Southwestern Louisiana Institute - Lacadien Yearbook (Lafayette, LA)

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'inluws-NIE? With culture and people like nowhere else, the Acadiana area seems to grab people into its arms and makes them a part of this exceptional area. This is what happened to one special person, a Cajun at heart, if not by birth. The area now turns and thanks him, Raymond Blanco, for all that he has done and dedicates this book to him. Raymond Blanco

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just as the railroad laid the economic foundation for modern Lafayette, so did Raymond Blanco help lay the foundation for a better university and increased pride in the area. Raymond Blanco was born in Birmingham, Alabama and received most of his educa- tion at private schools, including the seminary. He began coaching at Catholic High in New Iberia in the late 1950s. In 1962, he began at USL as a graduate assistant to the foot- ball coach. Almost immediately he became a permanent member of the staff. When he was recruited, so were many of his students from Catholic High and together with the pride that was increasing all over the Acadiana area, they brought USL to one of their first championship teams in the conference history. In the late 1960s with much student unrest at schools all over the United States, Southwestern needed an energetic, young man to become the Dean of Men. Blanco accepted the responsibility and more. He was instrumental in the changes in upper administration on campus to make the deans more accessible and useful to the students. One such change deleted the titles of Dean of Men and Dean of Women making both him and Mary McPhaul Personnel Deans who could work with any student who needed their help. In September of 1982 his title changed to vice president of Student Affairs. Like the city and culture he has become so much a part of, Blanco is a mixture of the old and new, city and country, religious and secular He never forgets a friend, and old friends and former students are always popping in to say H i, Coach! But he rarely turns down a chance to learn new things and to change peoples attitudes for the better and more progressive. Hes modern in his thinking - always coming up with new ways to help the university which keeps him on the move, yet he still retains the kind of Welcome, come in and sit a spell attitude the rural areas of Acadiana have developed so well. In addition to his fun-loving, life-loving attitude at the university, he is also a devout Catholic. He and his wife, Kathleen, work to help raise money for the diocese through the Bishops Services Appeal in Lafayette and surrounding parishes. He has the traditional love of the land most Cajuns have-enjoying duck hunting, trout fishing and shrimping. He also loves the food made famous by the Cajuns. Blanco had developed the pride in the Cajun way of life of the natives. He was instrumental in helping Cajuns realize their heritage and express their pride in it by encouraging the name of USLs sports teams to be Rajun Cajuns. And his love of family and friends is truly worthy of the title Cajun -from his close-knit large family of his wife and six children to his huge and ever growing circle of friends. Anyone who knows him feels the special closeness, pride in his culture and school and friendliness he embodies. It is a pleasure to work with him and USL has a great future with people like him to guide it and keep it on a future forward looking road. USL thanks you, Dean Blanco, and hopes your memories and future are as bright as you shine in our hearts today.