In November, the UMass Dartmouth Boivin Center for French Language and Culture honored Dr. Lillian Lamoureux by naming her an Honorary Life Member of the Boivin Center Board of Directors.
In November, the UMass Dartmouth Boivin Center for French Language and Culture honored Dr. Lillian Lamoureux by naming her an Honorary Life Member of the Boivin Center Board of Directors.
Madame Lamoureux joins the ranks of such luminaries as French Academy member, Florence Delay, creator of the Rassias method for teaching languages, Professor John Rassias; French actress, Fredrique Hebrard and her husband, the French director and producer, Louis Velle; New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik; mime Marcel Marceau; Quebec writers, Marie-Claire Blais and Helene Dorion; Princeton scholar, Victor Brombert; poet laureate, Richard Wilbur; Senator Paul Simon; columnist Art Buchwald; the French chef, Julia Child; chanteuse Annie Royer; Proust scholar, Dr. William Carter; and quintessential Franco-American, Jean-Louis Clapin; among others.
In presenting the honor, Dr. Mel Yoken, Director of the Boivin Center, described how this soon-to- be ninety-three year "young" woman has devoted her life to the Greater New Bedford community. Madame Lamoureux has performed and volunteered over the past thirty-four years with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra. Her prodigious efforts with the symphony in many ways have contributed to its greatness today. Dr. Lamoureux has been a very active member of various Franco-American groups such as La Ligue des Franco-Americains, La Ligue des Presidents and the Richelieu Club. She has served under several mayors of the city of New Bedford on the New Bedford Arts Council and was a past-president of the Patronesses of the Sacred Heart Home.
Dr. Yoken, described her as "a brilliant thinker, a woman of action who works as hard as anyone I know at myriad projects and activities." He added:" She is a woman of quality, integrity and distinction, just a remarkable lady."
Lillian Lamoureux accepted the honor by addressing the audience in both French and English. She described how she and her husband came to this community many years ago and how volunteerism helped her to become a part of the community. She spoke of her great pride in being conferred an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2000, and of her being honored by becoming a Boivin Center Honorary Life Member.
Madame Lamoureux looks forward to participating in the Boivin Center events in the years to come.
Contact:Maria Sanguinetti, msanguinetti@umassd.edu
Mel Yoken, myoken@umassd.edu