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B.I. Moody III

Moody inducted into LPA’s 50-Year Club

Braxton “B.I.” Moody III was inducted to the Louisiana Press Association’s 50-Year Club at the association’s annual stockholders meeting June 22.
LPA’s 50-Year Club honors and recognizes men and women who have 50 years or more cumulative professional affiliation with newspapers and news websites, including ties to Louisiana.
Affiliation can include time other than as a full-time employee. Work as a carrier or delivery person, as a stringer, or free-lance writer, for the college paper, or full or part-time work in any aspect of a newspaper or news website’s operation can count towards the 50 years.
Moody’s newspaper career began 57 years ago when he acquired the Rayne Acadian-Tribune and Church Point News in 1963.
He later launched the Crowley Post Herald which eventually merged with the competing Crowley Daily Signal, resulting in the Crowley Post-Signal in 1974. During the next three decades Moody’s newspaper group, Louisiana State Newspapers, acquired several other newspapers around Louisiana and today owns and publishes 22 newspapers.
Moody believes that every community should have a voice and that voice should be a local newspaper.
Currently, Moody is chairman of The Moody Company and of Louisiana State Newspapers, Inc., both headquartered in Lafayette.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette renamed its College of Business Administration after Moody in recognition of his service to the business industry in Acadiana as well as his community involvement.
He graduated from Rayne High School and attended Auburn University. His college career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, Moody returned and entered then-SLI where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.
Following graduation, Moody was the founding partner in the CPA firm of Moody, Broussard, Poché & Guidry. He also served as president and chief executive officer of Chart House, Inc., in Lafayette and chairman of the board for First National Bank of Lafayette.
His services on boards include Rayne State Bank & Trust Company, First National Bank of Crowley, Acadia Savings and Loan Administration, First Commerce of New Orleans, Coastal Chemical Company of Abbeville, Lastarmco, Inc., of Abbeville, Riviana Foods, Inc., of Houston, Celeron Oil Company, Inc., of Lafayette and Quantum Restaurants, Inc., of New York.
Moody was married to the former Thelma Hebert of Rayne for 70 years prior to her death in 2017. They are the parents of nine children, grandparents to 48 grandchildren and have numerous great-grandchildren.
To date, LPA has the following as members of the 50-Year Club:

2020
B.I. Moody III
Louisiana State Newspapers

2019
Henri Bienvenu
Teche News
Tom Kelly
Ruston Daily Leader/
Natchitoches Times

2017
Pam Mitchell
Louisiana Press Association

2016
Lou Gehrig Burnett
Political Columnist &
Fax-Net Update
Paul Kedinger
Rayne Acadian-Tribune

2014
Melba West
West Carroll Gazette (Oak Grove)

2012
David B Petty
The News-Star (Monroe)
Jerry Pierce
Northwestern State University,
Natchitoches

2011
Charles N. Lenox
University of Louisiana
at Lafayette

2010
Diana Daigle
Church Point News

2008
Ray Forman
The Bunkie Record

2007
Edwin Roy
St. Bernard Voice (Arabi)

2006
Jerry Byrd
Bossier Press-Tribune
(Bossier City)
Allen J. Lottinger
St. Charles Herald-Guide (Boutte)
Ted Uhall
The Daily Iberian (New Iberia)

2005
William J. Holliday
The Baker Observer
Sammy J. Franklin
The Jena Times
Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal
Porteous “Dickie” Broussard
The Daily Iberian (New Iberia)

2004
Jerry & Joy Wise
DeQuincy News
Raymond P. “Doc” Jeffress
Jackson Independent (Jonesboro)
Robert Gentry
The Sabine Index (Many)
Sam A. Hanna Sr.
Concordia Sentinel (Ferriday)

2002
John Blanchard
The Enterprise and
Interstate Progress (Mansfield)
Lovan Thomas
Natchitoches Times

2001
Annabelle McGuire Armstrong
South Baton Rouge Journal

2000
Fred “Pat” Achor
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)
Vera Hardman
St. Tammany Farmer (Covington)

1999
Sue Eakin
The Bunkie Record (Bunkie)

1998
Vincent Marino
The Advertiser (Lafayette)
Adolph C. Renaud
The Times (Shreveport)

1997
Bernard Curet
Pointe Coupee Banner
(New Roads)

1996
Robert H. Fackelman
Jennings Daily News
Peter Finney
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)
Douglas L. Manship, Sr.
The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Clyde S. Miller
Madison Journal (Tallulah)
Anne K. Price
The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Evelyn Short
The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Joe D. Smith Jr.
Alexandria Daily Town Talk
Erbon and Marie Wise
Southwest Daily News (Sulphur)

1995
Bill Irwin
Amite Digest, Kentwood News

1994
Joseph Bosley
Madison Journal (Tallulah)
Lou Major Sr.
The Daily News (Bogalusa)
Willis Reed
Baton Rouge Post

1993
Fred Bandy
The Daily Iberian (New Iberia)
Frank J. Budde
The Times (Shreveport)
Earl Cobb
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)

1992
Ansley H. Colvin, Jr.
The Jackson Independent
(Jonesboro)
Lester G. Colvin
The Jackson Independent
(Jonesboro)
T.L. Colvin, Sr.
The Jackson Independent
(Jonesboro)
Bill Chapman
Bastrop Daily Enterprise

1991
Ray F. Dill
Houma Daily Courier
Ivy J. Smith
Houma Daily Courier
L.D. Young, Jr.
West Side Journal (Port Allen)
A.N. Dawson, Jr.
Alexandria Daily Town Talk

1990
Ralph Bienvenu,
Abbeville Meridional
Jo Cart
Rayne Independent
Myrta Fair Craig
Rayne Acadian-Tribune
Charles P. Manship, Jr.
State Times-Morning
Advocate (Baton Rouge)
William C. Risinger
Alexandria Daily Town Talk

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542