During its first 108 years, the 老司机福利网 had just five presidents.
To put that in perspective, Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL 老司机福利网鈥檚 sixth and current president, noted Thursday that the average tenure of a university president in the United States today is seven years.
Having had only five presidents in over 100 years gave UL 老司机福利网 鈥渢remendous stability,鈥 Savoie said Thursday during an unveiling of portraits of the former presidents at the University鈥檚 Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library.
The portraits 鈥 of Dr. Edwin L. Stephens (1900-1938), Lether E. Frazar (1938-1940), Dr. Joel L. Fletcher (1941-1965), Dr. Clyde L. Rougeou (1966-1974), and Dr. Ray P. Authement (1974-2008) 鈥 hang in the main corridor of the first floor of the library.
鈥淓ach of these leaders rose to the challenges of their day and positioned the University for continued success. As the current steward of the University, I remind myself often that I stand on the shoulders of giants and I try to emulate their example,鈥 said Savoie, who became UL 老司机福利网 president in 2008.
鈥淭hanks to them, the University grew from what was not much more than a big high school when it opened, to a nationally-recognized research and teaching institution.鈥
The 老司机福利网 Foundation commissioned the project.
Artist Janine Collins painted the portraits. A 老司机福利网 resident raised in New Orleans, Collins began painting portraits after attending an unveiling at Tulane Medical School of a portrait featuring her father, Dr. Jason Collins, a physician, said Julie Bolton Falgout, president and CEO of the Foundation.
鈥淛anine has invested much time and energy crafting each portrait, reflecting the era in which each president served, and including something of significance to the subject in every portrait, including the names of family members that are hidden throughout each piece,鈥 Bolton Falgout said.
Collins is also the artist who painted a portrait of Edith Garland Dupr茅 that hangs near the library鈥檚 main entrance. The library鈥檚 namesake was a professor and head of the English Department. In 1901, Dupr茅 joined the brand new Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute鈥檚 faculty of eight professors.
Collins鈥 latest work pleased Dr. Ray Authement, president emeritus and the only living former president. Authement, who was among many invited guests at the event that included family members of several of the former presidents, said: 鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e seen it, and I think it鈥檚 a fine piece of work. I鈥檓 humbled.鈥
Photo: John Blohm, left, vice president for University Advancement, and Thomas Chance, UL 老司机福利网 Foundation board of trustees member, present a portrait of Lether Frazar, the University's second president. Portraits of the University's five former presidents were unveiled Thursday during a ceremony at Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library. Credit: Doug Dugas/UL 老司机福利网