KLSU alumni.net

WLSU/WPRG advisor Doctor D passed away Thursday night (2/7/08). Story in The Advocate http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/15534967.html

Paul E. Burt
Baton Rouge

this is some sad news.....

adding this since Advocate dumps stuff too soon:

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Published: Feb 12, 2008 - Page: 12A

Jules d’Hemecourt IV, a retired LSU journalism professor and the voice behind “The 12 Cajun Days of Christmas,” has died, friends confirmed Monday. He was 64.

Jim Engster, general manager of Louisiana Network and d’Hemecourt’s co-worker for several years, said d’Hemecourt died Thursday, one day after being hospitalized from a brief illness.

Engster said funeral arrangements were pending for d’Hemecourt, a native of New Orleans who had no immediate family members.

Engster said doctors summoned him to the hospital shortly before d’Hemecourt passed away.

“It was somewhat ironic that a man who influenced thousands of students through the years … had very few family members, and no one really knew he was deathly ill,” Engster said.

D’Hemecourt was a decorated journalist whose career spanned TV, print and radio news, as well as law.

According to biographical information provided by LSU, d’Hemecourt served as news director of WJBO-AM before working in the early 1970s as a TV news anchor for KALB in Alexandria and WRBT, now WVLA, in Baton Rouge.

He practiced law in 1969-71 and worked for the National Enquirer in the mid-1970s.

He recorded “The Cajun Night Before Christmas” and “The 12 Cajun Days of Christmas” in 1972 under the name “Tee-Jules.”

In 1976, he joined the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, where he taught radio and television production until retiring in 2005.

Engster remembered d’Hemecourt on Monday as a dedicated journalist who knew how to enjoy life.

“He was wildly creative,” Engster said. “He certainly inspired others to follow suit, but he certainly never vacated his ethics as a journalist and making sure all particulars were accurate.”
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this make me shudder to my core..... Jules. you will missed and remembered fondly.

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spawn

"I'm the bad thoughts inside your head"

My Pandora Channels

I heard about it on WWL radio Tuesday afternoon. Very sad. He must have really had an impact on a lot of broadcasters to make the evening news down here.

Liz C. McDade

It really is sad. I never had Dr. D as a teacher, but had the pleasure to chat with him on occasion in his office. He was always very encouraging to me, especially at a time in my life when I needed some guidance.

One very fond memory of Dr. D that I have is when a bunch of us were blowing off steam (from all of the 2 Mikes nonsense) and were throwing Michael Bolton and other bad records at top speed down the hallway and rejoicing in their shattering against the far door. We were making a ton of racket and making a HUGE mess outside of his office. But he just poked his head out of his office, smiled at us, and closed his office door. He knew the stress we were under and just let us be. I need to try to remember that moment when my son needs to blow off steam.

-Jenni

Man I haven't been on this board in a while, and am sad to see that Dr. D has passed. Of all the classes I took in J-School, TV Production was by far the best class ever. He was a great person. I remember he said if we had a crawfish boil after our class was out for the summer, that he would attend...and he did, that poor guy came to a crawfish boil in the center of the Varsity Village apartments with us...he was great! J-School probably wasn't the same after he left in 2005. RIP Dr. D!

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Big Co
KLSU Afternoon Drive 1997

I'm a little late, but still remember this Dr D story really fondly.

One afternoon, I was hanging around the station (in Tiger Stadium, probably early 1987) and Jim Haley (Dr. Cid) was doing the show. He and I used to talk about prog music a lot and I think that's what was playing at the time. I'm thinking it was King Crimson - "20th Century Schoizoid Man". Jim was really, really getting into it - and when the song ended he had to do a legal ID and other announcements... right as the song ended, Jim said "BALLS TO THE WALL... You're listening to KLSU, Baton Rouge" and then finished up his announcements.

Well, shortly before he was finished, the control room door opened and in came Dr. D. He just stood there, staring at Cid during his announcements, who started to look more and more uncomfortable... then he wrapped up his announcements and took off the headphones. Dr. D didn't say a word - just kept looking at him intensely. Not a glare - just a constant, intimidating stare. Jim looked like he was shrinking in his seat and finally spoke: "I'm sorry..." then Dr. D turned around and left, without saying a word. NOT ONE WORD. I nearly shit my pants laughing at that! It was incredible how much Dr D was able to say without making a sound.

He was very, very remarkable - I'm glad I got to know him during my time at the station. I don't recall ever seeing him after the move to Hodges in the summer of 1987... or was it 1988? I'm pretty sure it was 1987.

Barry

Wow, I just found the site and learn that not only has Ricky Stockner passed, but so has Dr. D. He was my first MassComm teacher- a fascinating guy who kept class pretty lively. Whatever it was he said about drinking a lot of water everyday stuck with me, and I do it still today. I always wanted to get to know him and pick his brain, but never got the opportunity.

Dr D was my advisor at LSU during my days of the early 80's. He was quite a guy who helped me numerous times until graduated in 1984. He allowed me to live in the radio station in 1983 until December of 1984 when it was located in East Stadium. His kindness allowed me to finish school. A good story I have about Dr D besides "Its a jungle out there Jane" is I invited him to go duck hunting with me in the fall of 1984 before I graduated. I am not a hunter and never was however my brother in law was and is a great duck hunter. Needless to say we left Baton Rouge at 1AM in the morning in my trusty and rusty Toyota Celica enroute to Johnson Bayou. We arrived then boarded a boat to make our way out in the Marsh. Very cold very cold. Dr D shot several ducks on that hunt and handled a gun like a pro. I was shocked and skunked. My brother in law's comment to Dr. D that day was " Your a great shot I thought you grew up in new orleans. Dr D just smiled. it was a good trip. He was a zany off the wall professor who loved to inspire creativity; there are not many days when I don't think of him as one of my most inspiring teachers. Love the site. WPRG then KLSU I remember the switch and Paul Burt's dedication to the station; and Keiths contribution as assistant engineer. I DJ'ed weakly and managed the board for the KLSU Monitor program with host David Swigart and Lori Cook. It only lasted for a semester I think.

I found your web page looking for Jules on google. Jules and I went to high school together for our senior year. He had been asked to leave Jesuit for some unknowable incident and ended up at East Jefferson. We had American History and once the prof had to leave so Jules took over the class and regaled us with greek myths. Jules and I read Plato and Aristotle together and double dated many weekends. You see Jules' parents lived on some acerage off Jefferson Hwy, really rural and there was this house on the back side of the property, accessed from a different road. Jules had decorated it in his ecletic way and we would take aur dates there for music and whatever. We both went to LSUNO for a while. while we were there we would go duck hunting before class, then rush back with our shotguns and ducks in the cars. My family and I got to spend a morning with him before he retired, but I couldn't get him to come to Texas to fish. thanks for the opportunity to remember and share Jules. Bill Marsh Dallas

Dr. D was my advisor at LSU, teacher, and friend. Loved his stories about working for the "National Enquirer", and some of the other stories he told so well. I read the previous postings and recognize "the look" Dr. J could give when annoyed or angry. You didn't want to get that look! He could blister paint off a battleship with that look.

He was such a character, so human, funny, bright and talented. I remember one day going into his office, and telling him I couldn't come to class that day because I was sick. He jumped up and felt my forehead, then commanded me to go back to my dorm and go to bed. Typical Dr. D. There was another time I was standing outside my dorm, and saw him walking by on his way to his house. He was rehearsing something, and madly talking and gesturing as he walked. If I'd interupted, he probably would've gone into orbit. There were so many characters teaching journalism at LSU at the time, including Whitney Mundt, but Dr. D was my favorite (I won't go into the teacher who enjoyed making students cry, and was glad when he left.).

After I graduated from LSU, he would call me from time to time at my office in New Orleans just to chat, and he kept encouraging me to actually get a job in journalism, and ditch the office job. I think he stopped calling once he realized filthy lucre had its hold on me.

So sad to hear he died almost alone. When I was at LSU, he was still married, although I'd not met his wife.

God bless you, Dr. D. Rest in peace.