Raymond Blanco

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Raymond Sindo Blanco was the First Gentleman of Louisiana (2004-2008), being the husband of then Governor Kathleen Blanco. Mr. Blanco has worked at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 1982 as Vice President for Student Affairs, responsible for coordinating various non-academic departments which relate directly to UL Lafayette students. He also serves as a link between the student body and the university. He is known as "Coach" on the campus of UL Lafayette.^[1]

[edit] Early Life

"Coach" Blanco was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He received his B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas in 1958^[2]. He served as Assistant Football Coach at Kirwin High School in Galveston, Texas and Head Football Coach at Catholic High School in New Iberia, Louisiana between the years 1958-1962. In 1962 he led the Catholic High team to win the State Championship. From 1963-1969, Blanco served as Assistant Football Coach at then USL under the direction of Coach Russ Faulkinberry.

In 1969, he became Dean of Men. With the merger of the offices of the Dean of Men and Dean of Women, Mr. Blanco was named as USL's Dean of Student Personnel in 1972. In 1974 he became the Chief Student Officer for the university functioning as the Dean of Students and overseeing the operations of the entire student welfare area. As member of the University Council, he is responsible for the operations of the following areas: Student Personnel, University Police, Student Union, Counseling and Testing, International Students, Housing, Child Development Center, Career Services, Parking and Transit, One Card System, Intramurals, Student Health Services, Student Athlete Center, Physical Plant, Student Government, Campus Organizations and Student Publications. Since the fall of 1982 Mr. Blanco has served in the capacity of Vice President for Student Affairs. His duties have remained unchanged.

Mr. Blanco's transition from football coach to Dean of Men came as a result of the university's need to find an administrator capable of understanding and quelling the severe student unrest which plagued then-USL (and universities around the country) in the late 1960's and early 1970's.