2016 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 115
BY SENATORS LONG AND WALSWORTH
A RESOLUTION
To commend Patrick Widhalm, Ph.D. as he concludes his dedicated service to the Louisiana
School for Math, Science, and the Arts.
WHEREAS, Dr. Widhalm has served the Louisiana School, as the school is known,
as executive director for the past fifteen years, serving as the school's sixth executive
director; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana School was established by the state legislature in 1982
and is located on the campus of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana;
and
WHEREAS, this state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions
was established to serve Louisiana's high-achieving, highly-motivated students in grades ten
through twelve; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Widhalm began his leadership at the Louisiana School in 2001,
having held administrative positions at similar schools; and
WHEREAS, Patrick Widhalm grew up in Nebraska and he credits public school
music programs for inspiring him to a rewarding education and career in music and bringing
music to children in public schools; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Widhalm earned his doctor of music degree in piano performance
from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and holds degrees and certificates from the
University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, the Ravel Academie in France and the
Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna, Austria; and
WHEREAS, prior to accepting the position as executive director of the Louisiana
School, Dr. Widhalm served in an administrative capacity at the Conservatory for Music at
Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and before that as the founding dean of Arts and
Academics at the South Carolina Governor's School for Arts and Humanities in Greenville,
South Carolina; and
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WHEREAS, while leading the Louisiana School, Dr. Widhalm served six years as
vice chair for education on the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts board of directors and as
the liaison for Louisiana's affiliation with the Kennedy Center Arts Education Network; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Widhalm led the Louisiana team selected to participate in the 2008
Education Leaders Institute, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts; and
WHEREAS, in 2009, Dr. Widhalm received the Louisiana Culture Award for
"Education Innovator", he has participated in Leadership Louisiana and was recently
appointed by the governor to the state's arts council; and
WHEREAS, throughout his tenure, Dr. Widhalm has guided the faculty, staff,
students and alumni to establish the Louisiana School's reputation as one of the best high
schools in the country; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana School was recently ranked as the ninth best public school
in the nation and as the best high school in Louisiana by Niche's "2016 Best Public High
Schools in America", both achievements of which Dr. Widhalm can be very proud; and
WHEREAS, upon his departure from the Louisiana School, Dr. Widhalm has
accepted a position as the new head of school at Benjamin Franklin High School in New
Orleans, another high-achieving school in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Widhalm frequently quotes Peter Drucker when addressing students
about achievement stating, "the best way to predict your future is to create it", an axiom that
would appear to hold true for Dr. Widhalm's own career; and
WHEREAS, on a personal note, Dr. Widhalm and his wife Betsy have raised two
daughters, Katie and Mary Beth; and
WHEREAS, having led the state's premier residential high school concentrating on
math, science and the arts, Dr. Patrick Widhalm now redirects his career to face the
challenge of maintaining and improving the state's best nonresidential high school, while
leading students to prepare for academic and personal success throughout college and their
adult lives; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Patrick Widhalm has served the citizens of Louisiana through his
tenure at the Louisiana School and through his tireless efforts in support of arts education
in Louisiana's public schools and his overall support of the arts.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend Patrick Widhalm, Ph.D. as his dedicated service to the Louisiana
School for Math, Science, and the Arts comes to a conclusion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
Patrick Widhalm.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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