Honorable Adrian G. Duplantier ’45, a devoted and trusted advisor for four decades to Jesuit High School’s presidents, and the founder and guiding force behind the Boys Hope program in New Orleans, was installed Friday in Jesuit’s Hall of Honors.
Judge Duplantier, who is a senior judge of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, continues to serve Jesuit as an ardent supporter, a selfless class leader, a member of the President’s Advisory Council, and a generous benefactor. Joining him for the occasion was his wife, Sally, two of their six children, including one son, Sandy, who is a 1980 graduate of Jesuit, and two grandchildren, including Jeffrey, who is currently a pre-freshman and a fifth generation Duplantier Blue Jay.
Judge Duplantier is the 58th individual, and the sixth jurist, to be inducted into the Hall of Honors, established in 1974 as a shrine to the school’s alumni which now number more than 12,500. Class portraits, beginning with the 1927 class – the first group of Blue Jays to graduate following Jesuit’s move to Carrollton & Banks – adorn one side of the hall. On the other side are portraits of an eclectic group of individuals (some who are alumni, some who are not, including two women). Among these honorees are coaches, teachers, priests, and politicians, all of whom shared a passion for Jesuit while living their lives as “men of faith” and “men for others.”
The honoring of Judge Duplantier and those who came before him in the Hall of Honors has traditionally occurred on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Near the conclusion of Friday’s Mass for the student body, Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J. ’66, president of Jesuit High School, introduced Judge Duplantier as a distinguished alumnus whose wise counsel over the years has been personally gratifying.
“It was only through Judge Duplantier’s persistent efforts and commitment that the Boys Hope program in New Orleans was started,” said Fr. McGinn. “His dedication over the years to Boys Hope has never wavered.”
Judge Duplantier was named Alumnus of the Year in 1983 for his involvement in starting Boys Hope in New Orleans, his judicial accomplishments, and his devotion to God and family.
Fr. McGinn also noted that as a newly elected state senator in 1960, Judge Duplantier “did the right thing” and acted courageously when he voted against a popular bill in the Legislature that was designed to thwart equal rights for African Americans and maintain segregation in Louisiana.
In accepting a commemorative plaque from Fr. McGinn, Judge Duplantier complimented Jesuit’s faculty, staff, and students for helping to bring back the school following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
“This is a tremendous honor for me, my wife Sally, and my family,” said Judge Duplantier.
Following Mass, a reception was held in Judge Duplantier’s honor in St. Ignatius Hall.
