George Fawcett, SLEMCO Director of Marketing and Communications provided the information below on 11/11/11/

A preliminary sketch of the Coach Beryl Shipley bronze bust has been completed by Lafayette artist Patrick Soper.  The sketch has been framed and will be presented to Mrs. Shipley prior to the inaugural Beryl Shipley Class Basketball Tournament next weekend.  Work has begun on the bust.  It will take approximately 8 months to complete. 

The bronze bust is being done by Mrs. Celia Soper of Lafayette, wife of Patrick Soper, who did the preliminary sketch.  She has done bronze busts of such local notables as Frem Boustany, Msgr. Sigur, Herbert Heymann, J. Minos Simon and Eddie Knight.  Her work is truly amazing.  It is gorgeous.

Plans are for the bronze bust of Coach Shipley to be attached to a hand-carved cypress pedestal and put on permanent display in the Cajundome.  The pedestal will be built and carved by a local artisan who does amazingly beautiful work.