Notable People
UL Lafayette is home to many alumni who have held posts as business bellwethers, government and military leaders, Olympic and professional athletes, artists and entertainers. For example, from literature: James Lee Burke, Pulitzer nominee, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series; from entertainment Marc Breaux, choreographer of movies such as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Richard Simmons, TV fitness personality; from government: Kathleen Blanco, former Louisiana governor (2004–2008), John Breaux, former US senator (1987–2005), and Paul Hardy, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana.
Two military alumni Charles B. DeBellevue and Jefferson J. DeBlanc were recognized as flying aces; DeBlanc also was awarded the Medal of Honor. Captain Steven L. Bennett was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1974. Ace Charles B. DeBellevue and Medal of Honor recipient Steven L. Bennett were members of the ROTC program and both entered active duty with the Air Force after graduating in 1968.
Also several distinguished faculty members have taught at the university, such as John Kennedy Toole, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces, Ernest J. Gaines, nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature and a Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Paul Prudhomme, American celebrity chef, Elemore Morgan, Jr., internationally-known landscape painter, and Burton Raffel, poet noted for his translation of Cervantes's Don Quixote.
Several football alumni have played in the National Football League, including Jake Delhomme (retired), Brian Mitchell (retired), Brandon Stokley (Denver Broncos), Ike Taylor (Pittsburgh Steelers), Charles Tillman (Chicago Bears) and Richie Cunningham (retired). Several baseball alumni have played in the Major Leagues, including Ron Guidry, retired (New York Yankees), who won the Cy Young Award. Kim Perrot played for the Houston Comets, helping them to win two WBNA championships. Other alumni include Olympic track and field medalist Hollis Conway and world-title trampolinist Leigh Hennessy, who holds the record for winning the most US national championships for women. Two alumni were inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame: Chris Cagle and Weldon Humble.
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Jefferson Caffery, former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France, and Egypt.
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Jake Delhomme, NFL quarterback who led the Carolina Panthers to their first NFC conference championship.
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Ali Landry, former Miss USA (1996), model and actress.
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Alex McCool, manager of the Space Shuttle Projects Office at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.
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A. Hays Town, nationally celebrated Southern architect.
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