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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 78
BY SENATOR PERRY
A RESOLUTION
To commend Dr. A. David Barry, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, on the occasion of his retirement.
WHEREAS, Dr. A. David Barry is retiring after holding the position of Dean of the
College of Liberal Arts since 1994; and
WHEREAS, in 1975, David Barry completed his doctorate degree in French at the
University of California and in the following year, was hired as an assistant professor in the
Department of Foreign Languages at the then University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL);
and
WHEREAS, in 1980, he became the Program Director for North American
Francophone Studies at USL and secured a grant of nearly $350,000 from the National
Endowment for the Humanities in order to build a foundation for expansion of the french
studies programs, and also a Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Program; and
WHEREAS, as a result of this effort, in 1983 Dr. Barry was selected as Executive
Director of the Conseil International d 'Etudes Francophones and served in this capacity until
1989; and
WHEREAS, in addition, in 1984, he received the knighting rank of Chevalier from
L'Orde des Palmes Academiques; the highest honor that the organization can bestow; and
in 1985, was selected as a University of Southwestern Louisiana Foundation Distinguished
professor; and
WHEREAS, after building the Francophone Studies Program at USL, he was
selected as Head of the Modern Languages Department in 1988 which corresponded with
his selection to the Governor's Committee on French and the Governor's Special
Commission on French Acadians in 1988 serving on these committees as an integral member
from 1988 until 2005; and SR NO. 78 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, Dr. Barry was selected as a Chevalier by Fondation CODOFIL in 1990;
awarded the Certficat d'Honneur by the Conseil International d'Etudes Francophones in
1992; chosen as Chairman of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 1990; and
selected as a member of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana in 1998;
and
WHEREAS, he has also been on the Louisiana Poet Laureate Selection Panel in
2002; has been commissioner and vice president for the Bayou Vermilion District from 2008
to the present; has served as a committee member for the Comite International des Etudes
Creoles, as the president of the Louisiana Association for Bilingual/Bicultural Education,
as the executive director and president for the International Council on Francophone Studies,
as an executive board member for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and as a
board member of the Council for Development of French in Louisiana; and has also served
as the president of the CODOFIL Consortium of Louisiana Colleges and Universities; and
WHEREAS, Dr. A. David Barry leaves not only a legacy of great leadership as Dean
of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, but also a legacy
of deep, caring involvement in the culture, the languages, the people and the communities
of Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend Dr. A. David Barry, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, on the occasion of his retirement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
A. David Barry.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE