Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne was featured as the keynote speaker of the opening ceremonies for the traveling exhibit “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” in the Sims Memorial Library on Tuesday, Feb. 15. As part of the opening ceremony, President John L. Crain introduced Dardenne.
“We feel very fortunate to have the exhibit, not only for the benefit of our campus community, but for the broader communities that we serve in this region of the state,” said Crain. “We are very excited and very pleased to host the exhibit.”
The ceremony was held on the third floor of the library, outside the Center for Southeastern Studies, at 2 p.m. Dr. Eric Johnson, director of Sims, made the opening statements about what a privilege it is to host the exhibit.
“We are one of 25 libraries throughout the nation that were selected to host the exhibit,” said Johnson. “As you tour the exhibit, you’ll understand the overwhelming challenges Lincoln faced while he was president.” Following Johnson’s opening remarks was a performance of “America the Beautiful” by sophomore vocal performance student Sarah Bertrand. After the performance, Dardenne began his keynote speech.
Dardenne’s speech focused on the character of Abraham Lincoln, the challenges he faced and the qualities that helped him unite a torn country.
“There is perhaps more written about Abraham Lincoln than any other president because of his intelligence, his homespun wit and his sense of humor,” said Dardenne. “Restoring the country after its most turbulent time required leadership qualities that both scholars and common folk alike look up to.”
Dardenne’s speech also covered how influential Louisiana and its citizens were during the time of the Civil War. He spoke of Louisiana native P.G.T. Beaureguard, who ordered the first shot of the civil war fired at Fort Sumter; Judah P. Benjamin, the only Jewish senator in Louisiana’s history; and the term Dixie, which is derived from the ten dollar gold piece minted in New Orleans, called a dix. When Dardenne’s speech returned to Lincoln, he spoke of nine precepts by which Lincoln lived and led.
“I believe that these precepts are just as relevant today as they were then,” said Dardenne. “Have a sense of humor, overlook unjust criticism, never make decisions when angry, encourage others to take risks, share credit for success, take control of emotions, always take time for fun, be persistent and consistent and empathize with your subordinates.”
Dardenne pointed out that the first letter of each precept spells the well-known nickname of Lincoln: Honest Abe.
After the speech, a reception was held in the adjoining Center for Southeastern Studies. Following the reception, tours of the exhibit guided by Sims librarians were offered. Jerry Hymel of Hammond, an alumnus of Southeastern who graduated in 1968, partook in one of the tours.
“The exhibit is fabulous,” said Hymel. “Every student should take the time to visit it and learn a bit about their history. If not, they may repeat the mistakes of the past.”