Hall of Fame Established

Throughout the great history of the Louisiana State University School of Renewable Natural Resources, numerous individuals have made significant contributions to further the mission of the School. As such, the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University seek to honor these individuals by offering a mechanism for recognition into the newly created School of Renewable Natural Resources Hall of Fame.   These individuals shall includeformer faculty, directors, alumni, and other significant supporters of the School.  This document describes the process by which individuals may be considered for membership into the School of Renewable Natural Resources Hall of Fame.

Nominations can be offered by any current or former director or faculty member of the school or any member of the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University in good standing.  Nominations shall consist of the name of the nominator, the nominee, and a 300- to 500-word document that details the outstanding contributions of the nominee.  Meritorious contributions may include outstanding service to his/her profession of natural resources, interest in and service to the School of Renewable Natural Resources and/or the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University, and outstanding civic work.

All nominations must be submitted to the Executive Council of the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University which shall review the nominations.  The nomination must be received at least 60 days prior to Homecoming in order to guarantee that it will be acted upon prior to the annual meeting of the Alumni Association.  If the Executive Council approves the nomination, it will be sent to the Director of the School of Renewable Natural Resources for final approval.  No nomination shall bypass the Executive Council of the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University. Moreover, no nomination shall be approved without the approval of the Director of the School of Renewable Natural Resources.

Inductees to the Hall of Fame shall be officially recognized at the annual meeting of the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Alumni Association at Louisiana State University each fall at Homecoming.   The inductees for 2007 includes Dr. Paul Y.Burns, Dr. Tom Hansbrough, posthumously, and Dr. Norwin E. Linnartz (posthumously)

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paul Y. Burns earned a B.S. at the University of Tulsa in 1941 and began work on an M.F. at Yale University.  Enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, he served as a weather officer in Europe during WW II, returning to Yale in 1945 to finish his M.F. and to begin Ph.D. studies in forestry, which he completed in 1949.  He began a 38-year career in forestry education in 1948 at the University of Missouri.  Seven years later he was recruited by LSU as professor and Director of its School of Forestry, serving for nearly 22 years as Director. Retiring in 1986, he became professor emeritus and was elected Honorary Alumnus by the LSU Forestry-Wildlife-Fisheries Alumni Association.  At LSU Dr. Burns regularly taught remote sensing, mensuration, and forest policy, and occasionally taught other forestry courses.  He taught every B.S.F. LSU graduate 1956-1987.  Major professor for 20 graduate students, he is author or co-author of 117 publications.

Born in Greenfield, Tennessee in 1923 Thomas Hansbrough served during World War II as a pilot in the Pacific Theater with the Marines.  He completed his B.S.F. degree at LSU in 1949 and accepted a research position in forestry with the North La. Hill Farm Experiment Station, Homer.  In 1952 he was called to active duty during the Korean conflict. He returned to his LSU research position in 1955 while continuing as a reserve officer. In 1960 he joined the forestry faculty in Baton Rouge.  LSU awarded him the M.F. in 1957 and the Ph.D. in sociology in 1961.  He was promoted to professor.  He taught dendrology, forest ecology, and artificial reforestation and served as major professor for 20 graduate students. In December 1976 he returned to LSU as Director of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Management, where he concentrated his efforts into acquiring a new building for the School’s crowded programs.  With a great deal of effort and diplomatic skill at dealing with many kinds of people, Hansbrough succeeded in getting approval by the legislature and the governor of $8.3 million for a new Forestry-Wildlife-Fisheries building in 1983; the building was finished in 1986.  Hansbrough retired in July 1988, becoming Director Emeritus and Professor Emeritus. 

Born in Comal County, Texas, Norwin E. Linnartz served in the U.S. Navy 1944-46.  He earned a B.S. in range management at Texas A. & M. in 1953, and after working as a range conservationist with the Soil Conservation Service in Texas and Louisiana, he earned his M.F. in 1958 and Ph.D. at LSU in 1961.  He served on the LSU School of Forestry faculty 1961-92.  He worked half-time as assistant dean of the LSU Graduate School 1977-80.  Retired in 1992, he was recalled to LSU as Interim Director of the School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries from 1997 until 2000.Dr. Linnartz taught forest soils, silviculture, reforestation, and bottomland hardwoods management and was major professor for 19 graduate students.  Author or coauthor of 56 scientific and technical publications, he served as editor of two volumes of the Proceedings of the annual LSU Forestry Symposium.  He presented numerous talks on various aspects of forest management to foresters and to the general public.

Class of 1957 plans 50 year reunion

Billy C. Bond, ’57 B.S.F., in recent months has been working with his former classmates Benton H. Box, ‘57 B.S.F., ’59 M.F., and Glenn L. Brinkman, ’57 B.S.F., on a 50-year reunion of the Class of 1957. The meeting is to be held in Baton Rouge on September 25, 2007.  At 4 p.m. there will be a tour of the Renewable Natural Resources building on the LSU campus, followed by a dinner at about 7 to 7:30 p.m. at Mike Anderson’s Restaurant on Lee Drive. For more information, contact Billy Bond at bebond@frontiernet.net.