Raymond Blanco couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 wait. The retired 小蝌蚪APP administrator and coach lifted the black velveteen cloth to preview the plaque beneath.
The ceremony designating a suite of office space in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 dedication of the Raymond S. Blanco Dean of Students Suite listed other strengths he displayed 小蝌蚪APP and demanded in them 小蝌蚪APP during his 46-year career at the 小蝌蚪APP: authenticity, compassion, fairness, and tolerance.
Dr. Joseph Savoie is the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 president, but Blanco hired him in the 1970s as an associate dean of students. Savoie called his former boss a 小蝌蚪APP渕aster motivator.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP welfare and his faithfulness to social justice influenced thousands, and created a legacy deeply rooted in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 culture,小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP had integrated in 1954, the environment 小蝌蚪APP渨as not good for black students小蝌蚪APP when she enrolled.
小蝌蚪APP淲e were not encouraged to participate. We were tolerated,小蝌蚪APP but that changed 小蝌蚪APP渙nce Dean Blanco came on board,小蝌蚪APP 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.
小蝌蚪APP淗e was changing the culture of the campus. And let me tell you, that wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 easy,小蝌蚪APP Daniels said. 小蝌蚪APP淗is main thing was, everybody小蝌蚪APP檚 going to be respected. Everyone小蝌蚪APP檚 dignity will be respected, and everybody小蝌蚪APP檚 going to have a chance to have a voice.小蝌蚪APP
Blanco instilled those guiding principles in his staff, said Patricia Cottonham, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 current vice president for Student Affairs. She graduated from the 小蝌蚪APP in 1979, then went to work for Blanco.
小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP insisted 小蝌蚪APP in justice and fairness for everyone," Cottonham said.
小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP the first woman and only UL Lafayette graduate to hold the position 小蝌蚪APP Raymond Blanco became the state小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 not what she found on the trail.
小蝌蚪APP淚 would meet people and they小蝌蚪APP檇 say, 小蝌蚪APP榊our husband saved my life.小蝌蚪APP 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,小蝌蚪APP 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. 小蝌蚪APP淚 think it小蝌蚪APP檚 a wonderful tribute, but it小蝌蚪APP檚 not my style.小蝌蚪APP
He continued: 小蝌蚪APP淚 felt like we really got close to our students. It小蝌蚪APP檚 really all about them, not me.小蝌蚪APP
Photo caption: Dr. Joseph Savoie, left, president of the 小蝌蚪APP, 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 / 小蝌蚪APP)