Presidential Regalia

The University president wears a handcrafted medallion, a miniature of the University seal, during Commencement and other formal events. Its chain includes small plates engraved with the names of the institution’s presidents.

UL Lafayette President Dr. E. Joseph Savoie also wears a lapel pin that once belonged to Dr. Edwin Stephens, the University’s first president, who served from 1900 to 1938. The pin’s design features the letters, “SLII,” which stands for Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. Stephens gave the pin to Dr. Joel Fletcher, the institution’s third president, who served from 1941 to 1966. Fletcher passed it down to is grandson, who gave it to Savoie as an inauguration gift in 2009.