2020 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 35
BY SENATOR FOIL
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
death of William F. "Willie" Staats.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
learned of the death of William F. "Willie" Staats on November 15, 2019; and
WHEREAS, William F. "Willie" Staats was born to William and Rena Staats in San
Antonio, Texas, in 1938; and
WHEREAS, he received a bachelor's degree from Texas Lutheran University where
he and his future wife, Esther, were homecoming king and queen; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats received a doctorate from the University of Texas, and after
receiving his Ph.D., he taught briefly at Rice University in Houston, Texas, subsequently
becoming vice president and corporate secretary of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia, the youngest person ever at the time to hold such a position; and
WHEREAS, he then moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he taught for thirty
years at Louisiana State University (LSU), holding the position of The Hermann Moyse, Jr.
Distinguished Professor and Louisiana Bankers Association Chair of Banking; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats served as director of the Bankers School for Supervisory
Training, was a member of the faculty at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, and a
member of the faculty of the LSU Executive Program, and served on the faculty of several
state banking schools as well as the American Bankers Association Graduate School of
Compliance Management; and
WHEREAS, he was a director of the Farm Credit Bank of Texas; cofounder and
chairman of the board of SevenOaks Capital Associates, LLC; and founder of two banks, the
New Braunfels National Bank in New Braunfels, Texas, and Lakeside Bank in Lake Charles,
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats was named to the board of the nation's first bridge bank by
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the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and served on the Board of Regents of Texas
Lutheran University for many years; and
WHEREAS, as an eloquent and compelling communicator, he published many books
and articles and was very active on the speaking circuit, making presentations across the
United States; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats enjoyed voicing his opinion in a column in the Baton Rouge
Advocate and was an expert witness in banking cases in several states; and
WHEREAS, he loved spending time with his family and was passionate about his
volunteer work, serving over the last forty-eight years at St. Paul Lutheran Church and the
Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats served on the board of Money Management International and
Consumer Credit Counseling Services, nonprofit organizations which provide personal credit
and financial counseling and education; and
WHEREAS, he loved country music, managed a band in college, and worked at
KWED Radio in Seguin, Texas; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Staats became family-famous for his "Monkey, Mouse, and
Elephant" stories that he told his children every night when they were little which reflected
his love of animals, particularly dogs; and
WHEREAS, he is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years, Esther; his
children, Stephen and Kristine; and his grandchildren, Audrey and Darren Staats, and Kaylen
and Ryan Brzozowski; and
WHEREAS, the death of William F. "Willie" Staats has left a substantial void in the
Baton Rouge community and a sense of loss in the citizens whose lives he touched, and his
memory shall live forever in the minds and hearts of all those who knew and loved this
remarkable gentleman.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of William F. "Willie"
Staats, record for posterity his outstanding achievements, and extend enduring appreciation
for the tremendous pride and honor that he will forever bring to the Baton Rouge
community, the state of Louisiana, and the United States of America.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of William F. "Willie" Staats.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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