Timeless quotes from inRegister cover features
July/August 1989 Premiere Issue
“All things need adjusting, rearranging sometimes.”
—Arlin K. Dease
Arlin Dease’s longtime friend Beth Fuller suggested he name his retreat Hemingbough after he explained the unique feeling and purpose of the property. Hemming refers to the adjusting of a garment and bough is a nod to the sprawling green acreage.
“People don’t realize how powerful the mind is. I always saw myself in Omaha. If people laughed at me, I went to the next guy. People caught my enthusiasm. I drew the people I needed to reach my goals.”
—Skip Bertman
In 1983, during his drive from Miami to his new home in Baton Rouge, Skip Bertman recorded the first speech he would give to his players as head of the LSU baseball team. He promised that Alex Box Stadium would have gold seats, new dugouts and a real scoreboard. He delivered and then some. In his 18 seasons at LSU, Bertman and his teams competed at the NCAA Men’s College World Series 11 times and brought home five championship trophies in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000.
“I know all those things come to an end. I hope to paint some pictures between now and then.”
—A. Hays Town
A. Hays Town, 89 at the time of this cover feature, was spending many of his days corresponding with his vast collection of friends and family and painting scenes from his boyhood in Louisiana. While he never sold the paintings, he did donate two that year to what is now the Friends of the LSU Libraries for a fundraiser auction. He reminisced on his life, the private paradise garden he built with the help of Steele Burden and the good people who surrounded him.
“He’s a platinum blonde, and I’m a golden blonde. He’s a Standard poodle—the original one. All the others are hybrids.”
—Marilyn O’Brien
Tall, stately and regal like his owner, Cedric the poodle and Marilyn O’Brien served as the inspiration for the June 1993 cover story, which began by asking the age-old question, “Do people purchase dogs which look like them, or do owners and dogs look alike after they have been together for some time?”
“Wonders are many on this earth, but the greatest of these is man. For every ill he has found a remedy save only death … There is no manmade problem man cannot solve. Nobody is here forever, so for the time you are here, do something positive.”
—Huel Perkins
As a dedicated professor and administrator in higher education, Huel Perkins believed that education and preparation could overcome any barrier, and he made his life an example of that truth. He served as director of music and dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Southern University. At LSU, he served as professor of humanities, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and executive assistant to the chancellor. In 2005, LSU awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters and created a fellowship program in his name to help students achieve their highest potential.
“I have learned that there are a lot of hungry people out there … I’ve also learned that there are a lot of people that care.”
—John Lewis
Longtime Baton Rouge Food Bank volunteer John Lewis was recognized in the May 2003 edition of inRegister, titled “A Salute to Red Stick’s Volunteers.” While he humbly downplayed his volunteerism as a way to stay busy and keep moving in retirement, he clocked 799 hours of volunteer work, arriving early in the morning five days a week for 13 years. In 2003, he was recognized as the organization’s top volunteer.
“Ever since they were small, we’ve tried to instill in our children the importance and the value of giving their time, their talents and, most importantly, their hearts to others. I hope they realize that volunteering is not just something you do; rather, it becomes a part of who you are.”
—Dee Keller
Before they were able to drive, the Keller kids—Brighton, CoCo, Stevie and LeLe—all launched large-scale charitable events, raising more than $90,000 for charity in just four years. The oldest sisters, Brighton and CoCo, hosted an annual fashion show luncheon that raised funds for the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation after their mother, Dee, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Younger siblings Stevie and LeLe hosted DISCOver a Cure after their father, Stephen, was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in 2007. They raised more than $8,000 for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Fortunately, both Dee and Stephen now call themselves survivors.
“We underrate the goodness that can come from a place where the people are trying to make their community better.”
—Sue Turner
Philanthropist Sue Turner had a way with words and an even better way with action. She began volunteering with Louisiana Art & Science Museum through the Junior League in the early 1960s, and as her husband’s fledgling company Turner Industries grew, so did her philanthropic and volunteer efforts. She is credited with saving Magnolia Mound from destruction in the 1970s. She also served as a founding member of the Louisiana Association of Museums and on the boards of organizations ranging from the Louisiana State Museum and BREC Foundation to Baton Rouge Green and Junior Achievement.