Ray P. Authement became president of the University of Louisiana 35 years ago. Few could have predicted that his tenure would last until 2008, and that today’s University of Louisiana would grow into the institution that it has become today.
Authement was honored by the University of Louisiana system board with the title of president emeritus of UL. It is a richly deserved tribute for his 34 years, as the school has developed into a centerpiece of Acadiana’s economic and cultural growth.
The UL board noted Authement’s leadership in promoting the study of French culture, for which the Lafayette region is famous. Rarely, if ever, has a university done so much in the realm of preservation of one of America’s distinctive heritages.
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