Harriet Belchic

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Harriet Cameron Belchic (August 17, 1928 - February 12, 1999) was a Republican political activist from Shreveport, Louisiana, who was also the first woman ever granted both bachelor of science and master of science degrees in geology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She served on the Shreveport Women's Commission and the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women.

Although she was born in Tiffin, the seat of Seneca County in northern Ohio, her family moved to Winnfield, the seat of Winn Parish in north Louisiana, best known as the traditional home of the Long political dynasty. Belchic hence graduated from Winnfield High School and then entered LSU.

An advocate of a two-party system, Belchic was vice-chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party from 1962-1968, having served part of the time under then Chairman Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., of Shreveport, a Republican congressional candidate in 1961 and his party's gubernatorial standard-bearer in 1964. She held a coveted seat on the party's State Central Committee for over twenty years. She was elected delegate to numerous Republican national conventions. She was a southern floor leader for then U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona at the 1964 conclave in San Francisco. Belchic was district chairman of Women for Nixon in 1968 and was an alternate delegate for George Herbert Walker Bush in both the 1988 and the 1992 conventions held in New Orleans and Houston, respectively.

She became a member of the Shreveport Women's Republican Club in 1954, long before her party became competitive in the previously one-party format.

Active in local civic affairs, Belchic was appointed by Democratic Mayor John B. Hussey and Republican Mayor Hazel F. Beard to the Shreveport Women's Commission, having served from 1988 to 1994. Beard also named her to the Riverfront Redevelopment Advisory Committee. She was a sustaining member of the Junior League of Shreveport and a former member of the Centenary College Muses. Mrs. Belchic was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Shreveport.

Belchic died at her home at 6500 Gilbert Drive in Shreveport after a long illness. Services were held at St. Paul's on February 17, 1999. Graveside rites were private. She was survived by her husband, Dr. George A. Belchic, Jr., a Shreveport orthopedic surgeon; her son, George Cameron Belchic (January 24, 1960 - January 31, 2007: automobile accident victim) and wife Angelia Steele Belchic of Decatur, Alabama; three daughters, Katherine Belchic Rolland and husband Michael Rolland of New Orleans, Ellen Belchic Hutchison (born 1955) and husband Bruce R. Hutchison (born 1957), also of New Orleans, and Martha Cameron Belchic (born 1956) of Shreveport; ; her brother Wheelock Cameron and wife Virginia Cameron of Fort Walton Beach, Florida; her brother-in-law, Albert Mitchell Belchic of New Orleans; a nephew, Gregory Martin Cameron and wife Virginia Cameron of Seaford, Virginia; seven grandchildren, and a great-niece.

Pallbearers were U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Stagg, Jr., R.M. Thomas Arceneaux, state Senator Ronald C. Bean (1938-2005), Cleveland C. Burton, Robert E. McDowell and Sidney F. Rivers.

Bean described his supporter and friend Belchic as the "dean of Republican women in the state of Louisiana, and a fine friend of mine. She worked when nobody else would . . . She will be remembered as somebody who provided lots of leadership . . . She would want to be remembered as someone who helped even the smallest candidate run for public office, all the way up to someone running for governor."

Even though their parties differed, former Shreveport Mayor Hussey appointed Belchic to the Shreveport Women's Commission: "We were trying to get a lot of different folks appointed to the commission, all parts of the city, all parties. She was a nice woman and very active in Republican politics, and I was pleased she was willing to come on board."

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the Harriet Cameron Belchic Memorial Geology Scholarship Fund, c/o LSU Foundation, 3838 W. Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. The annual award underwrites all expenses for one female student to attend the senior geology field camp.

Belchic's husband and daughter Martha are also active in the Shreveport Republican community. Martha Belchic, a generous GOP contributor, was a delegate to the 2004 Republican convention in New York City, which renominated the George W. Bush-Richard B. Cheney ticket.