Arnold R. Kilpatrick

Arnold Roy Kilpatrick (August 5, 1920 - December 12, 2005) was a Louisiana educator and businessman who was the president of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches from 1966-1978.

Early years, education, military

Kilpatrick was born in tiny Eros in Jackson Parish. He first attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe (Ouachita Parish), formerly known as Northeast Louisiana Junior College. He later earned his bachelor's degree from Northwestern State. Kilpatrick received his master's degree and Ed.D. from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He served in the U.S. Air Force (then the Army Air Force) during World War II.

In 1946, he launched his educational career as a teacher and coach at Jonesboro-Hodge High School in Jackson Parish. He built a successful basketball program at the school. The team won the Class A state championship in 1951, when it achieved forty-five victories, a school record.

College Coach of the Year

Kilpatrick joined Northeast Louisiana State College in 1951 as a faculty member and assistant football and basketball coach and later head basketball coach and the director of athletics. In his three final seasons at Northeast, his teams had three consecutive winning seasons. Kilpatrick guided the team to its first 20-win season in 1954-1955. He was honored by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association that season as "Coach of the Year" in the Gulf States Conference. Kilpatrick was also a guiding force in the success of the conference, having served as vice-president and later president of the league.

After leaving coaching, Kilpatrick remained on the Northeast faculty and served as head of the Department of Education at the college in 1965-1966. He was appointed dean of the college at Northwestern State in March 1966 and became the NSU president of NSU later in the year.

NSU president, 1966-1978

During Kilpatrick's tenure as the NSU president, enrollment increased substantially, and a number of buildings were constructed or renovated. Kilpatrick helped to secure funding for the construction of the Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library, the Rene J. Bienvenu Biological Sciences Building, the Physical Education Majors Building and the Teacher Education Center, the Student Recreation Complex, and University Post Office. He also pushed successfully for the renovation of Turpin Stadium, H. Lee Prather Coliseum and the Sylvan Friedman Student Union. It was during Kilpatrick's administration a new home for the president was constructed. The previous presidential home was converted some years later into the renovated NSU Alumni Center.

Under Kilpatrick, NSU established a branch campus at Fort Polk near Leesville, the seat of Vernon Parish. The institution achieved university status, and the name was changed from Northwestern State College to Northwestern State University in 1970.

Kilpatrick remained active in athletic activities during his presidency at Northwestern. He served on the U.S. Olympic Committee board of directors and as president of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

In 1994, Kilpatrick was selected for the NSU Hall of Distinction, the highest honor bestowed at the university. He was also inducted into the NSU Graduate N Club Athletic Hall of Fame, the NSU Hall of Distinguished Educators, and the Northeast Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame. He further received the Nth Degree for Meritorious Service from NSU.

Later years

After he retired from education, Kilpatrick engaged in a number of business activities. He was vice-president of Savings Life Group of Shreveport and also served as chairman of the board of directors of Pelican State Bank in Pelican in De Soto Parish.

Kilpatrick also held membership over the years in the Masonic lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, El Karubah Shriners of Shreveport, the Scottish Rite Society, and the First United Methodist Church of Natchitoches.

Services were held at the First United Methodist Church under the direction of the Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Survivors included his wife of fifty-five years, the former Juanita Cardozier; a daughter, Lael Alexis Kilpatrick of Naples, Florida.; a son Joel Young Kilpatrick and wife Jeri Allen Parker Kilpatrick of Natchitoches, and grandchildren Ryan Daniel Kilpatrick, Jared Young Kilpatrick, Ashley Danielle Schult.

Interment was in the Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches. The family requested memorials to the NSU Foundation Scholarship Fund, Natchitoches, LA 71497.

References

http://www.nsula.edu/news/kilpat12.htm

http://www.nsula.edu/alumni/center.htm

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:LjyVwjBu2XgJ:www.nsula.edu/oir/0405FOLDER/FACTBOOK/PastPresidents.pdf+rene+j.+bienvenu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7

http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=kilpatrick&start=3301