Roddy Richard Life Achievement Award

In 1987, the Louisiana Youth Seminar Board of Directors established the Roddy Richard Life Achievement Award in honor of one of our own LYS staffers – Roddy Richard.  Roddy came to LYS from Teurlings Catholic High and joined the staff in 1983 as a junior counselor, moving to counselor in 1985.  . 

Roddy was an exceptional young person, whose life was taken in a tragic accident.  To celebrate the life of Roddy and to memoralize his spirit, LYS created this Life Achievement Award.  This award recognizes outstanding individuals whose character and purpose in life have lessened the burden of others and made this a better place for their fellow man.
Senator Robert Kennedy said, shortly before he died, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal or sets to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustices, he sends forth a ripple of hope.”  Those ripples of hope which began during Roddy’s life will now ripple for future generations, for as we know, the deeds of just and good men never die. 

The real tragedy in life is what dies inside a man while he lives.  It is not when we die that is important for we surely all will die.  It is what we do while alive here on earth that gives meaning to our very existence. 

So, as we celebrate the life of one of our own, I ask you to examine your own life and remember what was said at the death of Robert Kennedy by his brother about the great deeds of young men, a quote we’ve often used at LYS:

“Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills.  Yet many of the world’s great movements of thought and action have flowed from the work of a single man or woman”.

The young Roddy Richard lives on in the minds and hearts of LYS and through the recipients of the Roddy Richard Life Achievement Award.

Award recipients and titles at the time of the award:

• 1988 Verna Landrieu, community activist, New Orleans
• 1989 Dale Brown, former Coach, LSU Basketball
• 1990 Mary Ellen Armitage (d), former Mayor, Folsom
• 1991 Virginia Budd, former President, La Association of Teachers
• 1992 Pat Taylor (d), President, Taylor Oil
• 1993 Rev. Thomas E. Chambers, President, Holy Cross College
• 1994 Corre Stegall, former President, National Kappa Delta Sorority
• 1995 James Moffet, CEO, Freeport-McMoran, Inc
• 1996 Frank A. France, Founder, Kehoe-France School – Camp
• 1997 Mari Ann Callais, Educator, Jefferson
• 1998 Fr. Gary Schexnayder, former Pastor, St. Edmund’s Church
• 1999 Barbara Stott, Teacher, Riverdale High School
• 2000 Dan Jurek, Vice Principal, St. Thomas Moore High School
• 2001 Adren Wilson, Children’s Defense Fund
• 2002 D’Ann Morris, Office of the Chancellor, Louisiana State University
• 2003 Randy Gurie, Assoc. Dean of Students, Louisiana State University
• 2004 Charles Jumonville, Diocese of Baton Rouge
• 2005 Patricia Neal, Educational Coordinator, La Dept of Education
• 2006 Drew Lehmann, Executive Director, Prevention with PRIDE
• 2007 Collis Temple, Founder, BREC Sports Academy
• 2008 Dr. Nghana Lewis, Professor, Tulane University, New Orleans **

**Former LYS delegate