Head of the class: UL’s Authement returns to his roots; see photo galleries from Authement’s career

Longtime president rekindles desire to inspire

Tina Marie Macias • tmacias@theadvertiser.com • August 30, 2009

Click below for Photo Galleries:

Dr. Authement: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080512&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=805120803&Ref=PH

Dr. Authement 1: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080417&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=801310804&Ref=PH

Dr. Authement 2: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080417&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=704270805&Ref=PH

Dr. Authement 3: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080417&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=704270808&Ref=PH

Dr. Authement Honored: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080507&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=805070801&Ref=PH

Dr. Authement Last Day: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20080630&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=806300812&Ref=PH

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here to view Dr. Authement’s complete Athletic Network Profile – http://athleticnetwork.net/site.php?pageID=55&profID=9273

Former UL President Ray Authement teaches linear algebra on Thursday at UL. This is the first time Authement has taught a class in more than 30 years. (Claudia B. Laws/claws@theadvertiser.com)

The small, white classroom with two tiny windows and rows of squeaky desks in Maxim Doucet Hall was packed Thursday as junior and senior UL students filed in cheerfully.

The 35 students armed with graphing calculators, linear algebra textbooks, pencils and notebooks chatted happily while waiting for their professor to start the lesson.

Although none of the students ever had him as a teacher, the man with thinning black hair dressed sharply in blinding shiny black dress shoes, grey dress slacks and a matching tie over a perfectly pressed white shirt was familiar.

In their freshman or sophomore year at UL he was their university president and at 80 has returned to the college with his namesake — the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences — to teach.

"I love this university and this is where I want to be," Authement said.

As UL president for nearly 35 years, Authement served longer than any other public university president in U.S. history, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. University presidents usually stay on for an average of nine years, according to the same publication.

Joe Savoie took over Authement’s post in June 2008, and for the last year Authement said he enjoyed retirement. He served on the Council for A Better Louisiana board, built a new house, furnished it and visited his grandchildren in Atlanta.

But Authement missed the university that was his professional home for 40 years. He also wanted another way to keep his mind active and thought he could still contribute.

"I found out that I was not mentally challenged in retirement," he said, jokingly.

The Houma native earned a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in math in 1950. He went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees from LSU and taught math from 1954 to 1966 at LSU, McNeese and UL.

He remained at UL for the rest of his career as academic vice president, vice president and accepted a temporary acting president position in 1973 that became permanent.

Authement returned to his roots and now teaches one class of linear algebra to upperclassmen twice a week. The new endeavor is a test. He will see how this semester goes and then decide if he wants to continue teaching.

Students at his class Thursday — the second class of the semester — already believe he will be a great teacher.

"He really makes it easy to understand," math education junior Faith LeBlanc said.

Another math education junior Katie Muguira agreed with LeBlanc.

"He seems like he will be sensitive to our needs," she said, "which is hard to find in the math department."

At the beginning of class, Authement announced that he did not want to call everyone’s name off a piece of paper to see if they were in class.

"I want to try something," he said. "I don’t like taking roll."

He told the students that he would assign them a point on a matrix — the math that linear algebra is centered around. It started with a11. Muguira was a73 and LeBlanc a74. They will have the same assigned seat all semester and when Authement sees an empty seat he’ll make a note.

"You can call me and say, ‘This is a12.’ My wife will probably pick up and think it’s a crazy person, but I’ll understand," he said.

He and the class chuckled at the system that appeals to math junkies.

The joke eased the notoriously shy and taciturn man. It took Authement a few minutes to become comfortable in front of the class.

The last time Authement remembers teaching was in the 1980s when he tutored students who were struggling in math classes. His last formal teaching assignment, however, was in 1966.

A lot has changed since then.

Adding machines were used, far from the current-day graphing calculators that solve matrices with a few presses of a button. He’ll stay away from calculators most of the semester and focus on what makes him love Linear Algebra.

"It’s a very pure form of mathematics." Authement said.

The class has also been the first time Authement used a dry-erase board and markers. He struggled with writing on the board, the markers sliding off the board or running out of ink.

"This didn’t happen when I was president," he said to a roar of laughter.

As Authement left class, another teacher approached him to ask if he wanted to move to a larger room — one, with a chalkboard.

Authement’s answer was clear. He hugged the messenger.