104 Lives Changed... And Counting!

The Lipsey brothers' impact on coastal education continues to grow.

BATON ROUGE - Both successful businessmen and philanthropists Richard Lipsey and his brother, Joseph “Buddy” Lipsey, Jr., continue to be exemplary advocates and generous supporters of the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E. For 45 years, the Lipsey brothers have supported our students, faculty, programs, and the coastal environment.

Their legacy of support began in 1978 when the Lipsey brothers established the Joseph Lipsey Sr. Memorial Scholarship Award, in honor of their father, the late Joseph Lipsey, Sr., an avid sportsman and the founder of Steinberg's Sports Center in Baton Rouge. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of graduate students in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences for their work to better understand and preserve Louisiana's living coastal and marine resources. It also serves as a retention tool for the College, as applicants must be entering a graduate program in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences after receiving a prior degree from LSU. To date, 50 graduate students have been honored with this award.

Eighteen years later, the Joseph Lipsey, Jr., and Richard Lipsey Teaching Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and professional achievement by faculty members in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. Since 1996, 29 faculty members have been bestowed with this honor. 

Since 2011, the Richard A. Lipsey and Joseph Lipsey Jr. Graduate Student Scholarship Award has been awarded to 25 graduate students. This award has been – and continues to be – critical in recruiting the best and brightest to study at the LSU College of the Coast & Environment. 

For more than four decades, Lipsey Family support has directly touched the lives of 104 individuals; beyond that, those individuals have gone on to share their experience and influence with hundreds of people both here in Louisiana and globally. The brothers continue to create a legacy of contributions to coastal and environmental education that extends throughout Louisiana and beyond.

In addition to faculty and student support, Mr. Richard Lipsey serves as a tireless advocate for the LSU College of the Coast & Environment—from helping to establish the college, serving on search committees, helping to create the college’s Advisory Council, providing sound advice on strategic issues, and so much more. According to Chris D’Elia, professor and dean of the LSU College of the Coast & Environment, “Richard was among the very first people that I met when I was interviewing for the dean’s position. His love of and support for Louisiana and the coastal environment never wanes. He is not only a great friend of the college but also a true coastal champion.”

 

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