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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 101
BY REPRESENTATIVES KLECKLEY, ARMES, DANAHAY, FRANKLI N, GEYMANN,
GUINN, HENSGENS, HILL, AND HOWARD
A RESOLUTION
To commend Louis Bonnette upon his receipt of the 2013 Mr. Louisiana Basketball award
and to record for posterity his numerous contributions to McNeese State University.
WHEREAS, Louis Bonnette is only the second sports information director to receive
the Mr. Louisiana Basketball Award, the most prestigious honor presented by the Louisiana
Association of Basketball Coaches, and it is appropriate to congratulate him upon this
special recognition; and
WHEREAS the Mr. Louisiana Basketball Award is presented annually to someone
who has made a significant, long-term contribution to the game of basketball at any level in
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Louis Bonnette was born in Pineville, Louisiana, and graduated with
a bachelor's degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech in 1963, and has been honored both
statewide and nationally for his work; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette began his journalism career as a sportswriter for the
Beaumont Enterprise and three years later he joined McNeese State University as the sports
information director; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette has served two terms as president of the Louisiana Sports
Writers Association and received the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's prestigious Mac
Russo Award in 1995; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette founded the McNeese Hall of Fame, serving as its
chairman until his retirement in 2012, was inducted into the College Sports Information
Directors of America Hall of Fame in 2009, the Southland Conference Hall of Honor in
2007, and received the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Distinguished Service Award ENROLLEDHR NO. 101
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in Sports Journalism in 2002 and the Scoop Hudgins outstanding Sports Information
Director award from the All-American Football Foundation in 2008; and
WHEREAS, the McNeese Cowboys football field is named in his honor and the
Southland Conference recently named its sports media award in his honor and selected him
to receive the first such award; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette has worked with eight McNeese basketball coaches,
including legendary head coach Ralph O. Ward, who is a member of the Louisiana Sports
Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and the McNeese Hall of Fame and
was named Mr. Louisiana Basketball in 1977; and
WHEREAS, as sports information director, Mr. Bonnette worked to bring the story
of Cowboy athletics to the state, region, and nation, and promoted numerous McNeese
players to all-American honors, including Hall of Famer Joe Dumars and more recently,
Patrick Richard; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette was part of seven conference championships, helped
promote thirty-one first team all-conference selections, nine conference players of the year,
six conference coaches of the year, and four all-Americans; and
WHEREAS, while at McNeese, Mr. Bonnette did not miss a Cowboy football game,
working a national record of five hundred twenty-seven consecutive games and was also a
part of six hundred forty-four basketball wins, nine twenty-win seasons, and eight national
postseason appearances by the basketball team; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette retired from McNeese State University in 2012 after a
distinguished forty-six year career in which he was recognized nationally for his news
releases, game programs, and media guides; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette has written a golf column for the Lake Charles American
Press continuously since 1970 and also writes a weekly outdoor column; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette has served as a mentor and role model for many
journalists and coaches, and few people in college athletics, either as administrators or as
coaches, can match Mr. Bonnette's dedication and commitment to his craft; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette brings a deep sense of pride and honor to his family, the
students, faculty and staff, and alumni of McNeese State University, and to all of the friends
he has made throughout the course of his highly productive career; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 101
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WHEREAS, Mr. Bonnette represents all that is good about Louisiana and merits a
sincere and heartfelt measure of commendation for his many outstanding accomplishments
as he is once again recognized for his remarkable career at McNeese State University; and
WHEREAS, the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana sincerely
wishes to acknowledge Mr. Bonnette for the many contributions he has made to the sports
communications field, McNeese State University, and the state of Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Louis Bonnette upon his receipt of the 2013
Mr. Louisiana Basketball award from the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches, does
hereby commend him for a forty-six year career of very distinguished, professional service
to McNeese State University, does hereby recognize and record for posterity his notable
accomplishments and manifold contributions to McNeese State University and the state of
Louisiana, and does hereby extend to Mr. Bonnette best wishes for continued health and
happiness.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Mr. Louis Bonnette.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES