LSU Alumni Association announces its 2024 Hall of Distinction class

Dr. William A. Brookshire, co-founder and longtime chairman of S&B Engineers and Constructors, was named the 2024 LSU Alumnus of the Year. Seimone Augustus, former Tiger and WNBA Great, was named Young Alumna of the Year. Dr. Brookshire is being recognized posthumously.

They will be inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction on Friday, April 12 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. Joining Brookshire and Augustus are fellow Hall of Distinction inductees:

• Beth Courtney, Baton Rouge, LA; Retired President and CEO, Louisiana Public Broadcasting

• Lane Grigsby, Baton Rouge, LA; Founder, Cajun Industries

• Matt and Melissa Juneau, Baton Rouge, LA; Retired Executive VP Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, Albemarle (Matt); Retired CEO, Emerge Center (Melissa)

• Lenny Lemoine, Baton Rouge, LA; President and CEO, LEMOINE

• Anthony “Booger” McFarland, Odessa, Fla.; ESPN Football Analyst, Two-Time Super Bowl Champion

• Jyric Sims, Tampa, Fla.; President, HCA Healthcare West Florida Division

Tickets to the event can be purchased at https://www.lsualumni.org/hall-of-distinction.

Brookshire was awarded LSU College of Engineering’s Alumni Hall of Distinction honor and established the S & B Engineers and Constructors Scholarship in the LSU College of Engineering, which has benefited more than 2,000 students. His philanthropic support of LSU also includes the William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum, the William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Center, the new William A. Brookshire Veterans Law Clinic within the LSU Law Center, the Brookshire Crisis Fund, the William A. Brookshire Award for Teaching Excellence, and the William A. Brookshire Graduate Assistantship in Chemical Engineering.

He has also made an impact on LSU at large through gifts for the renovation of Memorial Tower and the renovation and expansion of Patrick F. Taylor Hall. In his final years, Brookshire created The William A. Brookshire Foundation to provide scholarships for children of S&B employees and engineering students.

Seimone Augustus, one of the most recognizable faces in the WNBA, is a native of Baton Rouge, and a 2005 graduate in General Studies. As an LSU sophomore, Augustus led the program to its first of five consecutive women's Final Four appearances. Augustus, the consensus 2005 and 2006 national player of the year in women's basketball, finished her LSU career averaging 19.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.

She was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 WNBA, drafted by the Minnesota Lynx, with whom she played 14 years and won four league championships. Augustus finished her WNBA career in 2020 with the Los Angeles Sparks. She also won three Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women's team. In her 15 WNBA seasons, she averaged 15.4 points and 3.1 rebounds and was an eight-time All-Star. She was also the 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year and the 2011 WNBA Finals MVP. Her No. 33 jersey was retired by LSU in 2010 and by the Lynx in 2022. She was recently honored by a statue unveiled at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in January.

“The LSU Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves and the university through their careers, personal and civic accomplishments, volunteer activities, and loyalty to their alma mater,” said Joe Carvalhido, association president and CEO. “These individuals have excelled in all of these areas and exemplify the essence of true Tigers.”

The first LSU Alumnus of the Year award was conferred in 1966; the Young Alumnus of the Year Award was established in 1999 to recognize alumni who have attained professional prominence early in their careers. Through the years, the LSU Alumni Association has recognized over 400 individuals representing a cross-section of LSU alumni.