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The 2026 Louisiana Legends Gala is brought to you by the William J. Dora family.

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With additional funding from the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Good evening, and welcome to the 2026 Louisiana Legends Gala.

I was honored to be named a Louisiana Legend in 2024, and I can tell you it stays with you not because of the title, but because of what it means.

It's about where you come from, the people who poured into you and the communities that shaped your voice, your values, your purpose.

That's what tonight is really about, where we come from.

We're here to celebrate a new class of legends.

You are stepping into something extraordinary.

You're joining a family of individuals who have carried the spirit of Louisiana far beyond its borders.

From the grit of the gridiron to the vision of the boardroom, to the soul stirring power of music and all the way to the global stage, that kind of legacy.

It doesn't happen by accident, is built on passion, is built on legacy.

The kind of legacy that is resilient and is about the heart.

And now that legacy includes you.

Each of you has been given something meaningful back to our state.

You've lifted its people and shared its stories, carried its culture forward in your own voice, in your own way.

So tonight we welcome you, our six newest honorees, into the Louisiana Legends family.

Congratulations.

And may the work you've already done continue to inspire generations to come.

Hi.

I'm your co-host for this evening's gala, and I'm John Denison.

And what a wonderful way to begin this special evening.

We owe a big thank you to the dynamic award winning and 2024 Louisiana Legends honoree, Wendell Pierce, for that gracious welcome and for helping set the stage for tonight's celebration.

We welcome you to the historic Old State Capitol Building as we honor the 2026 Louisiana Legends.

We're glad you're with us for this live broadcast.

This is a moment to recognize individuals whose contributions have shaped and strengthened our state.

And tonight, we celebrate their achievements and the impact that they continue to make.

I'd also like to welcome our distinguished former honorees.

Your presence tonight makes this evening even more meaningful.

And at this time, may I ask those in attendance to please rise?

Paula Pennington.

And doctors Sandra and Stephen Maguire.

We are honored to have you with us tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Established in 1990, the Louisiana Legends Gala honors the extraordinary achievements of our state's most accomplished sons and daughters, individuals whose influence has shaped and enriched Louisiana through leadership in business, education, justice, journalism, the arts, philanthropy, and sports.

This year's honorees join a distinguished legacy, taking their place among an extraordinary assembly of 173 Louisiana legends, including diplomatic leaders, Academy, Emmy and Grammy Award winners.

World renowned surgeons, legendary athletes and cultural icons whose influence resonates well beyond our state.

This evening marks 36 years of celebrating Louisiana legends, and we are proud to welcome six exceptional individuals into this distinguished circle.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Secretary of State Nancy Landry, as well as executive Director of the Louisiana old state capital, Mary Dussault, and her dedicated staff for making this broadcast possible.

And as we celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary and reflect on LPB five decades of service, it feels especially meaningful to gather in this historic landmark.

The setting not only echoes the depth of our state and our country's history, but also mirrors the enduring spirit, the legacy and contributions of the individuals that we honor tonight.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to introduce the 2026 Louisiana Legends.

His distinguished career has spanned a wide range of sectors, with profound contributions in the military, in business and in philanthropy.

Richard Lipsey.

A transformative leader in Stem education.

Our next honoree has inspired and empowered students across Louisiana and around the world.

Doctor Calvin Mackey.

A respected legal voice whose influence reaches well beyond the courtroom, grounded in an unwavering commitment to justice.

Judy Perry Martinez.

With a career spanning decades, his work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and has prominently featured in prestigious private collections.

His body of work is unmistakably distinctive.

Hunt.

Slonim.

And LSU and NFL legend whose excellence reaches far beyond the field, now bringing that same winning spirit to the culinary world through his signature seasoning company.

Charles Alexander.

A pioneering force in publishing and international enterprises whose leadership helped shape iconic brands and whose influence has extended across major corporate boards including American Express and Amazon.

Leaving a lasting imprint on the worlds of media, business and beyond.

Thomas Ryder.

Ladies and gentlemen, our 2026 Louisiana Legends.

Our first honoring is a towering presence in the world of business, whose influence spans industries and whose leadership is guided by integrity, service, and a steadfast dedication to the growth and prosperity of Louisiana.

A devoted champion of LSU, whose passion for purple and gold reflects a lifelong allegiance.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's learn more about Richard Lipsey.

Many people may know Richard Lipsey from sporting goods or firearms or the sear sucker suit, but I think what really goes unappreciated about Richard Lipsey most times is his deep investment to the success of the community.

People think Richard Lipsey is this big, tough outdoorsman hunting, fishing, polar bears, you know, huge business mogul.

He is all those things.

But he's also a very caring, compassionate man.

Dad was born in Selma, Alabama, in 1939, and he lived there until he was five years old, when his father, Joseph Lipsey senior, decided he wanted to be in some version of the sporting goods business.

And they moved to Baton Rouge because his uncle, my grandfather's uncle Maurice Steinberg, had a it's called Steinberg's Hide and for trading company at the time.

Richard Lipsey attended LSU, graduating in 1961, and enlisted in the United States Army, serving two years during his military involvement.

Richard proved he could handle significant responsibility when he inadvertently carved a place in American history.

Well, one of the things that really allowed Richard and I to connect early on is he knew that I was a West Point graduate, that I had been an Army officer, and we had that in common.

What a significant role he had as a young mommy officer that allowed him to be a firsthand witness to history.

And that is as a young Army officer, as an aide to General Wheel.

He was in Washington, D.C., because General Wheel was commanding the military in the District of Columbia.

And then upon the assassination of John F Kennedy, he was tasked with safeguarding the body as it returned from Dallas and underwent the autopsies and all of the examinations and so forth.

It was Richard Lipsey job as a young Army officer in his early 20s.

Think about that responsibility.

And it just speaks volumes about not just who Richard Lipsey is, but who he's always been.

Following his military service, Richard returned to Baton Rouge in 1964 to join the family business.

Richard successfully acclimated to the firearms industry through Steinberg's and Sions Wholesale before launching Lipsius.

You know, we started out in athletics and tennis shoes and early 90s.

We ended up making the decision.

Richard really spearheaded that.

Hey, let's let's go with firearms exclusively.

And we really took on that challenge and it's been paid off.

Richard married Susan Haspel and had two daughters, Lori and Wendy.

They have three grandchildren.

Along with Lipsey, the family manages the Haspel Clothing company, known for its seersucker suits.

He's courteous.

He's faithful.

He's moral.

He's a man of character.

He's trustworthy.

He's kind.

He's generous.

A southern gentleman still opens doors for ladies and pulls out their chairs.

And that's Richard.

So back in 2002 was when my dad made me the president of Lipsius.

So I also became president of Haspel that same year.

And my dad did something that I don't think many strong leaders would ever do.

He was not in my office all the time or giving me direction, but he really took a step back and he led.

People come to me with the easy questions, with the hard questions.

He let me lead.

And he told me years ago, he said, when you're in charge, take charge.

Richard has been involved with many organizations, boards and foundations, including LSU and Tiger Athletics Foundation, Board of Regents, Pennington Biomedical Research, and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

I am always looking up to my dad.

He is certainly a role model and an amazing mentor.

My dad is always instilled like give back to the community, help others pay it forward.

It's hard to imagine Mary Byrd Perkins without the Lipsey family.

Richard's mother, Anna, was one of the founding members in establishing a nonprofit, community owned cancer center that people could go to get care, regardless of ability to pay, is part of what resonated with Richard, and Richard took a very prominent role in leading its Foundation board for many years.

Richard not only shows up, but he shows up and he does the work, and he is deeply committed to everything that he puts his stamp on.

Richard identified an issue or a more efficient way to fundraise for LSU Athletics, worked with the group.

Individuals, worked with the LSU athletic department to set up Taff, and ultimately that's become one of the top fundraising organizations in the SEC.

You know, so very humble for me as a baseball coach, he did everything that I asked him to do that would help me because I didn't have the things that I wish you has today.

He he's so good at what he does.

I know of no thing that Richard started there wasn't successful.

Richard has proven that aim higher is not just Lipsey slogan, but a way of life.

Richard is probably one of the most kind people you would ever meet.

Generous to a fault.

Involved.

Committed to.

To the community.

Committed to his work.

Committed to his church.

He's the guy.

If he says he's going to do it, he does it.

He's always been a great leader that motivates and empowers others.

So it's so fitting that this is Louisiana Legends because Richard is truly a legend.

Ladies and gentlemen, Richard.

That's very kind of honored.

I'm flattered and certainly very grateful to be here tonight, particularly among my fellow honorees.

I'm humbled just to be here alongside all of you.

And I cannot tell you how much I appreciate LPB doing this.

I'm just overwhelmed.

And certainly I'd like to thank my friend Wally.

Make Macon wherever Wally is sitting back there for.

I know Wally nominated me, and I'm grateful to have friends like Wally, but especially Wally for doing that for me.

Very meaningful to me.

Thank you so much.

I've lived in Baton Rouge.

Well, they really said it all in that little film.

I hate to be repetitive, but I will for just about two minutes.

I've lived in Baton Rouge for 81 years, almost all my life.

I was born in Selma, Alabama.

Moved here when I was five years old with my father, who came here to run his uncle's family business had infer business.

Steinberg had fur business years ago.

The ones of you that are old enough to remember it, to come down Saint Philip Street and see it.

It was probably better known as Stink Berg's.

From the smell of the hides and the furs next door that waft into our Army Navy surplus store.

But it was a wonderful place to grow up.

Only thing I really remember about it, my dad would have.

My brother and I work in the hide house, and we'd come home in the afternoon.

My mother would make us take our clothes off outside and then hoses down before she would allow us to come inside.

But both of my parents, in my opinion, were Louisiana legends.

They were involved in everything civic, charitable philanthropy here in Baton Rouge.

They love Baton Rouge, just like Susan and I do.

And I'm very grateful for having wonderful parents, and I'm so lucky to have been part of Louisiana because of, as you know it, I know it.

It's called the Great Outdoors, the Whole Friend.

Years ago, Bob scarce coined that phrase because Baton Rouge and Louisiana, we really are the great outdoors.

Anybody that is not enjoyed hunting, fishing, the outdoors in Louisiana, you've all missed something great.

But more than just the hunting, the fishing of the great, great outdoors, it's the wonderful people of Louisiana, the people we love, the people I'm so happy to have known over the years and all of the great friends that we've had.

I started at the University High School in the first grade, went 12 years through URI and then four years at LSU.

So 16 years on that campus enjoyed every minute of it.

The only thing I left town for a couple of years while I was in the Army.

Many of you had heard me say before, what are the characteristics of a leader?

And now I'm proud to say a legend.

But the one word that I like to use most often is vision.

I was so fortunate to have worked so closely with President John F Kennedy.

He was a man with vision.

He knew where our country should be headed.

He knew what the future should bring, and he knew he had the roadmap, how to get there.

But vision, my friends, that is what we all should have.

That is the element that brings this wonderful group together here tonight.

Their vision, what they have done for themselves, their state and their country.

And I'm so happy just to be included among these fine honorees tonight.

So I want to continue doing whatever I can to support Baton Rouge, my home, but more especially Louisiana.

It's a wonderful place to live.

I cannot thank enough my family, my again, my wife Susan, my daughters, Lori and Wendy, and my three grandchildren who helped me make this a home and so grateful once again for being here.

But thank you, legends and the selection committee.

Once again, I don't know that I'm deserving of this honor, but I'm very, very happy to receive it and very flattered to be here tonight among my fellow honorees.

Thank you so much.

Nelson Mandela once said education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.

Our next honoree has made that belief his life's work empowering students across Louisiana and around the globe.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's learn more about Doctor Calvin Mackey.

I think polymath is a word that I would use to describe my dad, and it's kind of something that I kind of look up to him for.

He's very smart and he's very knowledgeable, but he knows how to communicate with people, and he thinks about the world as both an engineer and as like a person just interacting with other people.

The worst that would come to mind when I think about my husband first.

He's brilliant, super smart, and I know coming from his wife, you might like, oh, she just has to say that.

But no, he's very smart and he's funny, so he has that balance.

Kelvin can reach down to a guy picking up trash on the street and make him feel like the greatest person on earth, and at the same time, teach him how to pick up the trash on the street.

Doctor Calvin Mackey was born in 1967 and was raised in the seventh Ward of Mid-City New Orleans.

He's the third of six children and began to blaze his own path from an early age.

Calvin would do all these weird experiments like nobody knew what was doing in.

My uncle bought him a chemistry set because he would just do weird things.

We're all in the den, and Calvin come through the door and say, mom, look at my hand.

And his hand was like five times bigger and green and nobody could understand what was going on.

He was experimented with things in the garage with chemicals and it got on his hand.

He didn't care.

He was like, look at my hand.

And man, everybody was like screaming and Holland and everything.

And he was like, hurry up so I could get back to my.

Calvin has always been a supernova.

He stood out in elementary school.

He just was all around good guy.

I met Calvin when I was at his elementary school, fourth grade teacher.

He excelled so much I didn't want to hold him back.

So I had additional work for him because he wanted to learn more.

And then when he was finished, he was it was going to go around and see if anybody needs help.

And he did.

Despite challenges when embarking on his secondary education, Calvin persevered.

At Morehouse College.

He continued to Georgia Tech, beating the odds to receive his master's degree and ultimately his doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1996.

When he started out college, he was had to take remedial classes, and I don't know how that came to be.

You know, some people test well and some people don't.

The beautiful thing about him is, is he accepts when you challenge him as much as he challenges you.

And so that has allowed him to grow into the man that he is today.

Following graduation, Calvin parlayed his gift of teaching others into a tenured professorship at Tulane University.

I guess the proud part for me was when he became a tenured professor of Tulane, he had overcome, you know, the the numerical odds.

He soon met the love of his life, Tracy Ransom, and got married in 1998.

They have two sons, Myles and Mason.

One of the things I noticed all the time.

Calvin, he's he's real.

And when I say that he's he's real, he's very approachable.

And for whatever reason, Calvin can always relate to everybody.

He's one of the funniest guys I know to be so smart, book smart and common sense.

He really has a funny side to him that keeps you laughing.

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Calvin was appointed to the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

His engineering knowledge, combined with his unyielding determination, was instrumental in rebuilding the city he calls home.

Think about the credibility of having a mechanical engineer who was from New Orleans, who was from the community.

Calvin's voice was in that chorus that said, we're going to do this right, and the people who need it are the ones who are going to going to get it.

Like his mind has always been set on solving something.

And no matter what you and I say, Calvin is always across the street on this side.

You and I are doing exactly what the rulebook tells us to do.

And Calvin is across the street saying there has to be another way.

Calvin saw another opportunity to give back after observing his own sons education.

On my eighth birthday, I asked for a lab, and that's not really typical of like a kid at eight years old, I knew I wanted to build things, create things, invent whatever.

My dad went out and he bought, like this kit or this set of kits, and we kind of set this thing up in the garage.

And before you know it, me, my is some neighbors on the street were all just like in there figuring stuff out, learning about solar power, chemistry, whatever.

And then so I start the third grade, and after my first day of school, I come back and I'm like, dad, I don't like science anymore.

Now I'm eight years old.

What I meant by that was I didn't like science class anymore because the activities weren't hands on.

Gavin was like, okay, we got to do something.

He's like, well, if my son can lose interest in science, what are happening to these other kids?

Calvin took action and in 2013 launched Stem Nola.

What started in the Mackey's garage has expanded around the globe, breaking barriers and bringing hands on Stem to everyone.

He has made a life and a career and taken his passion for science and math and technology, and has been able to share that with young people all across this country.

It's incredible in terms of what he has given back and how much he's given back to young kids and watch them grow, and how much that has elevated their ability to be successful in life.

When I hear the Calvin is doing and the program he presents to children and parents and anyone who wants to attend it, the doors are wide open for them.

Some of those kids would never have that exposure.

Calvin's love of Stem and his unique ability to find the fun in education is sure to keep changing lives one generation at a time.

Understanding the complex well enough to explain it to where even a child would understand that is a gift.

He is a geek at heart and I'm here for all of it.

I love my dad and I'm just really proud of him.

I hope to continue to to see what he has in store.

And as I'm blazing my path as Mason blazes his path, we're both going to be looking up to him.

Ladies and gentlemen, Doctor Calvin.

I'm a cry baby.

I'm gonna do my best not to cry.

Good evening.

My fellow awardees is an honor to stand amongst you.

As you say.

I don't know if it's I, but I'm honored to just sit next to you and the rest of the recipients.

Standing here tonight.

I'm overwhelmed by the profound sense of gratitude to be named one of the 2026 Legends of Louisiana.

It's an honor I never expected, and honestly, one I didn't carry alone.

I'm a true son of Louisiana, as on my mother's side.

In 1896, my great grandfather, Charles Smothers, purchased 150 acres of land in West Feliciana Parish that we still own today.

And my grandfather on my dad's side was born in 1901, in Louisiana, and eventually became the first black police jurors in Saint Francis of Louisiana.

In 1967, the year that I was born, growing up in Lagos, you learned early on their life that nothing good or great is ever done in isolation or alone.

The present is definitely the last thing of the past.

And a first name, first name of the future.

I think my ancestors dreamt of a night like this, even though they never got to experience such.

I feel grateful for their lives.

If you have a great friend, thankful for the sacrifices to make a state a better place so that all that I and others can dream, live and achieve.

Louisiana.

Thank you for being a vibrant, resilient, soulful backdrop, a gumbo of opportunity and experiences a person can ask for when developing and growing.

The state has a way of teaching you about grit.

Definitely resiliency and celebration and equal portion.

From the Mars draped trees in a small towns and a bayous and the hustle and bustle of our cities.

Louisiana has shaped my character and my work.

It is a place that values is history, but isn't afraid to dream about his future.

To represent this state is a privilege of a lifetime, and hope to continue earning his title by giving back to the people, especially the children, who have given so much to me and us.

Of course, no one reaches a podium like this alone.

My family, especially my brothers and sisters, especially my brother Willie, is here tonight.

You've you've been and continue to be a compass.

And my North Star before Wards and Honors you was there.

People think it's about awards and honors, but really, it's about that assignment.

I thank God for the assignment that he's put on my life, and my family has supported me.

Your love is the foundation that allows me to build, to dream, to fail, and to get back up again.

Most importantly, to just be me.

Thank you for your reality checks, patience, and for being my toughest critics and my loudest cheerleaders.

I'd like to thank my friends for the laughter, the honest conversations, David, and for keeping me grounded.

You remind me that while Wards and Honors are wonderful, the real legendary moments when we get together, telling lies, making memories, fishing in the backyard, grilling and watching LSU football games.

I know, I don't know who I would be or where I would be without the many educators in my and mentors in my life in Louisiana who've impacted my life.

We often estimate the spark a single teacher, a mentor, can ignite.

It was my fourth grade teacher, Sandra Calder, who's here tonight from New Orleans Public School District.

In me when I didn't see it in my.

I remember her saying, you're going to learn.

I'm going to kill you.

And I said, I choose life.

Put him on a path that has taken me around the globe, to the many mentors like Gail on the night in the late Morris Jeff Junior.

Thank you for pushing me to think critically and to care deeply about the world and the people around me.

And finally, to my wife, Tracy.

For the last 27 years, you've been a supportive partner and a foundation of strength.

Thank you for your patience during the long hours.

Your wisdom when I was uncertain.

And most importantly, you loved you every season.

This award has my name on it, but it belongs to us.

Especially you and the boys.

Miles and missed our family.

The only thing I ever wanted was to have a family that I can love and love me back.

And I got that I wouldn't be standing on this stage.

I certainly wouldn't be the man, husband and father I am today without you by my side.

I love you so.

Thank you.

So thank you to the Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

It was crazy enough for me.

So Louisiana Public Broadcasting, for all that you do to select your community.

Thank you.

And thank you to my fellow Louisianans.

And thank you for all for being a part of this journey.

Let's keep working to make this state a place where every dream has the water and soil it needs to grow.

Thank you all.

Our next honoring embodies the kind of leadership that reshapes institutions where intellect and purpose meet at exactly the right moment.

Her career reflects not just a mastery of the law, but a deep commitment to fairness and the belief that the legal profession can be a force for good in people's everyday lives.

Here now is more about Judy Perry Martinez.

When I think about Judy, I think about her compassion.

I think about her empathy.

I think about her brilliance, and I think about her generosity.

Judy is a consensus builder.

Judy, once everyone to have a voice at the table, she's concerned about people.

She wants the world to be a better place for her children and grandchildren.

And whatever Judy does, she gives 100%.

Judy has many delightful qualities, but I think among her most unique and special to me is her ability to take very serious work that we do here and add a light and optimistic aspect to everything we do.

At every level, we see her leading and inspiring others to lead and just really step up our game.

Judy Perry Martinez was born in 1957, in the small community of Chalmette, Louisiana.

Early on, her parents instilled the importance of serving others in the community.

She was involved even at a very young age.

She got involved in organizations to help people and do things.

A lot of it had to do with our parents.

They believed in helping wherever we could.

My mom, Judy, grew up down the street from the Saint Bernard Courthouse, which maybe was a calling from an early age for her to become a lawyer with such a tremendous career.

Judy attended LSU and University of New Orleans before graduating from Tulane Law School in 1982.

In addition to receiving her Juris Doctorate, Judy honed at the art of connecting with people.

Judy and my husband, Barry, attended Tulane Law School together.

Judy had set me up on a blind date with another classmate, not Barry, and that classmate didn't make it back in time for all of us to go out.

So then she set me up with Barry, and Barry and Judy were the best of friends in law school.

The rest is history.

Barry and I have been married 39 years.

Judy really cares about people.

She really cares about relationships.

She really cares about lifting others up.

Judy began her career as a young litigator in the mid 80s at Simon Smith and Redford, while mixing an additional pro bono work.

She married Rene Martinez and had four children.

While balancing her active schedule.

My mother also had a very strong work ethic, which I try to emulate today.

Growing up, seeing her at night, still reading case briefings, and working so hard to make sure that her clients got what she needed.

When she was also raising four children, I can't imagine how stressful it was, but somehow she always got it done.

Judy loves being a lawyer.

She loves the legal profession.

She loves helping people.

It's not about money to Judy.

It's not about a job to Judy.

It's more of a vocation for Judy.

Judy was Northrop Grumman's first chief compliance officer, and in that role, she had to establish her credibility, show the value of her office, and create an atmosphere that demonstrated Northrop compliance with laws, values and ethics.

Judy, obviously is a highly successful litigator and lawyer.

And yet, when you're with her either on the phone or in person, just giving you 100% of her attention to you.

After being involved with the American Bar Association for over 25 years.

Judy was elected as president of the ABA in 2019, serving one year in the role.

When I first learned that Judy was elected to the role of president of the American Bar Association, I was the president of the Louisiana Bar, and we had 22,000 members.

And that's just in the state of Louisiana.

So can only imagine the hundreds of thousands of members of the American Bar Association.

I was very proud to be her brother at the time.

And you're sitting there and you're saying, my little sister is being installed as the president of one of the most well known organizations, not only in our country, but one of the better known organizations in the whole world.

It was a result of all the hard work and everything she had put in because of her love of helping others.

Judy continually gives back through her involvement in nonprofit organizations and educational partnerships for young lawyers.

Innocence and justice.

Louisiana is a small, nonprofit organization that frees factually innocent people from prison and those who are sentenced unjustly.

Not only do we work to free them, but when they are freed, we also work to help them rebuild their lives.

Right from the bat, Judy, because she understood what a board member was supposed to do for a small nonprofit, she helped with securing resources, she helped with her strategic planning, and she also provided financial oversight right to the organization.

She is a member of the Dean's Advisory Board, and she is the faculty advisor for our corporate and In-house counsel externship program.

And I think that is really important, not only indirectly giving to the next generation of lawyers, but also demonstrating to them the power and the responsibility of being a lawyer.

She really does care about other people.

And I think what she's done throughout her career and throughout her life shows that she's a tireless worker.

Judy's dedication to the field of law is matched only by her unwavering commitment to lifting up everyone whose life she touches.

My mom taught me a lot of life lessons, but one of the most important ones was to treat others with dignity and respect.

She is always there no matter what, for you.

Despite having a busy family life and despite a busy career, and despite all of her extracurricular activities, she is always there for you.

When people see what Judy Perry Martinez does, it might influence us to do more and to be better people.

She certainly has made me a better person.

I know my mom and dad are beaming and saying, I think we pass down something important.

Ladies and gentlemen, Judy Perry Martinez.

First of all, thank you, John, for your kind words.

And that video gives a glimpse into how my life and my career as a lawyer even has been possible.

The people you saw were only a small sample of those who lift me up.

My husband, Renee, my four remarkable children, three of whom were able to be with us tonight, and their loved ones, my two grandchildren, my three brothers and their spouses, four of whom are here and before them, my parents and Renee's parents as well.

My family is large and expansive, well beyond those I've named from a baker's dozen of nieces and nephews to my Simone, Pershing and Northrop families, to my Bar Association family, to our dearest friends from high school days to our parenting days, to my time in residence at Harvard when it almost 60 years old.

We made more friendships with people who held a common goal of giving back to the world through advanced leadership than we could ever have imagined.

And they have stayed as close to us as my neighborhood friends from Chalmette, where I grew up, in the shadow of the Saint Bernard Courthouse.

It was there that 26 kids, 21 boys and five girls on one square block.

That's where I learned about community, what it's about from day long American versus German Army battles in the trees to swimming each afternoon and Miss Liza's pool to softball games each day before the sun went down, and then watching those crazy kids ride their banana seat bicycles behind the mosquito spraying trucks.

As we entered our teen years, most of us worked at a summer camp that my brother al had started for kids with down syndrome.

My parents and sister that I go to school in the city and although sometimes it took three busses to get home if a ride wasn't available every day at Saint Mary's Dominican High School taught me to think ethically, independently, and confidently about all I could achieve in life if I kept front of mind the greater good.

My three semesters at LSU were a growth period, but it was really at Uno in business school where I found my footing.

It was there that a professor, he asked me to stay after class.

I thought I was in trouble and he suggested that I should go to law school.

I didn't really know any lawyers.

My brother was in school in law school at the time, but it was at Tulane that I came to understand not only what lawyers do, but how they can make a difference in someone's life.

That is Tulane University.

Hallmark is stealing in each student that sense of purpose for the betterment of society.

Near and far.

Each of us can witness the impact of Tulane Law students through their clinics, externships, and pro bono.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention how the organized bar at the state and local and national level have shaped me into the lawyer I am, the New Orleans Bar, the Association for Women Attorneys, the Louisiana State Bar, the Louis Martinet, the American Bar Association, and the Federal Bar have given me so much more than I have contributed.

The judges and lawyers who are active members and leaders have exposed me to people and ideas and perspectives that I would never have been exposed to had I chosen to look at and learn from what was comfortable, what was familiar.

I traveled and saw the world afar, yet I always came back to my beloved city and state.

It's the people that have kept me here.

There's a small sign in our kitchen that reads to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

Our world needs each of us right now.

According to the 2025 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, in 68% of the 143 countries indexed.

The rule of law is in decline, and it is an eight year decline.

Our nation now ranks now only 26 out of 143 countries in the index.

Many countries are in a rule of law recession because of the rise of authoritarianism.

And that means access to justice, fundamental rights, open government constraints on government power and the independence of the courts are being challenged every day.

We know that there is a correlation between a stronger rule of law and economic prosperity, better health, education, lower infant mortality and peace.

Yet we are failing people every day.

However, I remain optimistic.

Each of you, in your own way, can change a life, whether near or far.

But it is only if we make the effort to get to know those who look different from us, think differently from us, believe in and practice of faith that is different from us, have experienced a life different from us that we will truly understand the gift that comes from helping another in need.

There is no greater human connection than one that comes with from the fulfillment of lending a helping hand.

I hope each of you is inspired by the stories of my five amazing fellow awardees, and that you will go forth and be someone's world.

Louisiana needs us and the world needs Louisiana.

Thank you to the friends of LPB and to leave for this most humbling honor.

Thank you very much.

The mark of a master artist is unmistakable when you see the work, you know the artist.

Our next honorary embodies that distinction, drawing inspiration from nature, spirituality, and a deeply personal visual language.

He has created stunning works that are instantly recognizable.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's see a little bit more about Hunt Slonim.

Hunt is the most gracious, the most loving, very spiritual, and he's just the person that always calls it the right moment.

He thinks of you.

He's always available, and I've never heard him say no.

I've never been out anywhere with hunt where he isn't having a lot of fun and buying antiques.

He's got to buy antiques, even if we waiting for a plane and he's got two minutes, he's got to buy something.

I saw all his rabbits and I thought, oh, I love how he has the maximalism.

How you can not have one.

When you start having one, you have to have more than one.

When I think of hunt, I think at two words I think of art and I think of heart.

Hunt Slonim was born in Kittery, Maine, in 1951 and moved often as a child.

Due to his father's career in the Navy, he developed a thirst for travel and studied abroad.

As a young adult, hunt was influenced by all his travels.

When he was a child, he lived in Nicaragua, he lived in Peru, and he lived in Puebla, Mexico.

And I think by living in all those American countries has influenced him in the way he paints the birds, monkeys, butterflies.

During the early 70s, hunt attended Tulane University, studying painting and art history.

And it's here in New Orleans that he cultivated a deep connection with Louisiana.

Hunt has a beautiful sense of beauty, and that comes with being an artist.

That same beauty is what made hunt fall in love with Louisiana.

The people, the architecture, the beauty of who we are and Louisiana.

He has collected and kept so many dear friends here in a place that was so impactful to him and who, you know, when he was in Louisiana as a student.

This is where he ended up.

New Orleans is what really, you know, took his heart.

After graduating Tulane, hunt became fully immersed in his art.

By the early 80s, his art was being exhibited everywhere from New York to New Orleans.

His reach is continually expanded to museums and galleries around the globe.

When hunt first came in for the shows here in New Orleans area, I was also on the board of the Ogden Museum.

If you look at all these early works, he's a little freer painting a butterfly than he did in those days, or a bird than he did in those days.

But that's what makes his work good.

He almost sense he's enjoying the painting and he's having fun doing the painting.

See, I've known hunt for a couple of decades now.

We met back in 2008 when I was director of the Hilliard Museum in Lafayette.

You know, hunt really was inspired by the space.

He saw a real opportunity to take a whole different direction with his painting.

And so he created a number of large, large paintings for the space titled On the Bayou.

Just as Hunt's work has evolved, so has his artistic process.

We've been with him on maybe 5 or 6 trips where we actually have gone to the studio that put the sculpture together for hunt to paint it, and that's the most amazing trip.

You want to see what buckets of paint?

And he screaming and bring me the blue, bring me the yellow.

And it let it flow, let it flow.

I mean, and he's just intense when he paints these sculptures, you have to be in the same room with the painting and see how thick and impasto the paint is on the canvas, and how passionate and expressionistic he is and the way he paints.

Hunt knows where every piece of art he has painted is located.

His brain.

I don't know how he literally.

It must be like a filing cabinet.

As Hunt's success has grown, so has his dedication to making a difference in the lives of others, not only through his art, but through his generosity and faith.

Hunt is definitely a very spiritual person for sure.

Obviously, everyone has the personal journey in regards to their relationship with God.

The beautiful thing about being a priest is seeing how God works in the lives of people, and draws them to himself.

Hunt has really embraced the act of giving.

His altruism is one of the things that I'm proud of him the most, because he does it without expecting anything in return.

We're involved in a project called drive for life Transforming Lives behind and Beyond the Prison Walls, giving this individuals a path of successful reintegration to society.

I have a school that I found it, and we have a large collection of his paintings and sculptures in the school, but it really makes the kids appreciate the school, and it gives them a sense of feeling that you wouldn't have in a normal public school.

Art really helps the community.

Whether it's his art or his impact out in the community.

Hunt continues to leave his special mark on the world.

I've been able to witness this on a number of occasions.

When people walk into an exhibition of Hunt's work, there is an energy on the walls that makes things vibrate their eyes to new imagery that they had never seen before.

He's embraced what we call the Trinity in Louisiana, but for him, I think it'd be faith, family and friends.

I think that we're very blessed to have hunt and in our world and in our life, and to celebrate him tonight with Louisiana legends.

Ladies and gentlemen.

I am so honored and grateful to be here tonight.

Louisiana has literally saved my life and inspired my life to no end.

And my friends who are here this evening, Judy and Danny and father Cleo and Danny literally saved my life.

I was very in trouble last summer, and they took care of me and I recovered fully.

My entry into Louisiana was a dreamed of experience.

I always wanted to come here.

I've lots of relatives here, but I'd never been here.

And my grandfather was a painter part time, and he supported an artist here who inspired me greatly.

Going to Tulane, I took Louisiana architecture and became the enamored with antebellum homes.

And I was able to buy Albania Plantation, which Isaac Delgado owned and built.

Noma with the money from the sugar crop from the plantation was originally built by the Gravenberch family.

So I've learned great deals about the history and the early life of Louisiana, and collected furniture from all periods of Louisiana's history.

And I have a wonderful Louisiana portrait collection, which was even shown at the Ogden.

I then purchased Lakeside Plantation and Poincaré Parish in Batchelor, Louisiana, which I just came from, to come here and then made Wood Plantation, which I studied in college and went to 54 years ago for the first time.

It was built for the Pew family by Henry Howard, and it was considered his masterpiece and was Henry Howard was considered one of the greatest architects of Louisiana.

And now that Nottoway is no longer with us, I think Made Wood is pretty high on the charts for what's left of the great houses that were built in the mid 19th century.

I have been tremendously inspired by the bayous which run behind my houses.

Buyouts.

At Albania I did this.

I do endless paintings and biotech, but I did this show in Lafayette of.

I did 22 nine foot square paintings of the and my home.

They later they now are placed at the Performing Arts Center in counter, Louisiana, and everybody that spoke in the video tonight has been just hugely powerful in my life.

Judy and Danny have collected tons of my work and done wonderful, wonderful things for me and Judy and I do a great deal of work for thrive for life, the the and Rehabilitation program, and Father Cleo changed my life and has continued to be a great friend.

We had breakfast this morning and we talked quite often and.

Just everything about Louisiana became part of my work and helped me to dedicate myself more and more fully to what I do.

And I can't thank you enough and tremendously grateful for this award.

And I'm so privileged to be with such other tremendous recipients.

And I thank you with all my heart.

And I thank Louisiana, and I hope it will always be a part of my world.

Vince Lombardi said perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.

Our next honoree did exactly that, and LSU and NFL legend, whose pursuit of excellence earned him a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's more about Charles Alexander.

We grew up as a little boy.

That's what you remember about LSU football guy like Charles Alexander.

Number four running on that football field.

Tiger Stadium, one of the best ever played a game.

You think of him as a football player.

But when you look at the stats, when you look at you just leave football alone.

And getting to know him over the years really let you know why he has been successful on the football field as well as off the football field.

He's very genuine.

He's kind to people.

Even when we're out in public and people say, oh, hey, there's Charles Alexander.

He stops, he takes his time, he'll sign autographs.

He'll do all of those things without hesitation, without grudge.

He's just that, that type of person.

Charles Alexander was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1957.

He began playing sports and discovered a love for the game.

He went to Ball High School, and that's where he began his football career and ran track as well.

And my dad made the decision to come to LSU, and the rest is history.

Alexander and I met him when we were both signed as freshmen in 1975, and we both played offense.

Charlie and I both talked about how when we walked into Tiger Stadium the first time for a game that was really just all inspiring.

When Charles first joined the team, first got here and we started practicing.

I don't think anybody imagined that he would obtain all of the records that he did during his time at LSU.

From 1975 to 1978.

Charles set 27 school records and nine SEC records.

Most notably, he held records for the most rushing yards in a season, career rushing yards, and most rushing attempts in a single game.

Charles.

He's a gentle giant.

He loves LSU.

He loves his institution.

He was best for everybody.

We were having a scrimmage in Tiger Stadium and of course it was empty.

And Charlie broke through the line and was running down the field.

And our teammates.

Scott was playing defensive back and ran to him and there was just this spectacular collision.

The noise of it echoed off the bleachers in Tiger Stadium, and everybody was Southern Press, all moving and hollering until we looked over and Charlie got off the ground and his helmet was crushed.

And Scott never got off the ground, and he asked me to go to the hospital to see Scott, who had been operated on.

And when we walked in there, it just looked like Charlie was carrying the weight of this injury, taking it personal.

Well, the media gave Charles the nickname Alexander the Great.

We called him a different nickname, and it was Sweet Charlie.

And I'm the one who gave him the nickname Sweet Charlie.

And when most people heard us call him Sweet Charlie for short, they thought it was based on his running ability and his athletic prowess.

But it had nothing to do with football.

The nickname came from a song that was published in 1973.

That guy that they call sweetheart.

By the end of his football career at LSU.

Charles had become a two time first team All-American.

SEC player of the year Heisman candidate, and eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

One thing about Charles, he's a very calm person, and that's what he he showed to all of us as young players, the great players that came up behind him who played that position, that he helped get to where they are.

When you look at the first top running backs at LSU is always Charles Alexander.

Following such a successful career at LSU.

Charles was a first round draft pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1979, where he played a Super Bowl game in 1982.

None of us were surprised.

We fully expected it, and I think most of us were happy that he had gone to a team like that.

It was the road through the playoffs to the Super Bowl.

That really was the glue that made all these relationships what they are today.

Because everybody contributed.

Everybody had a part and Charlie was a big part of that.

Charlie Alexander had a great combination of strength, speed and size.

He could run away from you, but he also could run over you.

Following his NFL career with the Bengals, Charles rejoined LSU.

He worked for ten years total, including four years for the Academic Center for Student Athletes and six years as a development officer for Tiger Athletic Foundation.

This past fall, LSU retired his jersey in Tiger Stadium.

Working with you all throughout the years with LSU has been awesome, like a big brother for me.

When you're younger and you're just coming from retirement and you're not really understanding a lot of the stuff that's going on.

There's a guy that's been here for a while and he's, come on, let's go eat lunch.

Let's go do this.

And we continue to build our relationship as a business and LSU format for both players.

This fall, LSU retired my dad's jersey number four, and my family and I were there to celebrate that moment with him.

All the great guys like Tommy Casanova.

Only three time All-American in college sports, Jerry Stovall was number two in the Highland Trophy.

You know, Billy Cannon was a trophy winner.

To have his name among those great players and to be there to watch that and to me to be here to celebrate that with him and his family and to be on that field with him and take the pictures.

And number four lights up.

But now every day when they walk out, stadium forever.

Number four, Charles Alexander, be up there.

Charles has parlayed his Louisiana roots into a new venture, the come on Man Cajun Seasoning line, which is distributed in stores like Rouses and Jungle Gyms International Market.

It's clear that whatever Charles tackles, he performs with a lot of heart, both on and off the field.

My dad is not only accomplished, he's genuinely a great person and that's what makes me most proud.

When you see Charles, for me, it's that smile.

He's always smiling no matter what.

It was an honor and a privilege to play with Charlie.

He was not only a great, great football player.

He was a great guy and a great teammate.

Ladies and gentlemen, sweet Charlie, Charles Alexander.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Louisiana has always been a special place for me.

Grew up in Texas.

And first time I crossed the Sabine River.

I don't know if y'all know what's been real, but that's the river between Louisiana and Texas.

I was coming to LSU, and it's just amazing that I spent 18 years before I could come, before I even stepped foot in Louisiana.

But it was when I did come.

It was.

It was to visit LSU.

And when I went to LSU and saw all those pretty girls.

I knew it was the place for me.

Then I ate all the gumbo I could eat, wasn't crawfish season, and I didn't eat crawfish until I was about 35 or 40 years old.

But I'll eat them now.

Definitely will eat them now.

I like to recognize somebody here, Rick Perry.

Stand up.

Rick.

Richman, a good friend of mine for a long time.

He's a horrible golfer, but we've been real good friends for a long time.

And I know when recalls, I see his name on the call, IDM like, well, I better have about two hours because he's not going to let me off his phone.

But we have a we have a great friendship and we love to tease each other about our golf game.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't.

I don't know if I could even get out of here if I didn't introduce Robert Douglas, one of my root hogs.

Number 72, Robert Duvall.

Great offensive tackle.

We were able to after our playing days at LSU.

We had one more game and we played in the Senior Bowl together.

Remember that Robert?

We had a great time.

But like I said, the people of Louisiana have always been good to me.

It's a great culture here.

Zydeco bands, a lot of music people like, they're always in a good mood.

It seems like that nothing bothers people in Louisiana.

You know, gas could be $10 a gallon and they don't.

I mean, people don't care.

They just don't have a good time.

Can't do anything about it.

So let's just pay the gas and and keep moving.

So that's what I like about Louisiana.

So the quality of life here is great.

And and one thing that I, that I really remember about LSU well now more so now than back then was the when I come to LSU games, I try to go to at least one, maybe two a year.

It's the greatest tailgaters that you would ever want to see.

I'm in great tailgating.

I've had anything from alligators to snake meat.

I've been trying to get my daughter to join me and eat some dear me.

But she won't do that.

Can't get her to buy into that.

But this has been a great honor.

Great honor?

Beau Harris I played with Beau in Cincinnati.

And boy, I like to thank you for nominating me.

And I know Rick Perry has something to do with it also, and this is a great honor and I try my best to live up to it.

And one other thing.

I left Louisiana about 20 something years ago, but I'm here to tell.

Tell my daughter I'm coming back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A hallmark of great leadership is lasting impact, and our next honoree has shaped some of the world's most influential companies, from guiding global enterprises like Reader's Digest to serving as chair of the Virgin Mobile Board.

His vision and leadership have left an indelible mark on business worldwide.

Let's see more about Mr.

Thomas Ryder.

When I think of Tom Ryder, I think of opportunity.

Possibility, connections, wisdom and constantly telling it like it is.

What you see is what you get.

He has a way of putting people at ease.

It's got old Louisiana boy in him.

He is just salt of the earth.

Tom's a very unusual teammate.

He is super positive.

Willing to say what he really thinks.

And he didn't advise.

He helped.

Tom is the kind of guy who there is nothing he can't accomplish.

He may need to restart.

He may get headed down the wrong road and have to retract, but there is nothing that he can't accomplish.

Thomas Ryder was born in 1944, in South Carolina.

In true Tom fashion.

His entry into the world was unique.

He was actually born on his grandmother's porch, and his father was serving in the Second World War at the time, and he and his mom soon returned to Alexandria, Louisiana, where where she and my grandfather were from.

And that's where my dad spent his formative years.

And he still loves it and talks about it to this day.

Tom and his brother Robert cooked dinner for themselves virtually every night.

Their parents worked in the evening, so they had to take care of themselves and they both became foodies.

Now he has taken it to a very serious other level and continues to do it.

To this day, those two boys growing up in a salt of the earth family in a small town like Alexandria, just epitomizes how great America can be.

Tom was better than you.

Typical teenager.

Always a leader.

He was one of those guys that people just gravitate to.

Tom attended LSU, where he met the love of his life, Darlene Wood.

They married in 1963.

Tom majored in journalism and quickly found his passion for publishing.

He's a big personality, he's a leader.

And from his youth, actually, when he was the editor of The Rebel, he at the moment he left LSU.

He was on a fast track.

He was driven.

After graduation, Tom began his publishing career while balancing raising four children.

He worked his way up the ladder quickly, eventually leading teams at Reader's Digest, American Express, and Amazon.

I've always been proud of Tom and his career from the beginning when he started learning magazine and then, of course, becomes the leader of Reader's Digest, where I know that he did some wonderful things, and then his time at Amazon has to be the most fascinating thing.

When Tom joined the board.

We only had probably 7500 employees and maybe just under $4 billion a year in annual sales.

And by the time Tom left the board two decades later, we had 1.6 million employees and 100 times as much sales, $400, billion dollars a year in sales.

And so Tom was really there along that entire journey, every step of the way.

My dad has an incredible ability to assess people's skills and to sort of understand what they're good at.

He has guided a lot of people in his life.

Tom's passion for publishing was matched by his fondness for food and wine.

He leveraged both with the launching of several publications in the culinary industry and the inception of the Aspen Food and Wine Classic in 1983.

What a lot of people don't know is he may have been more famous as a wine collector and connoisseur than he was a businessman.

No matter how you weigh it, Tom is a big foodie.

Some of the memories I have of are going out to eat with him, and every time I go, I have a school in how to order wine and also how to order food.

So it's always fun.

And he relishes the opportunity to show his knowledge and and have you partake with that, which is wonderful.

Tom had created this thing called the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, and I had never heard of it before.

And in 1986, I'm 28 years old, just opened my first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, and Tom comes in for lunch one day and he says, I'm going to invite you to do something that's going to change your life.

And it gave me a legitimate at a very early stage in my career, without which I'm not sure I would be.

Danny Meyer, restaurateur Tom, and all of our board dinners.

And, you know, when we lost Tom from the board, we not only lost his wisdom, we lost his taste.

We haven't had a board dinner.

That good sense.

In spite of his tremendous success.

Tom remembers his roots, paying it forward and guiding others to make a difference.

Tom has always believed in giving back from his success to the things that were most important to him.

He particularly was generous in the efforts after Katrina in New Orleans.

He also was very generous with the Manship School of Journalism, which was absolutely so important to him, also to LSU, and I'm sure many others that I don't know about.

He has seen more things in business and in life than anyone I know, and he lovingly shares what he's learned so that you don't have to make the same mistakes eight times that he's probably made 20 in retirement.

Tom keeps busy with curating the menu and wine list that his family's gourmet store Writers Market in Vero Beach, Florida.

Making those around him happy is what makes him happiest, and it's clear in everything he does, whether in the publishing sphere, the culinary scene, or the lives he's touched.

Tom leaves and impressionable Mark on the world.

I mean, it's just that people are drawn to Tom and they expect him to take them in the right direction.

To me, that's the definition of a leader.

He steps up because he's supposed to step up.

That's just the way he's built.

My dad has taught me to seek the fun in life, to lead with a smile always to have stories to tell and not to be afraid to step outside the box and take chances.

I think, in a nutshell, dad's a good old boy from Louisiana.

He always will be.

Ladies and gentlemen, Thomas Ryder.

You know, I think I'd rather just spend the rest of the time rewatching that video about myself.

So this is a mystical night for me, but probably not for the reason you expect.

I first came to this magnificent building when I was 18 years old.

That was about 20 years ago.

I had a job here for three years when I went to LSU, and my office was right over there.

I had a little desk in the corner over there.

I worked late afternoons into the night.

I'd start about 4:00 and I'd do my work work, and then I would do my schoolwork, and then I would dream about what I might be when I grew up.

So imagine this.

Here I am, 64 years later, in the same spot, talking about what I did do when I grew up.

My life has come full circle in this very spot.

There's harmony in this universe.

Thank you Lord.

I was asked to talk about what Louisiana has done for me.

So let's start with the most important thing.

When I was at LSU, there was an absolutely spectacular coed from New Orleans who was running for darling of LSU.

There were 20,000 guys who wanted a date with her, and I truly didn't have a lot to offer.

But I did have one thing.

I had the keys to this building.

Nobody else had the keys to this building.

So I invited her for a private tour of an art exhibition that was in this room.

It was magical.

We got married at the end of our freshman year.

We were both 18 years old.

Louis.

Louisiana gave me a partner in every sense of the word.

We've been a pretty good team, I have to tell you.

Darling is still with me tonight after 64 years.

She's with our youngest daughter, who flew in from Seattle to surprise us today.

And I will tell you that they said that Merritt wouldn't last so far.

Done.

Okay.

In 1966, upon graduation, we packed our bags and our baby.

That was not that one.

And we drove to New York City where we didn't know a soul.

I had one job offer.

It came from Time Incorporated, the world's largest publisher.

I entered a white shoe corporate world, which was so amazingly different from anything I had ever experienced in Louisiana.

My colleagues were largely from Ivy League schools, and I have to tell you, I envy them.

When they went to the Harvard, Yale or Princeton Club with our bosses and their mentors.

I usually had lunch alone across the street at the Automat.

With a budget of $0.35 a day.

That darling gave me.

And I can tell you what, I got it.

You didn't really spend just that.

I said, yes, I did.

I got a ramekin of baked beans and a piece of cold cornbread because a pat of butter was a nickel, and I'd already spent my $0.35.

I did well in corporate life, and people often ask me how a kid from a small town in Louisiana with a state school education and no graduate degree made it through the ranks of thousands of people.

The fact is, Louisiana was my graduate school.

Most of the things that I needed to know in life, I learned here before I was 21.

For example, I was and I still am a ferocious competitor.

Hard to imagine, right?

But that's what happens when you grow up in A11 bathroom, two bedroom home with a future captain of the LSU football team.

That's my brother, Robert Rider, who was called Red Ryder when he played for LSU.

I learned standards of excellence and teamwork from an amazing group of teachers and classmates at Bolton High School.

There's still among the people I respect most in the world.

My parents insisted that I learned the value of hard work.

I was never without at least two jobs from the time I went to junior high school, to the time I graduated from LSU.

I had more jobs after graduation than most people that I've worked with had in a lifetime.

And I didn't just earn money from those jobs.

I learned about life, but I had the as I do self-assessment two skills that set me apart from most people.

I could give speeches and I could write.

I had started giving speeches when I was nine years old.

There was a picture of me in the Alexandria Daily Town talk giving a speech at the Rotary Club.

Oh my God knows what I talk to them about.

By the time I left LSU, I probably given at least 100 speeches to audiences of at least as big as a thousand people.

Later, my corporate bosses loved to roll me out to boards of directors or to big corporate customers.

Someone went, said, Let Ryder do it.

He'll speak at the opening of a telephone booth.

I'm sad to say they don't say that anymore.

Nobody knows what a telephone booth is.

I worked in a world of business school graduates.

They wrote in jargon filled bullet points.

I wrote in clean sentences.

My bosses could understand those sentences.

I learned that discipline from dedicated professors at the LSU journalism school.

And I wrote my way through LSU at the Daily Reveille, The State Times, and FB TV.

No one confused my work with that of Ernest Hemingway, but I was, in fact, a professional writer in a world.

Excuse me, doctor, in a world of math majors.

People could understand my ideas.

Finally, I succeeded because there were people in Alexandria and Baton Rouge who treated me as if I were special.

They open doors, and they helped Darlene and me get jobs to pay our way through LSU with working parents.

I wanted to succeed for them.

Darlene and I have lived in New York, Connecticut, California and Florida.

We haven't lived in Louisiana for 60 years, but people ask us at least once or twice a week.

Where y'all from?

Without hesitation, we always say we're from Louisiana.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2026 Louisiana Legends.

Thank you all so much for joining us this evening.

This has been an unforgettable night.

And to our honorees, thank you for making Louisiana proud.

Thank you again, everyone, for joining us.

Good night and safe travels.

The 2026 Louisiana Legends Gala is brought to you by.

Based in Alexandria Wood Products Company, Roy Martin is proud to fulfill our founders legacy in supporting the social, educational and cultural needs of our local communities.

Celebrating 35 years, the Louisiana Lottery is proud to join LPB in honoring Louisiana Legends and has contributed over 5 billion to K through 12 public education.

35 years of reasons to smile.