Louisiana's Red Lerille

[Turbine]

In 1960 Lloyd "Red" Lerille became Mr. America. He later earned the title of Mr. Universe.

[Zeebart21]

In 1960 Lloyd "Red" Lerille became Mr. America. He later earned the title of Mr. Universe.

Even by todays standards, thats a bad sss body...

Z.

[NewsCopy]

Red Lerille, owner, Red Lerille's Health & Racquet Club

When Red Lerille opened his health club in a 4,000-square-foot rented space in 1963, he vowed to make one change to the club each month for his members. His commitment to continually improving his business paid off - the fitness facility now penetrates more than 12 percent of the overall Lafayette, LA, population.

Red Lerille's Health and Racquet Club now sprawls across 20 acres and has been in business for more than four decades. In keeping with tradition, the 185,000-square-foot club recently added another feature to the facility - a children's water park complete with a zero-entry pool, lazy river, water slide, pool-side snack bar and party room. Lerille has also added a pro shop, health-food store, racquetball and tennis courts, and indoor and outdoor jogging tracks.

The population of Lafayette has doubled during the past 42 years, and 20 health clubs have popped up around the area. Lerille says to retain his 7,500 members and attract new ones, he prices the memberships right and treats his clients well. He has also changed with the times.

"Big group exercise programs are on their way out," he says. "Twenty-five years ago, you didn't have enough space to do it. Now it's definitely dwindled, and racquetball has been eliminated off the planet. It was a big part of our operation 30 years ago, and we had 12 courts. Now we're down to four and you can get a court anytime you want."

Fitness continues to be a way of life for the former Mr. Universe and Mr. America. He wakes at 3:30 a.m., opens his club, works out for an hour and 15 minutes and then pedals his bike around town for 45 minutes. Then he goes to 7 a.m. Mass, flies one of his antique airplanes for 30 minutes and then arrives at work at 8:45 a.m.

"Forty-two years is a long time to be in business in the health club industry," he says. "I still show up on time and ready to work and put in eight to 10 hours a day. I believe in this business."

JUST THE FACTS:

Age: 69

Location: Lafayette, LA

Proudest accomplishment: Winning the Mr. America competition and owning and running Red's.

Workout routine: He rides one of his four bikes and lifts weights at his gym.

Hobbies: He's restored 16 airplanes and has ridden Harleys since 1953.

Family: He and his wife Emma have four grown children - Mark, 42, and Kacki, 40, work at the club; Christine, 35, does alcohol and drug counseling; and Stanley, 29, owns a bar and a restaurant.

Contribution to industry: He's made a large impact on health in Lafayette, LA.

Source: Fitness Business

[TopSpinCajun]

Red Lerille supports UL Tennis and gives back to UL through endowed professorships.

[Rocent]

Before the Steroid era, its great!

Today there are too many wanna be's taking steroids and the funny thing is they are still wanna be's!

[Turbine]

Interesting website oldtimestrongman.com yesterday was the 61st anniversary of the Mr. Universe competition that UL's Red Lerille won. Red Lerille 1961

[NewsCopy]

The old boot shop that Red Lerille leased with a $250 loan from his father and filled with homemade equipment in 1963 was a dream come true for the then-27-year-old body builder who had two ambitions in life — win Mr. America and open a health club.

Advertiser

[NewsCopy]

Two business and community leaders will receive honorary doctorates from the University of Louisiana during its Fall 2016 Commencement General Assembly on Friday.

UL President Dr. Joseph Savoie will present honorary degrees to Lloyd J. “Red” Lerille and Donald Mosing during the General Assembly. It will begin at 11 a.m. at the Cajundome.

A 1987 graduate of the University, Lerille will receive an honorary doctorate of educational leadership. Lerille will also give the Commencement speech. He founded and operates one of the largest health clubs in the south, Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club.

Donald Mosing will receive an honorary doctorate in systems engineering. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University in 1950, which was known then as Southwestern Louisiana Institute.

Mosing was the longtime president of the family business known today as Frank’s International, N.V. The publicly traded company has 3,000 employees in 40 locations across the U.S. and around the world. He retired in 2011.

For over 50 years, Lerille has helped Acadiana residents get in shape and stay healthy.

A New Orleans native, Lerille began weight training as a boy. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on two submarines as an interior communication electrician.

Lerille won Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles in 1960. In 1963, he opened a small health club on Johnston Street with $200 and handmade equipment.

The next year, he purchased two acres on Doucet Road and built a 4,000-square-foot health club that opened in 1965. It now sits on 20 acres, has grown to about 200,000 square feet, and has about 200 employees.

Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club has hired thousands of UL students and alumni. It sponsors many paid internships for students in the School of Kinesiology, and has championed University athletics and student events.

Lerille and wife Emma Davis Lerille established the Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club/BORSF Endowed Professorship in Health and Physical Education.

Emma Lerille and the couple’s four children, Kackie, Christine, Mark, and Stanley, all earned degrees from UL.

Lerille received the UL Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2002 for service to the community and commitment to the University and its students. In 2011, he honored at the Alumni Association’s Spring Gala.

Lerille received the Club Industry 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, given annually to a person who has had a significant, sustained impact on the health club industry.

In 2013, he received the Lafayette Civic Cup Award from the Young Men’s Business Club. Established in 1933, the award is given each year to one person for contributions to the community.

A pilot, Lerille enjoys restoring antique airplanes. He also maintains several classic Harley-Davidsons.

Mosing lettered in football, and in track and field while enrolled at the University. After he earned a bachelor’s degree, he returned to work for the company where he had been employed since the age of 14, Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools Inc.

His father, Frank Mosing, and his mother, Jessie Mosing, founded the oilfield services company in 1938. It “ran casing” in connection with the drilling of oil and gas wells. Frank’s was started in Lafayette on a shoestring budget and a leap of faith. In its early days, the company conducted business from the Mosing family home near Moss Street.

Donald Mosing, the oldest of the couple’s three sons, started working for Frank's in 1943. The company was short-staffed during World War II, and Mosing provided cheap labor. In 1950, with several casing jobs under his belt and a freshly minted degree from SLI, Mosing became a paid employee of the family business. He became president of Frank’s in 1989.

During his tenure with Frank’s, Mosing worked in every aspect of the company’s operations, from flying a float plane to call on customers in the bayous to designing and managing the manufacturing of oilfield equipment.

Mosing holds 40 patents, including one that was issued recently.

The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition named him LAGCOE Looey for 1997-1999. LAGCOE Looey is the ceremonial host of the biennial event.

In 2011, “World Oil Magazine” recognized Mosing with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Louisiana.edu

[Turbine]

Thanks CajunMole, for making me aware of this, article on Red Lerille

https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana...aca-the-latest

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