Raymond Blanco couldn杏吧专区檛 wait. The retired 杏吧专区 administrator and coach lifted the black velveteen cloth to preview the plaque beneath.
The ceremony designating a suite of office space in the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 Student Union in his honor had yet to start, but Blanco freely admitted that patience was never his forte.
But a succession of former employees at Friday杏吧专区檚 dedication of the Raymond S. Blanco Dean of Students Suite listed other strengths he displayed 杏吧专区 and demanded in them 杏吧专区 during his 46-year career at the 杏吧专区: authenticity, compassion, fairness, and tolerance.
Dr. Joseph Savoie is the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 president, but Blanco hired him in the 1970s as an associate dean of students. Savoie called his former boss a 杏吧专区渕aster motivator.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淗is larger than life, exuberant personality, his always-in-motion demeanor often amused, sometimes confused, but always enthralled everyone he came into contact with. His nearly half-century of devotion to our students杏吧专区 welfare and his faithfulness to social justice influenced thousands, and created a legacy deeply rooted in the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 culture,杏吧专区 Savoie said.
Blanco joined the football coaching staff in 1963. From 1969 and 1974, he was dean of men, dean of student personnel, and dean of students. He then became vice president for Student Affairs, a position he held until his 2009 retirement.
As an administrator, Blanco initiated the Dean on Call program, which enabled students to contact a dean whenever they needed help. He was also responsible for introducing emergency call boxes on campus.
But those were public achievements. Many of the moments in which Blanco had the greatest influence on the 杏吧专区 and its students occurred out of the spotlight, said Judy Daniels, former assistant dean of student personnel.
She went to work for Blanco shortly after her graduation in 1972. Daniels said her arrival on campus as a student in the late 1960s came amid continuing racial division. Though the 杏吧专区 had integrated in 1954, the environment 杏吧专区渨as not good for black students杏吧专区 when she enrolled.
杏吧专区淲e were not encouraged to participate. We were tolerated,杏吧专区 but that changed 杏吧专区渙nce Dean Blanco came on board,杏吧专区 Daniels recounted.
Blanco replaced recalcitrant administrators who did not welcome black students. He pulled white and black students together and encouraged dialogues to increase understanding.
杏吧专区淗e was changing the culture of the campus. And let me tell you, that wasn杏吧专区檛 easy,杏吧专区 Daniels said. 杏吧专区淗is main thing was, everybody杏吧专区檚 going to be respected. Everyone杏吧专区檚 dignity will be respected, and everybody杏吧专区檚 going to have a chance to have a voice.杏吧专区
Blanco instilled those guiding principles in his staff, said Patricia Cottonham, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 current vice president for Student Affairs. She graduated from the 杏吧专区 in 1979, then went to work for Blanco.
杏吧专区淗e taught us lessons every day, lessons of tolerance, second chances, lessons of love and understanding. Dean Blanco was called to do the work that he did with young people. From the football field to the halls of the campus community, he was a man who believed 杏吧专区 insisted 杏吧专区 in justice and fairness for everyone," Cottonham said.
杏吧专区淗e taught us that students were the most important people on campus, and we were always to treat them with dignity and respect."
Blanco and Kathleen Babineaux married in 1964. When she was elected Louisiana governor in 2003 杏吧专区 the first woman and only UL Lafayette graduate to hold the position 杏吧专区 Raymond Blanco became the state杏吧专区檚 first gentleman.
The former governor said that her husband worried during her political campaigns that his reputation would hurt her electoral chances. But that杏吧专区檚 not what she found on the trail.
杏吧专区淚 would meet people and they杏吧专区檇 say, 杏吧专区榊our husband saved my life.杏吧专区 I heard that refrain over and over again. I kept coming back with those stories and he could just hardly believe it. Nonetheless, there was that reality out there, that he had touched so many lives in such a powerful way,杏吧专区 Kathleen Blanco said.
The Raymond S. Blanco Dean of Students Suite is home to the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. It provides space for a number of campus organizations as well.
Looking at the new plaque and signage in the Student Union on Friday, Blanco, now 83, said he was touched, though slightly embarrassed, by the spotlight. 杏吧专区淚 think it杏吧专区檚 a wonderful tribute, but it杏吧专区檚 not my style.杏吧专区
He continued: 杏吧专区淚 felt like we really got close to our students. It杏吧专区檚 really all about them, not me.杏吧专区
Photo caption: Dr. Joseph Savoie, left, president of the 杏吧专区, greets Raymond Blanco and former Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco at a ceremony Friday dedicating the Raymond S. Blanco Dean of Students Suite. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 杏吧专区)