Judge Carl Stewart to deliver address at Centenary College’s annual Founders’ Day Convocation
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary College’s annual Founders’ Day observance will be Thursday, February 22, at 11:10 a.m. in Brown Chapel. The Founders’ Day convocation celebrates the College’s long history as well as recent achievements by faculty and staff. United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Carl Stewart, an honorary Centenary alumnus and former trustee of the College, will deliver the keynote address at the convocation. Stewart will also receive the Mary Celeste Reagan Alumni Trailblazer Award from the Centenary College Diversity Committee. This award recognizes the achievements of a Black alumnus or alumna who exemplifies Centenary’s mission and values and embodies the spirit of Mary Celeste Reagan ’69, the first Black student to graduate from Centenary.
Centenary’s Founders’ Day Convocation is free and open to the public.
Stewart received his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Dillard University in New Orleans and then earned a juris doctor of law degree from Loyola University College of Law, in New Orleans. Immediately following admission to the Louisiana State Bar Association, he served as a military lawyer, followed by other government service and as a private practitioner.
Stewart began his judicial service as a District Judge for the First Judicial District Court of Caddo Parish, and later as a judge on the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport prior to his Presidential appointment in 1994 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which has appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi and is based in New Orleans. Judge Stewart was the first African American to serve on the three-state Fifth Circuit and became the court’s first African American Chief Judge.
He is a charter member of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz Chapter of American Inns of Court in Shreveport, a past president of the American Inns of Court Foundation Board of Trustees, a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability, and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States.
Stewart currently serves on the Dillard University New Orleans, Louisiana Board of Trustees. In addition to being a past member of the Board of Trustees of Centenary, he is a past president of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana and a past board member of numerous civic and charitable organizations in Shreveport and Bossier. He currently serves on the Norwela Council Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, and the Volunteers of America Communities in Schools Advisory Council. He is the recipient of numerous professional awards including four honorary Doctor of Laws degrees. He is an Honorary Master of the Bench, Middle Temple Inn of Court, London, England. The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation presented Judge Stewart with the 35th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award in 2019, our nation’s highest honor bestowed upon an Article III federal judge. The American Inns of Court selected Judge Stewart to receive the 2021 A. Sherman Christensen Award for his distinguished, exceptional, and significant leadership to the American Inns of Court movement at the local, state, and national levels.
“Judge Stewart has been a great friend to Centenary for many years,” said Centenary president Dr. Christopher L. Holoman. “He is a true alumni Trailblazer and a pillar of our community. We are looking forward to hearing his reflections during the Founders’ Day Convocation as we celebrate the past, present, and future of our nearly 200 year old institution.”
During the convocation, Holoman will announce service pins for faculty and staff along with two special annual awards, the President’s Excellence Award and the Outstanding Teacher Award.
Faculty and staff receiving service pins include:
40 Years
Dr. Jeff Hendricks, Professor of English
25 Years
Chris Derrick, Assistant Director of IT Operations
20 Years
Dr. Scott Chirhart, Professor of Biology
Dr. Michelle Glaros, Professor of Art
Dr. Karen Soul, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
10 Years
Lauren Hawkins, Director of Admission
Centenary is also celebrating its annual Centenary Giving Day on February 22 with a series of special promotions for friends and supporters of the College, including the opportunity to receive a limited edition print of a 1932 football program cover from a game between Centenary and LSU. Full details on the 2024 Centenary Giving Day promotions are available at centenary.edu/givingday.
Centenary Giving Day is an online day of giving designed to celebrate the College’s past and highlight its bright future. Supporters can give online to a variety of specific funds, as well as support Centenary’s $50 million capital campaign, Forward: The Campaign for Our Third Century. More information on the capital campaign is available at cclacampaign.com.