NATCHITOCHES – The family of a devoted Northwestern State University alumnus established a scholarship in his memory that will benefit a student pursuing a degree in nursing or biological sciences. The Leonard F. Endris Memorial Scholarship was created to honor an individual who served for 28 years on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and was named as Board Member Emeritus in 2019.

According to family, Endris “was a loyal Demon football fan and supported athletics through attendance and donations.  Since 1980 he faithfully occupied Section F, Row Q, Seat 17 of Turpin Stadium.” At the time of his death in August 2022, his season tickets were already purchased.

“We are grateful for the impact Dad made at NSU and the opportunity to celebrate his influence through this scholarship,” said Matt Endris, his son.  “The purpose of the scholarship is to invest in the educational experience of students in the biological sciences. We want to be a blessing to them since NSU was such a formative part of Dad’s direction in life.”

Leonard Endris enrolled at Northwestern State September 1970 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management in 1973 and a Master of Science in Zoology in 1974.  He married his wife Robbie Williamson Endris, a 1972 alumna, on Aug. 11, 1972. Her family has deep roots at NSU.

“My mom’s family has been at NSU since my great-grandmother [Belle Connella Williamson] graduated here in 1901. Her diploma hangs on the wall in my parents’ home.”

Many other members of the family attended NSU over the decades, including Leonard and Robbie’s sons Matt (1997) and Paul (2002) and Paul’s wife Jamie Evans Endris (2001).  Matt’s wife, Jana DeBusk Endris, attended summer classes and their daughter, Claire Endris, is a graduating senior who will earn a degree in Health and Exercise Science this May.

“When my parents met at NSU in the early 70s, Daddy made this his school when he and my mom started life here together,” Matt Endris said.  “I went to my dad’s master’s degree graduation in a baby carrier. He was so proud when I graduated in 1997 and when my daughter chose NSU after graduating high school.  She is a fifth generation Demon.”

Leonard Endris was born in Pana, Illinois, and graduated high school in 1965. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served for four years in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Norway and Thailand.  During his deployment in Thailand, he was assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing. After a year of distinguished service at Nakhon Phanom AFB, he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and was named the First Term Airman of the Year for NKP in the Pacific Air Command.  He finished his service at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City as a staff sergeant.

After enrolling at NSU and completing his degrees, he worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and enjoyed a career working with landowners and local governments to preserve natural resources and improve habitat for wildlife.

“In the 1980s, we were living in Shreveport and dad jumped in full throttle to support Demon athletics,” Matt Endris said. “He joined the Shreveport/Bossier chapter of the Alumni Association and started to work on projects to raise support. He had found a new hobby in golf, and it gave him an idea for a golf tournament fundraiser. They called it the Purple and White Open.”

That event was so successful that it evolved into the Joe Delaney Memorial weekend, which drew many of NSU’s NFL players and friends back to Louisiana.

“He highly valued both degrees he received at NSU and faithfully supported the university for many years,” Matt Endris said. “The Alumni Board gave him emeritus status when his terminal illness began to accelerate, and he cried when we gave him the plaque from the Association.”

Those anecdotes epitomize how his father saw NSU and why the family wanted to establish a scholarship in his memory.

Leonard and Robbie Williamson Endris celebrated their 50th anniversary just a few days before his passing on Aug. 22, 2022.

“There are so many other stories, examples and memories that dad gave to me and our family. He loved this school and loved serving on the board. Dad’s legacy of faithfulness and love are rooted in his relationship with Christ and displayed in the way he has faithfully supported those people and places he loved.”

Friends can contribute to the Leonard F. Endris Memorial Scholarship by visiting https://northwesternstatealumni.com/endris-scholarship/.