The public is invited to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Ray P. Authement at a drive-by memorial Friday at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Authement died Sunday, April 5. He became UL Lafayette president in 1974 and served for 34 years, making him the nation’s longest-serving public university president at the time of his retirement in 2008.
The tribute will be on display from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Motorists should enter the circular driveway in front of Martin Hall, the University’s main administrative building, located at 104 E. University Ave.
To maintain social distancing, the public should remain in their vehicles while viewing the tribute. A basket will be available for visitors to leave notes, cards and other small remembrances.
In lieu of flowers, the Authement family requests donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Lafayette or to the UL Lafayette Foundation. Checks to the Foundation can be mailed to P.O. Box 44290, Lafayette, LA 70504. They should be made payable to the UL Lafayette Foundation.
Read more about Dr. Authement’s life and legacy here.
See a memorial statement from Dr. Joseph Savoie, current UL Lafayette president, here.
La Louisiane, the magazine of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, extensively chronicled Authement’s career in its Fall 2007 issue. Read a digital copy here.
Photo caption: Dr. Ray P. Authement greets fans at a Ragin' Cajuns athletics event prior to his retirement as University president. (Photo credit: University of Louisiana at Lafayette)