Edmond A. Dugas – Health & Physical Education, Summer 1962; M. Ed., Summer 1963

Edmond Anthony Dugas

B.S. – Health and Physical Education – Summer 1962

M.Ed. – Education Administration and Supervision – Summer 1963

                As a 1958 graduate of Evergreen High School, I found that SLI was a wonderful place to obtain a college degree.  Mr. Raymond Ducote and other Evergreen High School faculty were good SLI models and recruiters.  The SLI faculty, especially in the R and Education departments were dedicated professionals who were sincerely concerned about students.  HPER faculty such as Elvin Brand, Bill Stevenson, VJ Edney, Dr. Lou Bowers and Dr. David Fisher were excellent teachers and role models.  Dr. Fred T. Brown and Mr. J.C. “Dutch” Reinhardt became like fathers to me and all became life-long friends.  Mrs. Vesta Bourgeois and Ms. Margaret  McMillan were outstanding professionals who were helpful in assisting me to formulate a foundation for my profession.

                In the professional education area, faculty such as Drs. Beasley, Faulk, Aycock, and Turner were dedicated teachers, while Coussan and Robinette were close advisors.  As a social studies minor, I also enjoyed history classes with Dr. Sam Adams and Dr. Hemleben and Biology with Dr. Ed Stueben, Dr. Gooch and Mr. Vigee.  Gladys Robinette was a SUPER teacher education model and all my classmates enjoyed her classes.  I have been so blessed, from grade school in Evergreen through my masters degree, to have teachers who were dedicated professionals.  They were always concerned about the long-range best interests of their students.

                In my freshman year, I developed great respect and appreciation for Mom Marioneaux (Judice Hall) and Mom Peterson (Dorm C).  I feel certain many of their boys would agree these two housemothers have earned their place in heaven.  Mr. Leo  Hebert, Director of the Student Aid Office, was always helpful.  Deans Abel and Guillory were highly respected professionals who were always available.

                On July 27, 1960, SLI became USL, and I remember joining other students who marched in celebration down St. Mary Boulevard–we had become a University and somehow each of us felt smarter and very proud of our school.

As a student worker in E.K. Long Gymnasium, I was able to live and learn about my profession outside the classroom as I worked the towel room, officiated  intramurals, strung tennis rackets, cleaned tumbling mats, etc.  It also gave me a chance to recruit for my intramural team, “The Untouchables” (Intramural Champs in Softball and Basketball).  It was made a lot of fun by guys such as Sid LaCoste, Ken Spears, Larry Simon, Leonard Coriel, Bob Lang, Gene Bacque, Gay Hopkins, Tommy LeBlanc, Warren Young, Warren Payton and Glen Robichaux.  Things were made interesting by R classmates such as Virginia Lyons, Carol  Ducote, Alice Miller, Margaret Romero, Mike Jarreau, Carlton Falgout, Bill Vosburg, Marty Bourg, Ralph Davis, Don Landry, Joe Calloway, and many more.  I enjoyed student teaching at  Northside High School, a new high school, with Mr. Allen Meyers as my supervising teacher.

I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to teach physical education classes my junior and senior years and to be selected as a graduate assistant for the 1962-63 year.  I am thankful to Dr. Lou Bowers for having me as a volunteer in the initial Motor Development Clinic and to Dr. Davis Fisher for allowing me to help with our Children’s Tennis Clinic.

Further appreciation is also extended to Dr. G.L. Coussan and Mr.Alfred Lamson for getting me involved in coaching at the Hamilton Laboratory School and allowing me to work with their young sons, George and Gary.  These were enjoyable experiences which, along with coaches Beryl  Shipley and Russ Faulkinberry, helped shape my philosophy of physical education and coaching.

After teaching and coaching at Welsh and Port Allen High Schools, I returned to the University in 1967 as an Instructor of Health and Physical Education.  Over the years, I have been privileged to hold the positions of Coordinator of Men’s Physical Education, Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Education, HPER Department Head and Director of Student Teaching.  I had the opportunity to work with and appreciate leaders, such as Dr. G. L. Coussan, Dr. Sammy Cosper, Dr. Fred Brown, Dr. Jim Caillier, Dr. Robert Ducharme, Dr. James Oliver and President  Authement.

I also developed close friendships on the faculty, most notably with Marty Bourg, Clyde Wolf and Fred Nelson.  Our openness to fun and competition helped us recreate in cards, tennis, badminton, racquetball and fishing.  Our students were fun to be with in class or at professional meetings where they were leaders.  They have truly enriched my life.

In the community, I have been fortunate to serve the American Heart Association, the Louisiana Tennis Association, the Top 28 Basketball Tournament and the Lafayette Council on Aging.  Professionally, I was deeply honored to serve as the initial Executive Director of the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance from 1982-1990.  A member of the Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports for four governors, I was as one of the Olympic Torchbearers in 1996.

My wife, Marilyn Bordelon, and I are pleased that four of our five children (Donna, Paul, Lesley and Lauralee) have earned degrees from USL.  John is currently working on his.  The three girls are teachers and John is planning to be a teacher.  Paul, however, marched to a different drumbeat and practices law in Lafayette.

My current plans are to promote spirit for the College of Education’s Academic Showcase and the Centennial Celebration in a manner where alumni and faculty relive memories of the past while creating new ones.  I will do my best to see that our  SLI/USL roots are sufficiently stimulated so that strong bonds develop among and between members of our University family and that all  COE alumni are provided with a variety of opportunities for participation in this historical event.

Having failed my second physical examination to become a member of the first class at the U.S. Air Force Academy, my high school principal, Mr. A.J. Smith, asked me to have lunch with SLI President, Dr. Joel Fletcher, (his college roommate) the Friday before summer school in 1958.  I remember having lunch at the Vermilion Seafood Inn.  President Fletcher always used my name to address me when our paths crossed on campus.  I admired and respected him a great deal.  He truly lived the motto – “Students are our #1 priority.”

Imagine being a student, student teacher, graduate assistant, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and professor, and holding four different administrative positions–all at your alma mater.  It really doesn’t get any better than this, until you add your family and friends to the mix then it becomes very humbling.

I wish for all graduates, that each one embodies the spirit of the College of Education Academic Showcase and the University Centennial. I hope and pray that as we seek our mission in the next millennium, we retain our nurturing environment where students, based on our actions, will always feel they are truly our #1 priority.

Go Bulldogs!! Go Cajuns!!

Yours in Spirit–Ed Dugas,

Health & Physical Education Professor and Chair

College of Education Academic Showcase