Alumnus of the Year

By some he's remembered best as Big-Man-On-Campus Abe Mickal, fashioner of a Dean's list average through four years of pre-medical studies, president of the student body for 1935-1936, varsity debater, ODK, and Theta Kappa Nu.

By others of a military persuasion, he's remembered as winner of the Outstanding Cadet Award as a freshman, Regimental Sergeant Major as a junior, Cadet Colonel as a senior, and winner of the Kemper Williams Sabre as top cadet of them all for 1936.

But perhaps he will be most remembered as tailback Abe Mickal, Triple-threat star of the Bayou Bengals of 1933-1935; all SEC; member of three Halls of Fame including the big one in Ohio; punter and passer par excellence whose famous TD toss against SMU sailed 65 yards before being run under by swift Walter Sullivan.

To more than one generation, he is known as the unforgettable Dr. Abe Mickal, obstetrician and gynecologist; professor and longtime department chairman to those disciplines at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans; first ever graduate to be elected to membership in the American Gynecological Society and the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Mickal was born on June 15, 1913, in the tiny Lebanese village of Talia. All but his father, Khalil, were without a word of English when they arrived in the United States in 1920. After a short time on Ellis Island, the family settled in McComb, Mississippi. Heavily recruited by LSU and Notre Dame, Mickal finally decided on LSU, where he met and eventually married Mildred Barnes. The Mickals have four children and several grandchildren.

Mickal's credentials as an active alumnus are impeccable, too. He served in the LSU Alumni Federation as its president in 1951 and 1952; he was elected alumni member of the Athletic Council in 1955-1957 and was national chairman of the Annual LSU Alumni Fund in 1971-1972.

‘You could say that ever since I graduated from McComb High School, my whole life has been involved in the University,’ Mickal claims, ‘as a student on two levels, as a faculty member, as president of the Alumni Federation, as Fund chairman, and as a member of the Athletic Council. It's been a beautiful marriage—and I've had all the better of it.’

To U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Alvin B. Rubin, education does not consist of things remembered, but of those that cannot be forgotten.

Since he was graduated from the University in 1941 with a B.S. degree and in 1942 with a law degree, Judge Rubin has distinguished himself as an attorney, a U.S. Judge, and an author of legal journals. Coming from the then-small town of Alexandria, Judge Rubin set his sights on joining the LSU band in 1936.

‘When I arrived at LSU, I was introduced to culture by a sophomore who charged me the exorbitant amount of one dollar to shave my head.’

‘Much of the unforgettable in my education was contributed by classmates. Ours was the class of '42, which included other friends whose law school records presaged their later achievements, among them, Governor John McKeithen and U.S. Judge Gordon West.’

‘Hubert Humphrey was in 'government school.' He and Russell Long and I were on the debate team, and we met frequently to discuss the political issues of the Roosevelt administration and the augurs of war in Europe.’

‘Shortly after I returned from overseas duty in World War II, I married Janice Ginsberg, whose only major error had been to go to Newcomb. Then we came to Baton Rouge, where I practiced law for 20 years.

‘Although I have been on the visiting committees of distinguished law schools, Chicago, Harvard, Miami, and Cornell - I have never felt my education at LSU one whit inferior. The friendships I made on the campus have been life-long, and the values I learned have stood as stalwart as the oaks.’

From a young Baton Rouge High scholar to a renowned environmentalist, Dr. Christopher E. Barthel has come a long way.

Barthel learned in high school that to accomplish one's goals, a person must work hard. This thinking led Barthel to finish at Baton Rouge High as the class valedictorian. He continued this train of thought into college, first majoring in electrical engineering, and later turning his sights to the newly formed school of chemistry and physics. ‘I was the first graduate of the school of chemistry and physics. That was only because my name started with a B, and I was listed first,’ Barthel declares.

In 1932, Barthel received his B.S. degree in chemistry and physics and his M.S. in 1933. Later he would receive a Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

With the country at war, Barthel joined the Naval Ordinance Laboratory in White Oak, MD, as a weapons researcher. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal, the military's highest award for a civilian, working on methods to protect Allied ships from magnetic mines planted by the Germans.

After leaving the Naval Ordinance Laboratory, Barthel took a position as chairman of physics research with the Armour Research Foundation of the Illinois Institute of Technology. During this time, his position took him to Asia as the director of the State Industrial Research Institute in Burma.

Though Barthel and his family returned from Burma in 1956, he missed international work and, to fill the void, became actively involved in air pollution prevention. As chairman of the International Committee of the Air Pollution Control Association of the United States and Canada, he convened a meeting of the representatives of recognized national air pollution abatement groups and in two days formed the International Union of Air Pollution Prevention Associations. During the period from 1966 to 1970, Barthel was president of the group and continued to serve as the permanent delegate to IUAPPA until his official retirement in 1977.

After stepping down from this position as president of IUAPPA, Barthel took a position as Director of Environmental Services at Miami University in Ohio. Here he established an environmental research program and even still, serves as a consultant.

On accepting the Alumnus of the Year award, Barthel had one message for everyone associated with LSU. ‘The failure of a person to give of himself is a great human tragedy. Such a person misses one of the principal joys of life—the satisfaction of achievement. I propose right now a campaign for the rebirth of giving of ourselves and the involvement of the great majority of our people in the campaign. Let's get going—right here and right now.’

Alumnus of the Year

During all those years of diplomatic deep-freeze between the United States and mainland China, the U.S. State Department never allowed its cadre of China hands to succumb to attrition. When relations between the People's Republic of China and the U.S. were normalized, Donald M. Anderson, a long time China-watcher in the Hong Kong embassy, stepped in as the first American consul-general in Shanghai since the immediate post-war years.

Anderson, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, was graduated from LSU in 1954, and completed a year of graduate study in international relations at the University. He entered the Foreign Service in 1958 in the State Department and was selected for a two-year program of Chinese language training.

He was assigned to the Consulate General in Hong Kong in the Consular Section and later to the Political Section, where he followed China's foreign relations and policy during the hey-day of the Vietnam conflict.

‘Reading between the lines of Communist newspapers and official statements provided the main source of information,’ Anderson said of his China-watching.

Following additional training, Anderson served as interpreter during the periodic talks between the U.S. and the Peoples' Republic in the 1960's.

During the 1970's, Anderson held a number of positions in the State Department. With the establishment of the U.S. liaison office in Beijing in 1973, he was transferred to the Chinese capital.

In mid-1978, Anderson was named deputy director of the Office of the People's Republic of China and Mongolia Affairs in the State Department and served in the capacity until his appointment as consul-general to Shanghai.

This year was 1938, and the report in that year's Gumbo read: ‘Climax of a year's work and high spirit in the more 'highbrow' activities of the campus was the grand opera, La Traviata, presented by the opera department and so well attended that Standing Room Only signs were necessary.’

One of the main attractions of the night was the singing of Frances Greer, whose performance that night was worthy of the New York Metropolitan Opera according to printed accounts.

In fact, Greer's performance was worthy of the Philadelphia Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and she went on to perform for both in the 1940's and 1950's.

‘The career that I achieved in music was chiefly due to the education I received in the LSU School of Music,’ Greer, now Frances Greer Riley, remembers, ‘under the guidance of Pasquale Amato, former baritone with the Metropolitan Opera; Louis Hasselmans, former conductor of the Met; and Dr. H.W. Stopher, Dean of the School of Music.’

Retiring from performing in the mid-1950's, Greer joined the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

‘I consider myself an ordinary physician who's been   successful via 10 percent talent and 90 percent shoe leather,’ says Dr. John   E. Salvaggio of himself. But even the quickest of looks at Dr. Salvaggio's   accomplishments points out his modesty.

A medical researcher studying man's response to inhaled   environmental agents, Dr. Salvaggio has discovered the causes of two of   Louisiana's most common and most serious respiratory problems - Baggassosis,   a lung disease of sugar cane workers, and ‘New Orleans asthma,’ a form of   epidemic asthma that for many years has affected the Crescent City.

At present time, Dr. Salvaggio and his team of researchers   at the Tulane Medical School continue to study the effects of other   environmental agents on the respiratory system. ‘Our group has made major   advances in our understanding of how such agents as asbestos and silica dust;   cigarette smoke, and a wide range of inhaled occupational dusts and chemicals   cause different types of inflammatory lung diseases,’ Dr. Salvaggio notes.

Upon graduation from Loyola in 1954 and the LSU Medical   School in 1957, Dr. Salvaggio was named a professor of medicine and   microbiology at the LSU Medical School in 1964 and became director of the   school's interdisciplinary program in immunology in 1971. In 1975, he became   a Henderson professor of medicine at the Tulane Medical School in New   Orleans.

‘I've had the good fortune to be very happy with my work   and to have been married for over 20 years to a loving wife and mother who is   a calm and understanding person with a sense of equanimity. Without Anne's   support and understanding, I would definitely not have succeeded, nor would I   have such a closely knit family.’

M. Paul LeBlanc, Jr. was born in Baton Rouge and was graduated from LSU in 1948 with a B.S. degree and in 1949 with an MBA degree.

Upon graduation, LeBlanc was employed by the Houston office of Arthur Anderson and Company and was admitted to partnership in that firm in 1956.

From July 1958 to June 1966, he was managing partner of the New Orleans office. He was transferred to the New York office as managing partner in 1966, a position he held through June 1978. From 1972-75, he was vice chairman of the firm, and from 1975-80, he was a co-chairman.

In 1980, LeBlanc was named a Managing Partner-Region and was elected chairman of the firm's Board of Partners.

Active in a number of civic organizations, LeBlanc is also a certified public accountant, a member of the American Institute of CPA's, and the New York State Society of CPA's.

He is a member of the advisory council of the Tulane Graduate School of Business and the Duke University Board of Visitors. LeBlanc has also served as a member of the advisory board of the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

While in New Orleans, he was a member of the Board of Directors and the executive committee of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. He is serving in the same role in New York and was instrumental in forming the New York group.

For Robert D. Anding, the last 14 years have been a complete turnaround. After spending the first 18 years of his career at Exxon's refinery in his hometown of Baton Rouge, he was appointed president of Essochem Europe, Inc., based in Brussels, Belgium, following assignments for Exxon Chemicals in worldwide operations.

As chief executive of the European operation, Anding is responsible for operations with sales representing nearly 40 percent of Exxon's Chemical worldwide business. With approximately 5,000 employees, Anding's Essochem Europe operates manufacturing plants in 11 countries.

Anding is a 1948 chemical engineering graduate of LSU. He obtained his master's degree in 1949 at Baton Rouge. Anding held a number of increasingly responsible positions in process engineering and petroleum technical service. In 1963, he was appointed head of the petroleum operations division and the next year became chemical product manager. He was named manager of Exxon Chemical's Baton Rouge plant in 1965 and was transferred to New York as a vice president for Exxon Chemical USA two years later. In 1973, he became chemical raw materials vice president for Exxon Chemical Company and in 1974 was named a senior vice president. It was in 1977 that he transferred to Essochem Europe, Inc. to take up his present position.

William L. Rivers, noted journalist and author, was born in Gainesville, Florida. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, from which he was discharged in January, 1946. Determined to pursue his interest in writing and public affairs, Mr. Rivers enrolled in LSU in September, 1946, later receiving his B.A. and his Master of Arts in journalism. ‘Although I have wanted to write a novel since the age of 11, I have written 29 books, all of them non-fiction. What happened to my novel? Let me save that story.’

‘When I think about LSU, my thoughts are transformed into LSU professors: a biology professor named I.D. George; a sociologist, Fred Frey; a historian, T. Harry Williams; and an English teacher, Lewis Simpson. But the first professors on my mind are Jimmie Price, a journalism professor who knew how to teach his students to find facts and how to write, and Harris Downey, a teacher of English who could teach fiction writers about writing fiction. Much of my success should be credited to Price and Downey.’

‘After graduating from LSU in 1951 with a B.A. degree and in 1952 with an M.A., I became a writer for the Baton Rouge States-Item. But the more I reported news stories, the more I wanted to write longer pieces. Eventually, I became a Washington correspondent for the magazine, The Reporter. But the more I wrote long articles, the more I wanted to write books. That's why I teach at Stanford. Anyone who wants to write books (who isn't rich), should teach at college.’

‘I was happy as a professor-writer until 1968, when a series of medical problems left me without memory or speech or capacity for anything but the most rudimentary functions.’

‘Surgery, drugs and time seem to have put me and my body back together again, and I am enjoying life and working harder than ever. When I wake up, I'm itching to write every day.’

‘What happened to all the novels I should have written by now? When I'm writing non-fiction, I always promise to start my novel when I finish the non-fiction. Then, another non-fiction book comes to mind - and I must finish it.’

‘I've finally started writing my novel, but I don't know how to write one. If anyone I know from LSU can help, I'll appreciate instructions in 25 words or less.’

Mr. Rivers and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters.

Mr. C. Wardell Leisk is chairman and chief executive   officer of Austral Oil Company, Inc. in Houston, Texas, a company that he   helped to found in the early 1960's.

Mr. Leisk received a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering   from LSU in 1938. He was an All-Southeastern Conference guard on LSU's 1936   national championship football team.

Mr. Leisk is, or has served as, a member, officer, and   director of the LSU Foundation, Campanile Charities, Inc., LSU Alumni Fund,   and the Petroleum Club of Houston. He also is a member of Wildcatters, the   Ramada, Coronado and River Oaks Country Clubs in Houston, the Independent   Petroleum Association, American Petroleum Institute, and the Society of   Petroleum Engineers of the AIME. He is a former director of Great Southern   Life Insurance Co. and was elected to Omicron Delta Kappa, an honorary   national leadership fraternity.

His wife, the former Mayme Tee Lyles, is also an LSU   alumna. They have two children and reside in Houston, Texas.

Mrs. Carolyn Bennett Patterson is a senior assistant editor with National Geographicmagazine, a position she has held since 1973. She is author of numerous articles for National Geographic and has served as president of the Society of American Travel Writers. Mrs. Patterson received a B.A. degree in journalism from LSU in 1942. She was inducted into the LSU Journalism Hall of Fame in 1981.

Alumnus of the Year

Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Shreveport has been named 1982 Alumnus of the Year by the LSU Alumni Federation.

Johnston graduated from the LSU Law School in 1956, finishing fifth in his class. He served as a member of the Louisiana Law Review while at LSU.

Elected to the United States Senate in 1972 and re-elected in 1978, Johnston is one of the senior members of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He is ranking Democrat on both the Energy Regulation Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

For the past four years, Johnston has served on the Senate Budget Committee and during that time, has been one of the leading advocates of fiscal restraint and a balanced federal budget.

United Press International has called him the Senate's ‘Mister Energy’ and has rated him as one of ‘the 10 best (senators) in terms of combined intelligence, statesmanship, backroom dealing, and parliamentary tactics.’ The widely respected journal Congressional Quarterly has referred to Senator Johnston as ‘one of the Senate's most skilled negotiators and a key power broker...’ Syndicated columnist Jack Anderson has identified him as one of the Senate's ‘most effective members.’

In announcing the award, Alumni Federation president Paul Arst said, ‘Senator J. Bennett Johnston has time and again made Louisiana's voice heard in the halls of our nation's capital. His service to our state and the people of Louisiana clearly shows that he is one of LSU's finest.’

Dr. Jack Geer is chairman of the Department of Pathology of the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham. He is the author of numerous medical publications.

Dr. Geer received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Louisiana State University in 1950 and his M.D. from the LSU Medical Center in 1956.

Dr. Norman Efferson, Dean of the Louisiana State University College of Agriculture, is widely known for his studies of many phases of Louisiana agriculture. He is also an international authority on the economics of tropical agriculture, especially rice and sugar production and marketing.

Reared on a farm in East Baton Rouge Parish, Dr. Efferson received numerous honors as a boy in 4-H work. He was awarded the Bachelor of Sciences degree in agriculture from LSU in 1934. While a student, he held the presidency of Alpha Zeta, the Future Farmers of America, and the Baptist Student Association, and was the highest ranking agriculture student scholastically in his class.

Dr. Efferson earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University, where he was awarded a travel scholarship to Europe in the summer of 1936. He joined the LSU faculty in 1938 as assistant professor with the Agricultural Experiment Station and attained the rank of professor when the University Board of Supervisors appointed him as director of the Experiment Station on July 1, 1954. His appointment as Dean of the College of Agriculture in July 1956 placed him in charge of all the University's research, teaching, and extension work in agriculture.

Dr. Efferson served as an international commodity specialist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1948-49. He has served since 1953 as a consultant for the Rockefeller Foundation and since 1954 as a member of the board of trustees of the Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs, a philanthropic foundation established by John D. Rockefeller III to stimulate economic thinking and planning in Asia. In 1958 Dr. Efferson was agricultural representative on the Panel on Economic and Social Policy.

Dr. Efferson served on special task forces to appraise agricultural problems in 1961, named by President John F. Kennedy and in 1962, selected by The Ford Foundation.

Dr. Efferson is the author of five books on agriculture economics and related topics. His most recent textbook Principles of Farm Management has been reviewed as a major contribution to the field of agricultural economics. Two other books Farm Records and Accounts and The Production and Marketing of Rice are being used as basic texts nationally and internationally.

In 1953, he was selected as the honoree of the International Rice Festival. He is listed in the Directory of American Scholars and in Who's Who in America as an economist, educator, and author. In April 27, 1964, the LSU Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, international agricultural society, nominated him for the society's 1964 International Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to agriculture.

Judge Albert Tate, Jr. is a judge on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, LA. He has served as a judge in the Louisiana and U.S. court systems since 1954 and is a former associate justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court. He is the author of several books on law and has written numerous articles for professional publications. He received a law degree from the LSU Law School in 1948.

Dr. James D. Edwards is the J.M. Tull Professor of Accounting in the College of Business Administration at the University of Georgia. He is the former dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Minnesota and a former chairman and professor of Accounting and Business Administration at Michigan State. He received a bachelor's degree in administration from LSU in 1949.

Major General Jasper A. Welch is assistant deputy chief of staff for research, development, and acquisition, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, in Washington, D.C. He led an experimental nuclear weapon design team, which developed the basic design concept still used in most of the nuclear arsenal of the United States. In 1979, he became defense policy coordinator for the National Security Council. He received degrees in chemistry and physics from LSU in 1952.

Alumnus of the Year

As chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Tidewater, Inc., John P. LaBorde is an accomplished businessman who has made many contributions at the local, state, regional, and international levels.

He is also a sincere person who attributes his phenomenal success in life and business to his early days.

‘I believe that whatever success I have been able to achieve is due in great part to my years at LSU. Way back then, I formed what was to become many lasting friendships with men and women from all walks of life. These friendships provided a lasting inspiration for all I aspired to be in those early years and hoped to become in later life.’

‘Following my address to the 1981 graduating class at LSU, I said hello to an old friend who had been a member of my freshman class at LSU more than 40 years ago. Although I had not seen this man in intervening years, I recognized him immediately. We stopped to talk as though we were changing classes as we had done many times years before. The intervening years seemed not to matter at all,’ LaBorde remembers.

After receiving a B.A. Degree and a law Degree from LSU in 1946 and 1947, LaBorde was elected president of Tidewater Marine Service, Inc. In 1968, he was elected chairman of the board and since then, Tidewater, Inc. has become a multidimensional company and the world's largest corporation serving the offshore oil industry.

In addition to membership in numerous professional and business organizations, LaBorde is one of New Orleans's most prominent civic leaders. He has also served as national fund chairman and president of the LSU Alumni Federation and is a member of the LSU Foundation.

Mr. Lodwrick ‘Lod’ Cook is executive vice president of the Atlantic Richfield Corporation and is a member of the corporation's board of directors. He joined Atlantic Richfield in 1956 as an engineer trainee and moved steadily through the ranks in industrial relations, personnel, labor relations, marketing, and transportation. He received a B.A. degree in mathematics in 1950 and a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering in 1955, both from LSU.

Dr. Paul W. Murrill is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Gulf States Utilities Company. He was chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus of Louisiana State University from 1974 to 1981. He served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at LSU from 1969 to 1974. He has also served as senior vice president for research and development for the Ethyl Corporation. He received a master's degree in 1962 and a Ph.D. in 1963 from LSU, both in chemical engineering.

Dr. Purnell W. Choppin, Leon Hess Professor of the Rockefeller University in New York, NY, is a virologist whose research is concerned with the influenza and parainfluenza viruses. He was recently named vice president for academic programs at the Rockefeller University, and also serves as senior physician to the Rockefeller University Hospital. He received his M.D. from the LSU School of Medicine in 1953.

Mr. William Conti is a noted composer, conductor, orchestrator, songwriter, and record producer. Some of his most noted works include Eye of the Tiger, Gonna Fly Now, and ForYour Eyes Only, all motion picture themes nominated in the best original song category in the Academy Awards. He has written musical themes for more than 20 motion pictures and several television series. He received his B.A. in music from LSU in 1963.

Dr. M.F. Gautreaux graduated magna cum laude from LSU in 1950 with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering, then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from LSU in 1951 and 1958 respectively. In 1951, Dr. Gautreaux joined Ethyl Corporation in process design and is now senior vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of Ethyl. There was a brief interruption, however, in his corporate climb, when he served from 1955-58 on the chemical engineering faculty at LSU. Dr. Gautreaux has provided significant technical input and personal leadership in support of sales and manufacturing for all Ethyl product lines and new product success.

Dr. P. L. Thibaut Brian received his B.S. degree from LSU in 1951 and is now vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is primarily responsible for all company engineering efforts and the technological evaluation of new ventures, as well as the safety and environmental protection programs of the corporation. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers awarded Dr. Brian the 1973 Professional Progress Award in Chemical Engineering. He has been honored by the National Academy of Engineering, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and is a charter member of the LSU Engineering Hall of Distinction.

James D. is a 1943 agronomy graduate of LSU. In 1964 he was recognized as Louisiana's Outstanding Farmer by the state's Jaycee's and Man of the Year in Louisiana Agriculture by Progressive Farmer magazine. Today ‘Jimmy’ is in his twenty-second year as president and executive officer of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Louisiana's largest volunteer farm organization. Directly involved in the day-to-day operation of a 4,000 acre farming unit, Graugnard is widely admired for his active involvement on behalf of the agricultural industry statewide and nationally and has earned the title of ‘King’ of more than just the sugar and dairy festivals.

Dr. Lawrence F. Dietlein, M.D., completed his pre-medicine requirements for a B.S. degree from LSU in 1948. Today he is assistant director of life sciences with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, in Houston. A distinguished physician and research scientist, Dr. Dietlein has contributed greatly to biomedical research programs which have assured the well-being of our astronauts in space. His honors and awards, publications, and papers are far too numerous to list, but come from such places as Harvard University and aeronautics, astronautics, and medical groups, including such names as Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab.

Dr. Otis A. Singletary earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at LSU in 1949 and 1954 respectively. His field of study was history. In 1969, Dr. Singletary was named to his current position as president of the University of Kentucky. Long active in academic circles, Dr. Singletary was an instructor at LSU from 1949 to 1951, professor of history, associate dean of the College Arts and Sciences, and assistant to the president at the University of Texas, then executive vice-chancellor for academic affairs for the UT system in 1968-69. A Navy veteran, Dr. Singletary served time as director of the Job Corps. He is the author of two books and editor of a third. Widely recognized and honored, this historian has already made significant history.

Alumnus of the Year

Mr. M. Paul LeBlanc, Jr. was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, attended public schools in Alexandria and Tallulah, and graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in 1948 and a master's degree in 1949. He served in World War II as a navy pilot.

He was employed by the Houston office of Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1949 and was admitted to partnership in 1956. Beginning as a managing partner in the New Orleans office in 1958, he was named a Managing Partner-Region and elected chairman of the firm's Board of Partners in 1980.

Mr. LeBlanc is a C.P.A. and a member of many groups: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; New York Society of Certified Public Accountants; Advisory Council of Tulane University Graduate School of Business and the Duke University Board of Visitors; Advisory Board of the Columbia University Graduate School of Business; Board of Directors of the National Junior Achievement; Board of Directors of the Citizens Union of the City of New York and Greater New York Fund; and Metropolitan Crime Commissions of New Orleans and New York.

Mr. LeBlanc is married to the former Lillian Lanford of Shreveport, who also attended LSU. They have four children.

Dr. Alfred Bryan Bonds, Jr. (M.A.'36) is president emeritus of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, where he served as president from 1955-1981 and as chancellor from 1981-1982. Dr. Bonds earned his master's degree in English at LSU, attended graduate school at the University from 1937-38, and served as assistant to the dean of the LSU Graduate School. Under his 26 years of leadership, Baldwin-Wallace College experienced extensive growth and has honored Dr. Bonds by the dedication of the Alfred Bryan Bonds, Jr. Administration Building on campus. Dr. Bonds has worked in the White House as assistant executive secretary of President Truman's Commission of Higher Education; was the first civilian director of training for the Atomic Energy Commission; and served as commissioner of education for the State of Arkansas.

Mayor Ernest N. Morial of New Orleans (J.D.'54) has achieved many ‘firsts’ in his career. Mayor Morial was the first black graduate of LSU's law school (1954); the first black U.S. attorney in Louisiana; the first black to serve in the Louisiana Legislature since Reconstruction; and the first black elected to the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Presently serving his second term as mayor of New Orleans, he has an extensive background in civil rights and has continued to promote equal opportunity for all citizens by establishing model assistance programs for women and minority businesses during his terms in office. For several years he has been listed as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Black Americans’ by Ebony Magazine.

Hugh J. Kelly (J.D.'50) is president and chief executive officer of Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company, the largest offshore drilling contractor in the world. Mr. Kelly, who received his law degree from LSU in 1950, is chairman of the board of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and serves on the boards of directors of the Hibernia National Bank, National Ocean Industries Association, American Bureau of Shipping, and the Chamber of Commerce—New Orleans and River Region. Mr. Kelly has been active with the United Way and now serves as chairman of the United Way's Board of Trustees.

John Franks (B.S. '50), an outstanding businessman in the oil and gas industry, is the owner of several companies, including Franks Petroleum Inc., Franks Farms, Louisiana Central Minerals Company, and Karen Corporation. Mr. Franks, who graduated from LSU with a bachelor's degree in geology, operates one of the largest thoroughbred horse farms in Louisiana and was the leading owner in the United States for races and purses in 1983 and 1984. His horses race in 17 states as well as Canada, England, and France. Mr. Franks is a former member of the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Dr. M. Gregor T. Goethals (B.A.'47) is a noted artist and lecturer. Her mosaic murals grace the walls of numerous temples, churches, and public buildings throughout the South. Dr. Goethals graduated from LSU with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. In 1984, she was named director of graduate studies at Rhode Island School of Design, where she has served on the faculty since 1975. Her illustrations have also appeared in three children's books, a series of Christmas cards, and several magazines. Dr. Goethals is the author of numerous articles and books, including The TV Ritual and the soon to be published Image and Sacrament.

Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Martin D. Woodin retired as 14th president of the LSU system on March 15. Woodin was a key figure in the University's development over the past four decades, serving longer than any other president except Thomas and David Boyd.

Woodin is a native of Sicily Island in east central Louisiana and has been at LSU much of his adult life, graduating in 1936 at the top of his business administration class. After several years at Cornell, where he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, Woodin returned to LSU but left again in 1942 to serve as a Naval officer in the Pacific Theater. In 1946, he was back to continue his academic career as a faculty member in agricultural economics and agri-business. His rise through the ranks was almost meteoric—assistant to full professor in five years, department head shortly thereafter, Director of Resident Instruction (College of Agriculture) one year later, then Dean of LSU in Alexandria and executive vice-president of the LSU System in two years, the latter promotion coming in 1962. In 10 years, Woodin was president of the entire system, succeeding Dr. John A. Hunter.

Amazingly, Woodin found time through it all to publish over 100 scholarly articles and books, join and participate in over 41 professional organizations, serve as president of the Southern Association of Land Grant Colleges and State Universities, travel all over the world to conduct research, and raise three children.

O. Charles Roddey (B.S.'47) is president of the Parsons Corporation, one of the world's largest construction engineering organizations. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, the corporation has been involved in major construction ventures in more than 100 countries, building airports, subway systems, and other large public works projects. Mr. Roddey, who received his B.S. degree at LSU in 1947, came to Parsons as a business development engineer and has risen through the ranks of the corporate structure to become president and a member of the board of directors. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and is active in civil affairs.              

Dr. Ray Marshall (M.A.'50) served as U.S. Secretary of Labor during the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1981 and is the author of numerous books and articles on such issues as labor economics and employment discrimination. Dr. Marshall received his M.A. degree in economics from LSU in 1950 and was a faculty member at the University from 1949 to 1951 and from 1959 to 1962. Currently, he is a Bernard Rapport Centennial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin and is president of the National Policy Exchange in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Economic Policy Council of the United Nations Association, a member of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights, and a board member of the Institute for the Future and of the Southern Regional Council.

William McCollam, Jr. (B.S.'43) has been president since 1978 of the Edison Electric Institute, the principal trade association of investor-owned electric light and power companies in the United States. Mr. McCollam graduated from LSU in 1943 with a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences. He entered the electric utility industry with Arkansas Power and Light Company in 1961. After nine years with AP&L, he became president of New Orleans Public Service, Inc., where he served until he assumed his position with Edison Electric Institute. Mr. McCollam has been a frequent spokesman for the nation's utility systems on questions of energy policy, particularly since 1975, when he began three years of service as chairman of the National Electric Reliability Council. A registered professional engineer and a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society, Mr. McCollam received that organization's A.B. Paterson Award, its highest recognition for managerial achievement by an engineer in an executive position in 1975.

Chas. T. McCord, Jr. is the owner of McCord Oil Company, an independent oil and gas producing company with headquarters in Shreveport. His many civic and philanthropic activities include the United Fund, Boy Scouts of America, the Shreveport Symphony, and the Ark-La-Tex Association of Petroleum Landmen, which he organized and served as the first president. Mr. McCord is active in the LSU Foundation and Campanile Charities and has funded an endowed professorship in geology at the University. Mr. McCord received the bachelor of science in geology at LSU in 1933.

Edgar Hull was a founder and dean of LSU Medical School in Shreveport and was dean emeritus from 1973 until his death in 1984. During his medical career in Louisiana, he was a teacher to some 4,000 physicians and has been recognized by numerous honors and awards, including the ‘Edgar Hull Alumni Professorship in Medicine’ awarded by the LSU Board of Supervisors. He was instrumental in pioneering new medical facilities in the state, including the first intensive care and renal dialysis units in New Orleans. Dr. Hull began his college career at LSU, attending the University from 1920-22 and graduating from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1927.

Gene Bylinsky is a member of the board of editors of Fortune magazine. As associate editor with the magazine since 1966, he specialized in developments in science, technology, and medicine. His science articles have appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Omni, Science Digest, The New Republic, and New York Times Magazine. He has also been a science writer for the Newhouse papers and the Wall Street Journal and is the author of four books. Mr. Bylinsky was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and came to the United States in 1949. He studied journalism at LSU and received the bachelor's degree in 1955.

James F. Dean was senior vice-president and director of Exxon Corporation from September 1978 until his retirement in September 1983. His principal responsibilities included oil and gas exploration and activities and research production for Exxon International Company. Mr. Dean's international career in the oil industry includes the presidency of various South American affiliates of Exxon, Esso Inter-America, and Esso Europe. He graduated in 1941 with a bachelor's degree in natural science from Centenary College and received the master's degree in chemistry from LSU in 1943.

John A. Hunter was the fourteenth president of LSU and the first head of the LSU System, serving from February 1962 until July 1972. He was president emeritus of LSU until his death in 1985. During his tenure as president, the System grew from four campuses to eight institutions on 10 campuses in five cities across the state. Dr. Hunter authored five books and numerous other educational publications. He was a prominent educator who served as president of the Southern Association of Land Grant Colleges and State Universities, the Southern Association of College and University Registrars, the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Council of Southern Universities. Dr. Hunter received the bachelor's degree at Davidson College in 1943, the master of arts at LSU in 1947, and the doctorate in education at LSU in 1949.

Alumnus of the Year

Mr. Lodwrick Cook was raised in Grand Cane, Louisiana. He completed a bachelor's degree in mathematics at LSU in 1950. Following service in the U.S. Army, he returned to his alma mater to earn a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering in 1955. Later, while working, he finished an evening M.B.A. program at Southern Methodist University.

Mr. Cook's ARCO career began in 1956 as an engineer trainee. He went on to hold management positions in labor relations, refining/marketing, planning, supply, and transportation. He served as chairman of the Owners' Committee of the Trans Alaska Pipeline system, the largest private construction project ever undertaken, which was completed in 1977. Elected a corporate vice president in 1970, he advanced through the executive positions of senior vice president and chief operating officer-products. He served as president of ARCO Transportation Company and has been a member of the ARCO board of directors since 1980. He became president and chief executive officer on October 15, 1985. He was elected chairman of the board of directors, effective January 1, 1986.

Mr. Cooks' interests outside the company focus upon education, youth, and minority programs. He is a director of National Junior Achievement, past president of the Industry Advisory Broad of MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement), member of the board of directors of NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering), co-chairman of the Advisory Board of Plaza de la Raza, member of the Board of Governors of the Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation, member of the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University, and a member of the LSU Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Petroleum Institute and past board member of the National Alliance of Businessman, the Los Angeles Urban League National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Merchants and Manufacturers Association.

Lucien P. Laborde is a prominent Louisiana farmer, rancher, and businessman who operates in excess of 10 thousand acres in crops, cattle, and seed production. While in college, he was ROTC company commander and later served in the Infantry during World War II as a decorated lieutenant colonel. Mr. LaBorde is an active member of the LSU Foundation and Campanile Charities. He has served as president of the LSU Alumni Federation, as well as chairman of the LSU Annual Fund. Mr. LaBorde received the bachelor's degree in agriculture at LSU in 1937 and completed two years of graduate study in economics at the University.

Robert H. Barrow is a retired general and former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corp. As commandant, General Barrow served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1979 until his retirement in 1983. During his 40-year military career, he has been decorated with the Navy Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross, three Legends of Merit, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and other numerous decorations. General Barrow is presently a member of the Board of Directors for Gulf States Utilities, Louisiana National Bank, and United Companies Financial Corporation. General Barrow attended LSU from 1939-1942 before joining the Marines. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College and has studied at the University of Maryland and Tulane University.

Alumnus of the Year

Mr. William Conti is a noted composer, conductor, songwriter, and record producer.

He is a 1963 LSU graduate in music and has been continually recognized for his outstanding musical contributions. He has composed the music for Rocky, The Right Stuff, and such television programs as Cagney and Lacey, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty.

Last summer Conti was given an honorary doctorate in music by LSU. He recently completed work on music for The Karate Kid II and the second half of The North and the South television mini-series.

Albert L. Bossier is chairman and chief executive officer   of Avondale Industries, Inc., one of the most productive shipyards in the   country and the largest employer in Louisiana. His career with Avondale began   in 1957 as an electrical engineer; some of the innovative testing and   processing techniques he developed in his early years at the shipyards are   still in use today. He is an internationally recognized shipbuilding   authority who introduced and refined advanced shipbuilding and modular   construction techniques, which have placed Avondale in the forefront of the   shipbuilding industry. Mr. Bossier is a tireless advocate for Louisiana   business and industry, as well as an ardent supporter of civic and   educational endeavors. He graduated from LSU with a bachelor's degree in 1954   and returned to earn a second bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in   1956. In 1971, he received the juris doctor degree from Loyola University in   New Orleans.

Alumnus of the Year

Claude B. ‘Doc’ Pennington is chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president of Pennington Oil Company. He is the sole benefactor of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a $ 26 million nutritional research facility scheduled to open in the near future. This is only part of a $125 million trust to LSU for the construction and future expansion of the facility. ‘Doc’ Pennington is a native Louisianian, but not a former student of LSU; however, his generosity and interest in LSU and the LSU Medical Center have earned him the designation as the University's ‘1987 Alumnus of the Year.’

Doyle Chambers is director emeritus of the LSU Agricultural Center's Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, having served as its director for 21 years. During his tenure, the experiment station grew in size and quality of research and is now considered one of the top ten agricultural research stations in the nation. His vision and efficient direction were largely responsible for the revitalization of the forage-beef industry, the establishment of soybean production, and the creation of a viable aquaculture industry in Louisiana. His involvement in agricultural science has earned him numerous awards including the Progressive Farmer's 1975 Man of the Year in Service to Louisiana Agriculture. Dr. Chambers received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from LSU in 1940, his master's degree in animal breeding from LSU in 1947, and the doctor of philosophy degree in animal breeding from Oklahoma State University in 1950.

Gillis Long was serving his eighth term in the United States House of Representatives before his untimely death in 1985. He was at that time the ranking majority member of the Rules Committee and had been named chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. In 1981, he was elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and was credited with rebuilding the caucus into a major arena for the development of strategy and policy for the national Democratic Party. During his long public service career, Representative Long was appointed by President John Kennedy as the first assistant director of the United States Office of Economic Opportunity. He served as chairman of the task force for creating the Louisiana Superport and as the Superport's first president. He received his bachelor's degree and law degree from LSU, where he served as president of the student body.

Henry Goodrich is founder and president of Goodrich Oil Company. He is a director of the Independent Petroleum Association of America; director and past president of the LSU Foundation; past chairman of the LSU Geological Endowment; past president of the Louisiana Association of Independent Producers and Royalty Owners; member of the board of trustees at Rhodes College in Memphis; director of the Multi-Faith Retirement Center in Shreveport; and a director of the Commercial National Bank in Shreveport. He serves on the executive committee of the National Gas Supply Association in Washington, D.C. Mr. Goodrich was recently elected to membership in the LSU chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) and was named ‘Shreveport Economic Leader of the Year’ for 1982. He received the bachelor's degree in geology from LSU in 1951.

John W. Barton, Sr. is an outstanding farmer, investor, businessman, and citizen of Baton Rouge. In 1987 he was named Free Enterpriser of the Year and was presented the Baton Rouge Golden Deeds Award, the Outstanding Young Man of Baton Rouge award, and the Volunteer Activist award. His many business and civic directorships include First Commerce Corporation of New Orleans, City National Bank, Gulf States Utilities, Piccadilly Cafeterias, Louisiana Aircraft, Inc., Gulf South Research Institute, Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, and others. His civic involvement includes the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, the Baton Rouge Rotary Club, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the LSU Alumni Federation, the LSU Foundation, and the United Givers Fund. He has served as a past president or chairman for each of these organizations. Mr. Barton received his bachelor's degree in sugar-chemical engineering from LSU in 1939.

L. Gayle Rayburn is the Center of Excellence Research Professor of Accountancy at Memphis State University, where she teaches and does research on management accounting. She is the author of over 100 published professional articles and her book, Principles of Cost Accounting, is in its third edition. She has served a three year term as a member of the Board of Regents of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants and is southeast regional director of the American Accounting Association's management accounting section. Dr. Rayburn earned the bachelor's degree from Murray State University, the master's degree from the University of Mississippi, and the doctor of philosophy in accounting from LSU in 1966.

Robert S. Greer is chairman of the board and chief executive officer for Union National Life Insurance Company and Union National Fire Insurance Company. He has served as president of the Greater Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, United Way, YMCA, Rotary Club, and Council for a Better Louisiana. His achievements as a businessman were recognized in 1986 when he was named Executive of the Year. Mr. Greer is a former president of the LSU Alumni Federation and is a member of the LSU Foundation. He is also a founding member of the College of Business Administration's Partnership for Excellence Board. He received his bachelor's degree from LSU in 1941.

Robert B. Stobaugh is the Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration and faculty chairman of the doctoral programs at Harvard Business School. He directed the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School from 1972 until 1983 and has co-authored 10 books, including Energy Future: Report of the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School, which was on the Time Magazine best-seller list. Dr. Stobaugh has served as an energy policy advisor for President Carter and as a member of presidential commissions under Presidents Johnson and Nixon. He is a fellow and past president of the Academy of International Business and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the LSU Department of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Stobaugh received the bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1947 and the Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1968.

Carlos G. Spaht is a practicing lawyer with the firm Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver & Blitzer and a member of the Board of Ethics for Elected Officials. In early 1946, he was appointed one of the judges of the 19th Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge and served until 1952, when he resigned and entered the campaign for governor of Louisiana. He was defeated in the second primary and resumed his practice of law. He served as executive counsel to the governor from 1964 to 1966. Mr. Spaht is a former member and past chairman of the LSU Board of Supervisors and has served on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Council for a Better Louisiana. Mr. Spaht earned his LL.B. degree from LSU in 1931.

Charles P. Manship, Jr. is president emeritus and director of Capital City Press. He holds the position of secretary-treasurer of Baton Rouge Broadcasting and is a member of the boards of directors of Baton Rouge Broadcasting Company, Louisiana Television Broadcasting Corporation, and Mobile Video Tapes, Inc., of Weslaco, Texas. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Pete Goldsby Award for his contribution to the advertising business and the Baton Rouge community. He has received the Good Citizenship Award from the Sons of the American Revolution and in 1986 was presented the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from LSU. His philanthropy to the LSU College of Arts and Sciences and the Manship School of Journalism is part of his family's legacy to education in Louisiana. Mr. Manship attended LSU for one year and graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor of journalism degree and received a master of business administration from Harvard University.

Dallas M. Draper is a professor emeritus of music at LSU where he taught for 28 years, serving as director of choral activities in the School of Music and founder/conductor of the Acappella Choir, one of the University's most outstanding performing groups. Upon retirement in 1975, Mr. Draper became music director of the Village United Presbyterian Church at Prairie Village, Kansas, and is adjunct professor and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri at Kansas City. He enjoys a distinguished national reputation as a choral conductor and music educator, and his singing talents have been displayed as soloist in numerous metropolitan symphony performances and as a recitalist at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Draper earned his Master of Music degree from LSU in 1947 and holds an academic degree from Northeast Missouri State University. He has done graduate study at the Eastman School of Music and New York University.

Douglas L. Manship is president of WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Broadcasting Company (WJBO and WFMF radio) and Capital City Press, which publishes the State Times, Morning Advocate, and Sunday Advocate. In April 1987, he was named to the LSU Journalism Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Broadcaster of the Year Award and the Golden Mike Award from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters. His civic, business and professional involvement includes numerous directorships and executive officer positions. He is a member of the LSU Foundation, and he and his family have provided substantial endowment gifts and challenge grants for journalism and the humanities at LSU. Mr. Manship has studied at LSU, Harvard, University of Colorado, and Heidelburg University in Germany.

Grover E. Murray is president emeritus and university professor emeritus of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University School of Medicine. He is the only person to have ever been president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Economic Palaeontologists and Mineralogists, the American Institute of Professional Geologists, and the American Geological Institute—the four largest and most prestigious geological groups in the world. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Texas Academy of Sciences' Distinguished Scientist for 1986. He has served LSU as a teacher, chairman of the Department of Geology, Boyd Professor of Geology, and vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Murray received his baccalaureate degree from the University of North Carolina and attended LSU to earn a master's degree in 1937 and Ph.D. in 1942.

Loren A. Bailey is an independent management consultant in the fields of nuclear power and telecommunications. He was a director of cable-laying operations for the first transatlantic telephone cable and is considered a pioneer in modern cable-laying techniques. His careers with Fischbach and Moore, Inc., Page Communications Engineers, Inc., and American Telephone and Telegraph are marked by many firsts in areas such as cable and satellite communications, military defense communications systems, and nuclear power plant construction. Mr. Bailey has recently established a scholarship program at LSU that will grow to $1.2 million. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering at LSU in 1928 and has completed several electronics and communications courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bowdoin College.

Manuel F. Ayau is president emeritus of Francisco Maroquin University in Guatemala, director of the Center for Socio-Economic Studies in Guatemala City, president of the Guatemala Stock Exchange, and president of a firm which manufactures and markets industrial gases and equipment. Mr. Ayau continues to teach economic policy at the university and is widely known in Latin America for encouraging and supporting scholars who work in the tradition of free inquiry. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Guatemala for four years and is a current and former member of numerous civic and business board of directors. Mr. Ayau received his bachelor's degree from LSU in 1950, and in 1973 Hillsdale College awarded him an honorary doctor of humane letters.

Alumnus of the Year

Milton J. Womack is the owner of Milton J. Womack, Inc., one of the largest general contractors in the Baton Rouge area. He has always been a civic-minded individual who has involved himself in many projects for the betterment of Baton Rouge and Louisiana State University. He was national chairman of the 1985 Annual Fund, one of the Alumni Association's most successful fund drives. He has also served as president of the LSU Alumni Association in 1987 and continues to serve on its board as well as on the board of the LSU Foundation. He has recently been voted vice president of the Board of Directors of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and was instrumental in helping raise funds necessary to furnish and open the center. Mr. Womack has established a foundation for the purpose of providing charitable donations and supporting civic and religious entities in the community. He is a long-life resident of Baton Rouge and attended Baton Rouge High School and LSU.

Robert C. Chinn is chairman/president of Carson-Walker Corporation and chairman/CEO of Robotic Displays Corporation, two enterprises developed in his retirement. He was formerly a president of Control Data Caribbean Basin, Inc., and senior vice-president of Control Data Corporation. Mr. Chinn joined Control Data after a 22-year executive career with Ford Motor Company. He serves on numerous business and civic boards and is currently listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in U.S. History and Finance. In 1985, LSU accepted a $500,000 gift of computers from Control Data Corporation through the Legacy of Excellence Fund of the LSU Foundation, founded by the Association of Past Presidents of the LSU Student Body, under the leadership of Mr. Chinn. He graduated in 1939 from LSU with a B.A. degree in political science and received his LL.B. from LSU Law School in 1942.

F. Hodge O'Neal is a distinguished professor of law at the University of Florida and professor emeritus of law at Washington University. He is one of the most eminent law teachers in the United States and has written a number of treatises, books, and articles, chief of which is O'Neal's Close Corporations, Law and Practice. His legal education career includes positions at Duke, the University of Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Mercer, and the University of Mississippi. He graduated from LSU with a bachelor's degree in 1938 and juris doctorate in 1940. He also holds law degrees from Yale and Harvard.

Gene Callahan is an Academy Award-winning Hollywood movie production and set designer. He received an Oscar for art and set decoration for the 1961 motion picture The Hustler and for his work in Elia Kazan's America, America in 1963. Mr. Callahan has produced set designs for over 50 movies and more than 1,000 television programs. His movie credits include Funny Girl, Places in the Heart, Children of a Lesser God, and most recently, Steel Magnolias. His television designs include such standouts as ‘Omnibus,’ ‘Studio One,’ and ‘Playhouse 90.’ Mr. Callahan attended LSU from 1940 to 1946 as an art major before he left Baton Rouge to begin his career in New York.

Alumnus of the Year

Gordon A. Cain is chairman of the board of The Sterling Group, Inc. and Sterling Chemicals, Inc. This Houston investment banker and chemical engineer is considered a leverage buyout specialist with some 20 such investment transactions to his credit since 1987. He was a vice president of Conoco before striking out on his own in 1970. His most successful venture was Cain Chemical Company, which he sold in 1988 to Occidental Petroleum for $2.2 billion. Mr. Cain, along with his two brothers, recently gave LSU $1 million to establish an endowed chair in their father's name and to support the University's merit scholarship program. He is a member of the LSU Foundation and received his bachelor's degree from the University in 1933.

J. Huntington Odom is a practicing lawyer in Baton Rouge with the firm of Kennon, White, Odom, and Dardenne. Mr. Odom is noted for his civic work and community service, and LSU is a prime beneficiary of his civic spirit. He has served in various offices of the LSU Alumni Association including his presidency in 1973-74. He served as an ex-officio member of the Association's Constitutional Revision Study Committee and emerged as a chief spokesman for the plan for governance of higher education, which has existed in Louisiana from 1973 until the recent court-ordered reorganization. He is active with the St. James Episcopal Church, the United Way, the Red Cross, and the Cerebral Palsy Association. Mr. Odom received a bachelor's degree at LSU in 1951 and a law degree from the University in 1956.

J. Wayne Rabalais is a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Houston and is a noted expert in the fields of chemical physics and spectroscopy. He has 100 invited scientific lectures and more than $3 million of research grants to his credit. Dr. Rabalais has published some 180 professional publications and frequently serves as a consultant to major industrial corporations concerning problems solvable by means of photoelectron spectroscopy. He is a member of numerous professional societies and serves as a reviewer of research proposals for agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Rabalais earned a bachelor's degree in 1966 at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and his doctorate at LSU in 1970.

Quinn H. Becker is chief of staff at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, and former surgeon general of the United States Army. General Becker is an orthopedic surgeon and has served in the Army since 1962. During the decade of the 1980's, he was named commandant of the Army Academy of Health Sciences, deputy surgeon general, commander of the 7th Medical Command in Heidelberg, Germany, and then in 1985 was promoted to lieutenant general and served as the army surgeon general until his brief retirement in 1988. He earned a bachelor's degree from Northeast Louisiana University in 1952 and a medical degree from the LSU School of Medicine in 1956. He has attended numerous military schools, including the U.S. Army War College.

Robert L. Pettit, Jr. is principal of the Investment Management Evaluation Group of Kidder, Peabody, and Company and serves on the board of directors of Pan America Life Insurance Company and the Salvation Army of New Orleans. He is a former professional basketball player with the St. Louis Hawks and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mr. Pettit is the author of the book The Drive Within Me. He is a former chairman of the LSU Alumni Annual Fund and is currently chairman of the State of Louisiana's 1992 U.S. Olympic Fund Drive. He earned a bachelor of science degree from LSU in 1954 and completed the LSU School of Banking of the South in 1967.

Sidney J. Reso is president of Exxon Company, International and a vice president of Exxon Corporation. His career with Exxon began in 1957 as a junior engineer and he has progressed through the company in 16 different positions, working in England, Australia, New York, Texas, and Louisiana. Mr. Reso is a member of the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Research League, the LSU Foundation, and the LSU College of Engineering Hall of Distinction. He received a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering at LSU in 1957.

William H. LeBlanc, Jr. is owner and president of Baton Rouge Supply Company, Inc. and owner of LeBlanc Construction Company, Inc. His involvement in community affairs and humanitarian efforts has earned him the 1983 Baton Rouge Volunteer Activist and the prestigious 1982 Golden Deeds Award. Mr. LeBlanc headed the funding campaign for construction of Our Lady of the Lake Chemical Dependency Center and is a member of the hospital's foundation and Tau Center board. He is a past president of the LSU Alumni Association and served as chairman of the national campaign to construct LSU's College of Engineering and Business Administration Building. He has received the LSU Alumni Service Award and the President's Award for distinguished service to the University. Mr. LeBlanc received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at LSU in 1940.