A well-known and respected family and a restaurant with long-standing traditions in Lafayette, have forged a greater tie with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The Judice family and the Judice Inn have established the $100,000 Marc and Alcide Judice of Judice Inn Endowed Professorship in Business. The endowment will help support the teaching and research initiatives of an outstanding professor in UL Lafayette’s B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.
The Judice family named the professorship in honor of the founders of Judice Inn, Marc and Alcide Judice. Together these brothers built the restaurant from the ground up and first opened for business on April 5, 1947.
Along with their wives Gladys and Pearl, the brothers worked tirelessly to make their business prosper. And 60 years later, Judice Inn, a Lafayette institution, is still noted for its distinctive hamburger with its “secret sauce” and its friendly family-like atmosphere.Although neither possessed much formal education, the brothers recognized its importance. In fact, all 13 of their children and 21 grandchildren (to date) attended or currently attend UL Lafayette.
The brothers’ belief in education, the family’s strong ties to the university and the family’s desire to honor their fathers inspired the donation. UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie acknowledged the contribution noting that the Judice Family has a long history of involvement with and support of the university.
“ Private support is extremely important to the university,” he said. “Members of the Judice Family have been loyal supporters of UL Lafayette, and we are very thankful to receive this latest contribution from the family. Support such as this will help the university to continue providing students with a quality educational experience.”
Dr. Joby John, dean of the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, credits donations like this to the overall success of the college.
“ Private contributions help provide much needed resources to sustain excellence and enhance our programs,” said John. “No great higher education institution can operate independent of its community, and our business college is no exception. Our successes are dependent on partnerships with individuals and businesses in Lafayette and Acadiana. We are very grateful to the Judice Family for their contributions to help provide a quality education for our business students.”