NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University will name a laboratory in Bienvenu Hall for the late Dr. Jack Pace. The university received approval from the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System to name Room 217 of Bienvenu Hall as the Dr. Jack Pace Memorial Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory.
Pace passed away in August. He was a member of Northwestern State’s faculty from 1974 to 2015 and was awarded the title of professor emeritus upon his retirement.
During his 41 years at NSU, Pace taught animal science and preparatory classes for the nursing curriculum, served as head of the Departments of Agriculture and Biological Sciences and served as advisor for the NSU rodeo team and the NSU Vet Technology Committee.
“Jack was a wonderful teacher. His dedication to education was unmatched,” said Dr. Francene Lemoine, director of the School of Biological and Physical Science at NSU. “When you teach as many students as he did, for as long as he did, it isn’t hard to see how many lives he impacted. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t just students who he impacted. He was a great colleague who always had encouraging words/complements for his fellow faculty members.”
Lemoine said Pace continued to support encourage his colleagues after his retirement.
“Jack could frequently be seen around Bienvenu or at school-wide functions,” said Lemoine. “His support never wavered. The faculty of the School of Biological and Physical Sciences want to honor that support and dedication. There is no better way to do that than to name one of our human anatomy and physiology laboratories, where he taught for over 30 years, for Jack Pace.”
The Pace Laboratory is used primarily for the human anatomy and physiology education of nursing and allied health majors. These classes are taught by Pace’s colleagues in the School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Jack’s colleagues.
Pace was a member of Natchitoches Parish Police Jury, Natchitoches Parish Fair Board, Natchitoches Parish Farm Bureau as a board member since 1979 and a former president and the State Farm Bureau Board. He served on the Natchitoches 4-H board, was a member of the Natchitoches Jaycees and was past Master of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners. He was a gubernatorial appointee as an advisor to the Sparta Groundwater Conservation District.
A scholarship has been set up in Pace’s name at the NSU Foundation to benefit Northwestern State students. For more information on the scholarship, contact the NSU Foundation at (318) 357-4414.
