The LSU Law Center kicked off its centennial celebration on Friday, March 10 with the dedication of the Centennial Plaza and a memorial to Senator Russell B. Long.
U.S. Senator Russell B. Long, distinguished 1942 graduate of the LSU Law Center and seven term senator from Louisiana, was honored with the dedication of a bronze sculpture and memorial fountain in his name. Colleagues, family and friends of the Senator provided resources for the memorial, which is the centerpiece of the Law Center’s Centennial Plaza, a beautiful outdoor space designed as a gathering place for students, faculty and staff.
Senator Long honored the Law Center with its first-ever endowed chair, the Russell B. Long Eminent Scholars Academic Chair, and also provided seven endowed professorships for the LSU A&M campus.
The LSU Law Center has been a cornerstone of legal excellence throughout its history and will celebrate 100 Years of Scholarship, Teaching and Service during 2006, culminating in a gala celebration on September 15, 2006 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Centennial Plaza was designed by Roy T. Dufreche, ASLA, CLARB, of Hammond, Louisiana in collaboration with Dennis Mitchell, landscape architect at LSU, who served as project manager. The life-sized bronze of Senator Long was sculpted by artist Stephen Gibson of Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
For more information, contact Karen Soniat at 225-678-8645 or email KSonia2@lsu.edu.
Biography of U.S. Senator Russell Billiu Long November 3, 1918 – May 9, 2003
Senator Long served Louisiana in the United States Senate from 1948-1987, a record seven terms in state history. The son of legendary Louisiana Governor and U.S. Senator Huey Pierce Long and Rose McConnell Long, Russell Long was a tireless champion of the poor, disadvantaged, and working American. He used his mastery of law, finance, and politics to re-shape his father’s “Share the Wealth” philosophy and improve the lives of millions of Americans. As chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee from 1965-1981, more than half of all national legislation passed under his gavel. Described as “the fourth branch of government,” Long was hailed by his Senate colleagues as one of the most effective and admired legislators of the 20th Century.
As an undergraduate, Long was LSU student body president. He graduated third in his 1942 Law Center Class, was associate editor of the Louisiana Law Review, graduated The Order of the Coif, and was a Moot Court winner. As a Navy lieutenant, he was awarded four Battle Stars for his World War II service. He practiced law in Baton Rouge before his election at age 29 to the U.S. Senate.
Senator Long honored the Law Center with its first-ever endowed chair, the Russell B. Long Eminent Scholars Academic Chair. Few can match his passion and prowess for public service or his undying devotion to his beloved state and alma mater.
LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center 1906 – 2006: Dedication of the Centennial Plaza
The Centennial Plaza is dedicated in honor of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center’s Centennial Year Anniversary. The plaza is the crowning jewel of the $15 million renovations of the Law Center complex which began in 2001. The renovations have energized both restoration of the Law Center’s past excellence and the forging of new directions for future excellence. The Law Center’s core mission and values – teaching, scholarship, public service, and curatorship of the Louisiana Civil Law heritage – remain steadfast, and now supported through a physical complex that is again the focus of alumni pride.
The LSU Law Center has been a cornerstone of legal excellence since 1906. Throughout its history the Law Center has maintained a strong reputation for legal training that is both demanding and rewarding.
Recognizing the education that LSU students receive in both the civil law and common law traditions, in fall 2002, the school became the sole U.S. law school and only one of two law schools in the Western Hemisphere to concurrently award both the Juris Doctor and the Bachelor of Civil Law.
Dedication of the Centennial Plaza defines the link between the school’s past accomplishments and its aspirations for the future. The Russell B. Long Memorial Fountain and bronze serve as the focal point for the newly designed, student-friendly courtyard, and pay homage to the significant contributions of the Senator to Louisiana, the legal profession and LSU history.
The plaza will be the backdrop for a planned sculpture garden wherein significant figures contributing to the history of the Law Center or legal profession may be honored.
