LSU Alumni Association Blog

The LSU Distinguished Faculty Awards Presentation 2018 was held on May 2 at Lod Cook Alumni Center.

LSU Alumni Association was proud to present 19 faculty members with awards this year. These financial awards are made possible by the generous donations of our alumni, fans, and friends. These contributions enhance the ability to recruit and retain the many excellent faculty members that call LSU home.

Dr. Billy Cannon passed away on Sunday, May 20, 2018. He was 80.

Cannon was recognized by the LSU Alumni Association as Alumnus of the Year in 2010. We all know of his gridiron achievements, and we thought Tiger Nation would be interested in knowing the rest of the story.

When most people think of a crawfish boil, they likely conjure up images of several fold-out tables in a backyard with twenty to thirty of their closest friends. In San Diego, they've decided to take this typical gathering and turn it into a massive festival. Over the last thirty years, the LSU Alumni of San Diego Chapter has managed to grow this annual event into one of the largest crawfish boils in the world. With over 4,000 purple and gold fanatics taking over the practice field at Qualcomm Stadium, this festival has become the place to be during the Memorial Day weekend. While there is nothing like a good party, this celebration has a worthy cause. The funds raised from the crawfish boil are used to award 2 scholarships per year for local San Diego students planning to attend LSU. Additionally, 2 Professorships/Year are awarded to distinguished LSU Faculty Members.

The Southern California LSU Alumni Chapter is a thriving group of Tiger alums now living large and lovin’ life on the west coast. Sure, there is some culture shock when an LSU graduate ventures into the wild, wild west. At first glance, the differences between south Louisiana and southern California are many. But the members of the Southern California LSU Alumni Chapter embrace change while hanging on to their Tiger roots.

This Saturday a horse named Lone Sailor, owned by the Benson family, will compete in “America’s Greatest Race,” the Kentucky Derby. Lone Sailor is a special horse up against some pretty tough odds this weekend – 50-1. Although the competition is tough it wouldn’t be the first time a horse with these odds won the derby. Mine That Bird and Giacomo won the race in 2009 and 2005, respectively.

But let me introduce you to the man behind the horse – a passionate trainer who doesn’t put much bearing on the odds. Rather, he puts his faith in his thoroughbred and believes he has what it takes to take the derby this year. That man is Tom Amoss, and he happens to be an LSU Tiger.

Amoss, a proud LSU alumnus and loyal supporter of his alma mater, has a storied 30+-year career in thoroughbred training.

The dry climate of Sin City is a far cry from the thick humidity of the Louisiana bayous. While the altitude and temperatures may be different, there is one thing Las Vegas and Louisiana have in common – the love for a good party.

If you have a connection to Louisiana or Las Vegas, the Sin City Tigers Crawfish Boil is Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Saturday Night in Death Valley all rolled into one. This year is a special one for the Las Vegas LSU Alumni Chapter as they are celebrating 15 years of hosting their crawfish boil. In honor of this monumental occasion, we have created 15 reasons for you to attend this year’s Sin City Tigers Crawfish Boil this Saturday under the canopy at the Freemont Street Experience.

LSU fans will likely never forget the 2003 football season as it marked the first national championship for the Tigers since 1958. This 45-year drought of national prominence left the Tiger Nation salivating for a taste of the ultimate prize in college football. The game that served as an appetizer of this ultimate prize took place in Tucson, Arizona on September 6, 2003, versus the Arizona Wildcats. The Tigers, coached by Nick Saban, dominated the game in every single category and buried the Wildcats 59 to 13. The performance by the Tigers left an impression on Tiger fans across the globe as it served as a sweet suggestion of things to come. Jon Streva, a current LSU student from Las Vegas, is the perfect example of the vast influence the game had on the lives of people across the country.

Louisiana People, Louisiana Product