NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

4/26/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES ­ Northwestern State University will award an honorary doctorate of humanities to Baton Rouge businessman Daniel Lee Chase at its spring commencement exercises Friday, May 6.

Chase will also serve as commencement speaker. He will address graduates from the Colleges of Education, Liberal Arts and Nursing and the Graduate School at 10 a.m. and graduates from the College of Business, the Louisiana Scholars' College, University College and College of Science and Technology at 3 p.m.

"Dan Chase has achieved extraordinary success in business and is noted throughout Louisiana for his meaningful and dedicated service to society, particularly in the areas of public education and drug and alcohol abuse," said NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb. "Dan has also been a strong supporter of his alma mater and has played an important role in the success of the university."

Chase earned a bachelor's in health and physical education and mathematics from Northwestern in 1957. He served as a successful coach and teacher in Louisiana public schools for 20 years. While teaching, he continued his pursuit of higher education and earned a master's in education administration at Northeast Louisiana University. He also completed substantial post-master's work toward a doctorate in education at the University of Arkansas.

In 1969, he established an innovative plastic manufacturing company that became the first business in the nation to manufacture mannequins, or models for the taxidermy industry. He also created and marketed other innovative tanning procedures, products and instructional video programs that made his company a national leader in the taxidermy supply industry. He remains head of a Baton Rouge company that employs more than 100 people.

Chase and his wife, Lilly, have been generous supporters of Northwestern. A four-year letterman in football, he has funded endowed scholarships in athletics and also provided funding for the Dan and Lilly Chase and daughters Marty Causey and Lisa Chase Endowed Professorship in the College of Education. The Chases have also opened their home to the NSU family for alumni, recruiting and other university functions in the Baton Rouge area.

In addition, Chase has provided funding for substance abuse initiatives. He is active in organizations including the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Greater Baton Rouge, the Deter Board of Baton Rouge and other groups and projects that address substance abuse problems.

Chase has supported Northwestern as a member of the board of directors of the NSU Foundation, the NSU Alumni Association, NSU Athletic Association and the Graduate "N" Club. He was inducted into the NSU Hall of Distinction, the Long Purple Line, the university's highest honor for alumni. Dan and Lilly Chase are campaign co-chairs of Northwestern's "For a Brighter Tomorrow" Capital Campaign. He also holds leadership positions in other local, state and national professional and civic organizations.

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