NEWS RELEASE

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

10/3/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - Five Northwestern State alumni will be honored for their dedication to the university and their contributions to their communities with induction into the NSU Hall of Distinction, the Long Purple Line. Dr. Allen R. "Buddy" Bonnette of Natchitoches, Ed Bradley of Shreveport, Fred Y. Clark of Natchitoches, U.S. District Judge Rebecca F. Doherty of Lafayette and Jimmy Patterson of Bossier City will be inducted into the Long Purple Line during NSU's Homecoming Oct. 19-20.

Bonnette earned a bachelor's and masters at Northwestern and a doctorate at LSU. He was a coach at Robeline High, Neville High and Springhill High before going to LSU as an assistant basketball coach from 1960 until 1963.

In 1963, he joined the faculty at Northwestern in the Department of Health and Physical Education where he taught for 23 years and was director of the graduate program. Bonnette retired as a full-time faculty member in 1986, but taught water safety classes part-time for 12 more years.

Bonnette was given the title of "professor emeritus" in 1995. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from Ph Epsilon Kappa, the Distinguished Faculty Chair from the College of Education, the Mayors' Award from the City of Natchitoches and the Outstanding Faculty Award. Bonnette was also recognized by the LSU Department of Kinesiology as one of the initial recipients of its Legend of LSU Doctoral Program Awards.

Many of Bonnette's former students established The Dr. A.R. "Buddy" Bonnette Endowed Scholarship in his honor to benefit students in the Department of Health and Human Performance.

Bradley has been vice president and general manager of KSLA-TV in Shreveport since 1995. He has more than 20 years experience in television. Bradley was vice president of sales and marketing for the Meredith Broadcast Group. He also served as general sales manager at KCTV-TV in Kansas City and WJTV-TV in Jackson, Miss. and as general manager at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, N.Y.

Bradley received a bachelor's from NSU in political science and economics. He is a member Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, and the Committee of 100.

Clark has been active in business, education and public service. Since 1997, he has served as chairman of State of Louisiana Board of Parole. Clark has also been an associate professor of accounting and executive in residence at NSU.

From 1977 until 1993, he worked for Sterling Sugars, Inc. in Franklin as the company's executive vice president and president/chief executive officer. After his retirement in 1993, he continued to work with the company as a consultant.

He also worked for Harry L. Laws & Company of Brusly as treasurer/director. Clark also held executive positions with American Republic Corporation, Midland Valley Lumber Company and Agricultural Chemicals Inc.

A graduate of Northwestern, Clark earned a bachelor's in business administration and a master's of education with an emphasis in administration and supervision.

Doherty was appointed by President George Bush to the federal bench in 1991. She was the first woman selected as a federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana and the second women named to the federal bench in Louisiana. Doherty was the seventh youngest person in U.S. history appointed as a federal judge.

She serves on the Fifth Circuit Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, the Financial Disclosure Committee of the Judicial Conference and has sat by designation with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Doherty was with the firm of Onebane, Donohoe, Bernard, Torian, Diaz, McNamara and Abell from 1981 until 1991. She was named partner in 1985.

Doherty earned a bachelor's degree in speech and English in 1973 and a master's in speech in 1975. She was an honor graduate of the Louisiana State University Law Center. Doherty was on the LSU Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif.

Patterson has been a leading businessman and civic leader in Shreveport/Bossier City for more than 30 years. He received a bachelor's in business administration and accounting from Northwestern.

From 1967 until 1997, he was founder, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Patterson Insurance Group. Since 1985, he has been president of Siblings Financial, LLC.

Patterson has been chairman of the board of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association since 1992 and served on the Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission for 12 years. He also served on the board of the Bossier Housing Authority and on the board of the Bossier Medical Center.

A member of the NSU College of Business Hall of Distinction, Paterson is a member of the Northwestern President's Council, the Dean's Advisory Board for the College of Business and the NSU Foundation. He has also been on the NSU Athletic Association Board of Directors.

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