Bossier High members to induct 12 new Bearkat Alumni
The Bossier High School Alumni Association (BHSAA) announced that Buddy Roemer will serve as emcee for the 2013 BHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame.
The event is set for Saturday, October 19 at 4 p.m. in the BHS Auditorium. Twelve distinguished BearKat alumni are to be recognized with a reception following. Admission is $10 per adult, students and children enter free. The event benefits BHS students.
Roemer was first elected Congressman in 1980, and then Louisiana Governor in 1987. He was a candidate in the Republican primary for President in the 2012 race. Buddy is a longtime banking executive here in Louisiana. He was named to the elite group known as Louisiana Legends by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. He is a member of the BHSAA Sports and Spirit Hall of Fame and the BHSAA Hall of Fame for Distinguished Achievement.
The BHSAA recognizes Alumni in three honorary groups. The Legion of Honor enshrines the memory of 22 lost BearKat servicemen. The Sports and Spirit Hall of Fame is dedicated to athletic achievement, sportsmanship, spirit organizations, and boosters.
The upcoming Hall of Fame recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in the following areas: art, architecture, agriculture, business, community support, education, engineering, government, literature, medicine, military service, music, philanthropy, religion, science, and BHS support.
Roemer graduated a year ahead of his age group as valedictorian of the Class of 1961. He attended Harvard University where he received an undergraduate degree and Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.
Roemer was first elected Congressman in 1980. His upset defeat of three term incumbent Edwin Edwards in 1987 shook the political foundation of Louisiana. Roemer’s one term as a reform governor was instrumental in Louisiana’s political transformation.
Roemer remembers his introduction to President Ronald Reagan. The occasion was for the President to meet the newly elected class of Congressmen. Each introduced himself to President by naming his state and the university from which each he had graduated. The latter included some of the top universities in the Nation.
When Reagan came to Roemer, Buddy introduced himself as being from Louisiana and “having graduated from Bossier High School, Bossier City, Louisiana”. Reagan chuckled. That is how Reagan remembered Buddy in later meetings…”the graduate of Bossier High.
The eldest child of Budgy and Adeline McDade Roemer, Buddy grew up on Scopena, a cotton plantation in south Bossier Parish. Ironically he became a leader in a Congressional group calling themselves the “Boll weevils”. They were a splinter group of conservative Southern Democrats who supported the policies of President Ronald Reagan.
Buddy’s political career began at Bossier High School when he ran and was elected president of the 8th Grade Class. Who knew then he would step onto the 2012 Presidential campaign trail seeking the Republican Presidential nomination. Buddy became a favorite of the national talk show circuit with his charm, quick wit, and Southern fried humor. His choice to accept only $100 maximum contribution from each campaign donor set him apart and led to his campaign theme “Free to Lead.”
The BHS Alumni Association was organized in April 2005 following shortly after a Roemer speech at BHS gathering in January 2005 honoring Principal Frank Lampkin.
Over 200 athletes, coaches, teams, and boosters have been inducted into the Sports and Spirit Hall of Fame. The number of honorees in the Hall of Fame for Distinguished Achievement climbs to 75 with the addition of the 2013 Class of Honorees.
Roemer was named to the BHSAA Sports and Spirit Hall of Fame for his stellar prep and collegiate tennis play. He is honored in the BHSAA Hall of Fame for his distinguished accomplishments in politics, government, and business.
