Special to the American Press
Kay and Bill Doré were honored during halftime at McNeese State University’s final home football game Saturday for their dedication and support of McNeese and its athletics programs.
The university has benefited greatly from the Dorés’ generosity, said McNeese President Philip Williams.
“Education is important to Kay and Bill, and we sincerely appreciate their continued financial commitment to both the university and the athletics department,” he said.
Bill Doré received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from McNeese and earned athletic letters in football and track. He was inducted into the McNeese Athletics Hall of Honor in 1988, received the McNeese Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1995 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2005.
In 2008 a $1 million donation to the McNeese Foundation was used to set up scholarships for student-athletes. Part of the donation was used to complete the debt obligations on the SkyRanch.
This allowed the athletics department to begin generating revenue from funds received for private and corporate boxes and seats. Prior to this, fees collected for the boxes and seats were used to pay the construction debt on the facility, which opened in 1998.
A $2 million endowment to support graduate student stipends resulted in the graduate school being named the William J. Doré School of Graduate Studies. And the Doré Family Foundation was instrumental in creating the Kay Doré Counseling Center at McNeese, which provides a clinical setting to train students in mental health services.
Bill Doré is a founder of the Golden Saddle Club, which raises funds for rodeo student scholarships, and he was instrumental in establishing the McNeese Rodeo Hall of Fame, at Burton Coliseum.
The Dorés have also provided funds for the art department’s mural contest; the marching band’s travel to the football national championship game in Chattanooga, Tenn.; an educational program to reduce the number of middle school dropouts; and doctoral stipends for faculty in the McNeese College of Nursing.
Bill Doré founded Global Industries Ltd., a marine construction and offshore diving company, and he retired as CEO in 2006. He received the Horatio Alger Award in 2000, and in 2016 was honored at Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s Louisiana Legends Gala.
‘Education is important to Kay and Bill, and we sincerely appreciate their continued financial commitment to both the university and the athletics department.’
PHILIP WILLIAMS
McNeese president