SLS 15RS-3046 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 129
BY SENATORS JOHNS AND MORRISH
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the death of William Boyce Baggett.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
3 William Boyce Baggett Sr., former Louisiana State University football player and
4 outstanding attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
5 WHEREAS, William Boyce Baggett was born in Greenville, Texas on June 2, 1929,
6 and he died in his home in Lake Charles with his family around him on May 20, 2015, at the
7 age of eighty-five; and
8 WHEREAS, Baggett obtained an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State
9 University where he played on the football team; and
10 WHEREAS, Baggett played halfback on the LSU football team for three seasons,
11 1948 through 1950, and he was an integral part of the offense of those teams; and
12 WHEREAS, Billy Baggett was the LSU football team's leading rusher in his final
13 two seasons, helping the Tigers to an eight win record in 1949 and averaging five and a half
14 yards per carry during that season; and
15 WHEREAS, Baggett averaged six and a half yards per carry for the 1950 season and
16 set two rushing records that stood for decades in that, his senior season; and
17 WHEREAS, in the 1950 season game in which LSU defeated Ole Miss by a score
18 of forty to fourteen, Baggett ran eleven times for a total of 192 yards and an average of 17.4
Page 1 of 3 SCR NO. 129
SLS 15RS-3046 ORIGINAL
1 yards per carry, a record which stood for thirty-seven years until 1987 when Harvey
2 Williams rushed for an average of 19.6 yards per carry and the game total stood as a team
3 record until LSU star Terry Robiskie rushed for a total of 214 yards against Rice University
4 in 1976; and
5 WHEREAS, Baggett was drafted by the National Football League Los Angeles Rams
6 in 1951, but he did not play for the Rams because he was traded to the Dallas Texans and
7 played for that team for the 1951 season, the only season in which that NFL franchise
8 existed; and
9 WHEREAS, after his try at the NFL, Baggett returned to Louisiana and attended law
10 school at LSU, graduating with his law degree in 1953; and
11 WHEREAS, that same year Billy Baggett married the love of his life, Kara Gael
12 Salter, and the two shared a remarkable life of love and devotion bringing them both
13 immense joy and satisfaction for more than sixty years; and
14 WHEREAS, in 1958, Baggett founded the Baggett-McCall law firm, which
15 eventually became Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, L.L.C., and he practiced
16 law in his adopted home town of Lake Charles, Louisiana, never officially retiring from the
17 practice of law; and
18 WHEREAS, during his long and distinguished legal career, Baggett served as
19 president of the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association in 1966 and 1967, he was president of
20 the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association in 1967, he served on the Association of Trial
21 Lawyers of America's Board of Governors from 1972 through 1975, and he served as
22 president of the Louisiana Bar Association in 1980, all positions of prestige and leadership
23 within the legal profession; and
24 WHEREAS, throughout their long life together, Kara and Billy found great joy and
25 love in their family which includes daughter Judy Baggett Maselli and sons William B.
26 Baggett Jr. and wife Rae Lee, and Christopher Frank Baggett and wife Jane, and
27 grandchildren Katie, Annie, Kara, Kaough, Molly, Sophia, Gus, Caroline, Blake, and Erin;
28 and
29 WHEREAS, Baggett's law partners were an important part of his life as was his
30 involvement with Sale Street Baptist Church, where he worshiped; and
Page 2 of 3 SCR NO. 129
SLS 15RS-3046 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, Baggett enjoyed fishing, cattle ranching, and scouting for deer,
2 particularly on his Kara Farms ranch in east Texas; and
3 WHEREAS, upon Baggett's death, LSU Athletic Director, Joe Alleva, stated:
4 "Billy Baggett was a great man and a tremendous supporter of LSU. He was one of the great
5 players of his generation and he was passionate about LSU football. Billy was just as
6 supportive of academics and the LSU Law School. He loved LSU. He's going to be
7 missed."
8 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
9 express sincere condolences upon the death of William Boyce Baggett Sr., former Louisiana
10 State University football player and outstanding attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
12 Mrs. Kara Gael Salter Baggett.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SCR 129 Original 2015 Regular Session Johns
Expresses condolences upon the death of William Boyce Baggett Sr. of Lake Charles,
Louisiana.
Page 3 of 3