In 2008, after reaching our initial million-dollar goal and establishing the Dr. Tommy Comeaux Memorial Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Traditional Music, the members of the Comeaux Fund Campaign Committee were honored as Persons of the Year by The Independent Weekly in Lafayette, La. Photo by Robin MayThe Dr. Tommy Comeaux Memorial Endowed Fund for Traditional Music completed fundraising necessary to establish a unique million-dollar Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Traditional Music at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The first chair holder, Mark F. DeWitt, began his work July 2010. Fundraising continues to support programming, scholarships and more for the Traditional Music program.

This ground-breaking university program is devoted to scholarship and the instruction and performance of traditional music of all kinds.

The chair focuses attention on the preservation and perpetuation of traditional music, with special emphasis on the indigenous music of the Acadiana region.

This grass-roots effort has combined countless individual and corporate gifts with the proceeds of thousands of event ticket, CD, T-shirt and poster sales. And the fund raising continues so that we may ensure that the Traditional Music program at ULL will provide outstanding programming for students and the community as a whole.

The members of the Comeaux Fund Campaign Committee include Steve Abshire, Allen Bacqué, Frank Bacqué, Megan Barra, Don Bertrand, Robbie Bush, Frank Camalo, Bradley Chastant, Mary Chastant, Vicki Chrisman, Michael Doucet, Sharon Arms Doucet, Karl Fontenot, R. Reese Fuller, Shamus Todd Fuller, Susie Garcia, Bruce Gray, Margaret Gray, Gwyn Hutslar, Kent Hutslar, Sonny Landreth, Dickie Landry, Pat Mould, Jen Mouton, Todd Mouton, Gary Newman, Buddy Palmer, Renée Roberts, and Len Springer.

We'd like to thank everyone who's been part of this amazing effort, and encourage everyone to continue to support and grow the limitless potential of this very special fund.