UL Lafayette President Dr. Ray Authement, the nation杏吧专区檚 longest serving public university president, announced his retirement Friday afternoon during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors for the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana System in Lafayette.
He was named the university杏吧专区檚 president in 1974, after serving as acting president for a year.
杏吧专区 I today announce my intention to relinquish the presidency of the 杏吧专区 as soon as the board can arrange a smooth transition from this presidency to the next,杏吧专区 Authement told board members at the end of their regular monthly meeting. The board was meeting at the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise facility in UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 杏吧专区 Research Park. Board committees met on the university杏吧专区檚 campus yesterday.
杏吧专区 I thank you so very much for all you杏吧专区檝e done,杏吧专区 Authement said. 杏吧专区淎s you can see, we杏吧专区檙e making tremendous progress. I can assure you that I will continue to work with all of you to continue this development and movement forward.杏吧专区
Jimmy Long, chair of the UL System Board, responded that the board, 杏吧专区渋ndividually and collectively, is saddened杏吧专区 by the announcement. 杏吧专区淚 also want to say that we appreciate your statement that you杏吧专区檒l be here for as long as it takes for a smooth transition.杏吧专区
Dr. Sally Clausen, UL System president, thanked Authement for his service. 杏吧专区淵ou have served as our 杏吧专区榙ean,杏吧专区 both as a leader for our system office and presidents. You杏吧专区檝e also been a friend 杏吧专区 the best friend higher education has had. Thank you for giving us your life.杏吧专区
Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco issued a statement that commended Authement for his service to UL Lafayette and his work to improve higher education throughout Louisiana.
杏吧专区 Dr. Ray Authement has given visionary leadership and service to the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana, to the Lafayette community, and to the tens of thousands of graduates who are leaders across Louisiana and around the world. The university has thrived under his direction, growing from a small regional college to one with internationally acclaimed programs,杏吧专区 she said.
杏吧专区 Dr. Authement will always be the most beloved member of the Ragin杏吧专区 Cajun family and I am proud to count him and his wife Barbara among my special friends. I thank them both for a lifetime of service to our people.杏吧专区
Under Authement杏吧专区檚 guidance, the 杏吧专区 has become a major economic force in Acadiana, while earning a national reputation in the fields of computer science, environmental and biological research, and Francophone studies.
He is responsible for the development of 杏吧专区 Research Park, which houses numerous national research centers, the LITE facility and a hotel. Recently, the Carnegie Foundation designated UL Lafayette as a 杏吧专区渞esearch university with high research activity.杏吧专区 That puts UL Lafayette in the same category as Clemson, Auburn and Baylor universities.
During Authement杏吧专区檚 administration, UL Lafayette became a selective admission institution and the first Doctoral II university in Louisiana.
He was a major force in successful efforts to change the name of the university from the 杏吧专区 of Southwestern Louisiana to the 杏吧专区. Since Authement became the university杏吧专区檚 fifth president, Louisiana杏吧专区檚 Ragin杏吧专区 Cajuns have competed in NCAA Division 1, the highest level of collegiate athletic competition. The football team is a member of NCAA Division 1-A.
A $130 million construction boom on campus in the past decade produced the Paul and Lulu Hilliard 杏吧专区 Art Museum; Moody Hall, which houses the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration; a new computer science building; and Legacy Park, an apartment-style student residence on campus. Edith Garland Dupr茅 library was expanded and totally renovated. A 400-plus parking garage and an indoor practice facility for UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 athletic teams are under construction.
Earlier in his presidency, Authement supervised construction of several other buildings, including the 12,800-seat Cajundome and an adjacent convention center.
The 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 gifted assets surpassed $100 million during the Investing in Our Future Centennial campaign under Authement杏吧专区檚 direction. UL Lafayette has 18 endowed chairs; each valued at $1 million. It has two endowed chairs funded entirely through private sources. The most recent addition to the university杏吧专区檚 funded chairs is an endowed super chair in telecommunications, valued at $2 million.
The university has more than 140 endowed professorships, valued at $100,000 each, through the Board of Regents杏吧专区 matching program and 29 endowed professorships funded through private sources.
When Louisiana杏吧专区檚 oil industry virtually collapsed in the early 1980s, the university, under Authement杏吧专区檚 direction, led efforts to diversify the area杏吧专区檚 economy. For example, it helped existing businesses operate more efficiently, offered assistance to fledgling companies and showed businesses how to to obtain government contracts.
Since the mid-1980s, Authement established more than a dozen research centers, including the Louisiana Productivity Center and Institute of Cognitive Science.
He earned a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree from the 杏吧专区 of Southwestern Louisiana in 1950; a master杏吧专区檚 degree in 1952 from Louisiana State 杏吧专区 and a doctoral degree from LSU in 1956.