathrooms for a peek at the art created by the governor’s children.  Yes, I did spend some time in the men’s room at the governor’s mansion—but I had the first lady’s permission.