(August 2023)
On August 17, 2023, Amy Armstrong, Director of the UL Alumni Association, and Warren Perrin appeared on the Fox 15 morning show hosted by Scott Brazda. They discussed the recent induction of UL Olympic Weightlifter Walter Imahara and sportswriter Bruce Brown into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. After the segment, Warren presented a copy of his book, the University of Louisiana National Championship Weightlifting Teams, to Brazda (left).

(July 2023)
On July 28, 2023, the Acadian Memorial of St. Martinville inducted Warren and Mary Perrin into the Order of Living Legends. Pictured, left to right, are Joan Boudreaux, member of the board of the Acadian Memorial, John Harold Broussard, president of the Acadian Memorial, Warren and Mary Perrin.

(August 2023)
On August 1, 2023, we went to Father Floyd Calais’ house in Lafayette and interviewed him discussing with Warren his early life and relationship with the Little Cajun Saint Charlene Richard. Oscar Reed Jr., Mary Perrin, Warren Perrin, and Kathy Hardy are shown with Father Calais (seated), following the recording.

(August 2023)
Warren Perrin, a member of the Charlene Richard Historical Commission, who is writing her biography for the Vatican, shakes hands with Father Floyd Calais. The small gold monstrance contains a small piece of bone from Charlene’s little finger.

(July 2023)
Walter Imahara, the first athlete from UL to ever win a national collegiate championship (1957 weightlifting), was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Walter was the first weightier to be inducted in the HOF category of weightlifting. Shown are Quarterback Elie Manning (L) and Walter Imahara (R).

(July 2023)

Shown at the induction of Walter Imahara into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame are (L to R), Warren Perrin, Walter Imahara and Hollis Conway, former USL athlete, who competed in and medaled in two Olympics.

(December 2022)
On August 2, at the New Orleans Museum of Art, I got to shake hands with the President of France Macron because he spotted my Legion of Honor medallion that was given to me by President Chirac in 1999. We then chatted a minute about my work with CODOFIL and he thanked me for my service.

(December 2022)
Monica Mayeux Huval (right) presented pork gratons from Charlie T’s Specialty Meats in Breaux Bridge, La. to French Ambassador Philipe Etienne, who loved the first batch she and her husband Rep. Mike Huval had gifted to him previously on November 27, 2021, at the event when Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory hosted the French Ambassador.

(November 2022)
This group from Youngsville visited the museum in mid-November to get ideas for starting their own museum.
Front row (L-R): Bill Roberts, Shannon Bares and Glenda Bryan. Middle row; Warren Perrin, Ann Roberts, Dianne McClelland, and Sandra Keal. Back row; Dawn de Clouet, Ben Burley and Kathy Cart.

Here's what they said: "Warren, our group enjoyed our visit to the museum very much. We were disappointed that we didn’t have more time. We discussed making another trip. The information we gathered today will be so beneficial in planning for our museum in Youngsville. Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge with us. Your offer to lend us items is so very generous and very much appreciated!"

Dianne McClelland
Youngsville Historical Preservation Society

(October 2022)
Cast members for the play "From Acadie to Louisiana in 1765: The Birth of Cajun Culture 257 Years Ago" pose at Magdalen Square in Abbeville, LA during the opening day of the Grand Reveil Acadian festival The play was sponsored and staged by the Acadian Museum of Erath.

(October 2022)
On October 6, we enjoyed hosting Prof. Noah Arceneaux, a native of Rayne now living in California and a Professor of Media Studies, San Diego State University, who is researching for a book on the history of Cajuns on the radio. We loaned him some archival materials of Sen. Dudley J. LeBlanc‘s radio program at KROF in Abbeville, La.

(October 2022)
On October 11, Allie Guidry, from Fairfax, Virginia, and the editor of the GENERATIONS newsletter for Les Guédry et Petitpas d'Asteur, visited the museum and was hosted by volunteer Jackie Vincent. Allie sent us this nice comment on her museum tour: “ I really enjoyed the museum and look forward to stopping by on our next visit to Louisiana. It was very interesting to learn more about Erath and surrounding areas. My daughter and son-in-law helped me find the land that my Leleux ancestors owned in Iberia Parish in the early 1800s so we explored that area for the first time. We’ll be back! Jackie was terrific and she gave an excellent tour of the museum.”

(September 2022)
This thank you note from Queen Elizabeth II showed up in our mailbox shortly after she passed away on September 8. As such, it may have been among the last notes of its kind sent on behalf of the queen.

Fans of the museum will remember that our efforts were primarily responsible for the December 2003 Royal Proclamation wherein Queen Elizabeth II acknowledged for the first time the wrongs committed in the name of the English Crown during the Acadian deportation of 1755. Additionally, the Proclamation declared July 28th of every year as “a day of commemoration of the Great Upheaval.” Original copies of the Proclamation are on display at the National Historic Site in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, and here at the museum. Come by to take a look.

(July 2022)
Yvette Landry performed Cajun music before and after the Perrin’s talk on “Acadian Women in History” on July 20 at the Jean Lafitte National Park in New Orleans at 419 Decatur St. The program is under the supervision of Ranger Matt Hampsey.

(July 2022)
Warren Perrin, Yvette Landry and Mary Perrin after a talk on "Acadian Women in History" on July 20 at the Jean Lafitte National Park in New Orleans. The Perrins have reached an agreement with the museum to do regular talks on French and Acadian history and culture.Various musicians will appear to open and close their talks.The next scheduled talk is August 10 at 10 AM on the Queen’s Royal Proclamation.

(April 2022)
On April 11, Museum Chairman Warren Perrin (L) made a presentation to alumni of the University of Texas on the Queen’s Royal Proclamation. Here, he is showing a copy of the document to the director of the program, Margaret DuMont (R).

(April 2022)
On April 11, Warren and Mary Perrin went to Austin Texas to make book presentations at the University of Texas. Shown following a presentation to students at the university are, left to right, Perrin, Dr. Jan Todd, Director of the Stark Center at UT Texas, and Dr. John Fair, who introduced Perrin.

(April 2022)
On April 9, 2022, the Acadian Museum hosted a celebration for the 75th anniversary of the Erath Derouen-Moss Post 279 American Legion. The event featured two new exhibits: the Robert B. Vincent Military Exhibit and the Willis Granger American Legion Exhibition.

(April 2022)
On April 6, Leslie Rae Bradford (left), a native of Jena, La. now living in Lafayette, and Graham Clark, from Burlington, Vermont, visited the Acadian Museum. Last year, they met while camping on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. This couple was full of interesting stories which they told during their three hour visit. Graham's high school basketball coach was Sen. Bernie Sanders!

(March 2022)
On March 18, the Acadian Museum inducted the Cajun astronaut Haley Arseneaux (left) into the order of Living Legends. The ceremony was conducted at the Acadian Memorial in St Martinville by Kermit Bouillion (not pictured), along with Mary and Warren Perrin (center, right).

(March 2022)
On March 12, the Acadian Museum and Mary Perrin put on a “Passing it On Workshop.” The purpose of the Passing it On Workshops is to preserve and pass on the customs and traditions unique to the Louisiana coastal parishes endangered by flooding and coastal erosion. This workshop was entitled “Healing Traditions of South Louisiana.“ Presenters discussed the folk healers or “traiteurs” of Vermilion Parish and native Louisiana medicinal plants and demonstrated the actual making of medicine from these plants. Presenters (L-R) included Melanie Francois, Dr. Mary Ann Armbruster, Beverly Fuselier, and Mary Perrin.

(March 2022)
Visitors to the museum on March 4 are pictured (L-R) Carrol Frederick, Boni Suire, Luce Frederick and Lovelace Touchet.

(February 2022)
On February 21, 2022, Dan Hare (left), representing the UL Alumni Association, is shown accepting a donation of memorabilia from Warren Perrin, 1993 UL Alumni President, on behalf of his cousin Robert B. Vincent. Vincent was a proud UL graduate who obtained his undergraduate degree in 2002 and his masters of business administration degree in 2004. Robert had a love for UL and a passion for collecting historical items so he was thrilled to obtain the rate Southwestern pendant by auction. Robert was placed in hospice care in 2015 and made his mother Jackie Vincent promise that his collection would be given to the university after his death. He died in 2020. He would be happy to know that his collection was accepted by UL as part of an exhibit at the Alumni House.

(February 2022)
On February 25, Will McGrew, who is from New Orleans and co-founded Télé-Louisiane, and David Cheramie Ph.D., who is doing some work to help promote the Acadian Museum, visited the museum. Télé-Louisiane has this as its mission: Founded as a partnership of French-and-Creole-speaking Louisiana filmmakers, artists, researchers and entrepreneurs in October 2018, Télé-Louisiane is the multi-lingual media platform by and for the people of Louisiana, i.e. Louisianans or les Louisianais—whether in the state or in the diaspora.

(February 2022)
From Volunteer Bill Comeaux: on February 26, Ron Bodin and I had a great morning hosting the Half Fast Car Club of Lafayette. There were 16 visitors who seemed to thoroughly enjoy their trip to the museum. Of course, they all arrived in their various restored vehicles and I'm sure many people in Erath had questions of what was going on. After their visit, they were caravanning to Abbeville to enjoy lunch at Shuck's. It was exciting seeing such a large group enjoying the museum.

(January 2022)
On this cold and windy January 20th afternoon docents Bonnie and Anna were not expecting to have any visitors show up. To their surprise a couple from New Hampshire driving through Acadiana came upon the Acadian Museum and thoroughly enjoyed their two-hour visit—and a fresh cup of Mello Joy coffee.

(January 2022)
On January 20, videographer Kel Bonton filmed some highlights inside the Acadian Museum to be used by the Louisiana Department of Tourism for promoting the state via commercials. He was hosted at the museum by docent Bonnie Broussard.

(January 2022)
Recent visitors to the museum from Honduras are (L-R) Crystal Belaire, Carolina Belaire, Shannon Belaire and Ariana Belaire. Shannon is from Henry, Louisiana. He went to work for Fruit of the Loom in 1992. Belaire followed the company to San Pedro Sula, Honduras in 2002 and married Carolina in 2003.

(December 2021)
December 20, South Louisiana historian and Acadian Museum supporter Shane Bernard PhD and his daughter Colette are pictured in Paris. They, along with his wife Amy and son Alexandre, traveled to Avignon by train and will celebrate Christmas in that ancient city of Provence. From 1309 to 1377, seven different popes lived in Avignon. In 1348, Pope Clement VI purchased Avignon from Joanna I of Naples.

(December 2021)
On December 7, Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza signed a proclamation declaring January 7, 2022 Catherine Blanchet Day. Shown (L-R): Ben Blanchet, Marley Grace Blanchet, Michael Blanchet, Mayor Mark Piazza, Warren Perrin, Natile D’Augereau and Earlene Broussard taking part in the proclamation signing for Catherine Adelaide Brookshire Blanchet

(December 2021)
The barn on Perrin’s Farm in Henry is decorated for the holiday season!

(December 2021)
On December 18, Mary Perrin and her daughter Rebecca Perrin Ouellet are pictured in New Orleans shopping for the Perrin’s Christmas meal.

(December 2021)
On December 17, Ralph Tucker of El Dorado, Arkansas visited the museum to see the exhibit on Farrell Vice, who was killed in action in 1969 in Vietnam. Tucker met Vice in boot camp and was in his squad in Vietnam. Tucker is shown above holding the photograph of Vice which is on display in the museum. Outside of the museum is a memorial bust of Vice and also Brandon Dronet of Erath, who was killed in 2006 in a helicopter crash in Africa.

(December 2021)
On December 10, we hosted Dr./Fr. Luis Escalante from the Vatican at the Acadian Museum. During the Prelates’ visit we told him the history of the Acadians, showed him the exhibit on the “Little Cajun Saint” Charlene Richard, and I signed the Historical Commission Report on the proposal to make saints of Charlene Richard and Auguste “Noco” Pelafigue. The host committee consisted of Frank “Beau”Summers, Simon Summers (who presented him with an Acadian flag pin), Earlene Broussard, Natial d’Augereau (pictured here, who sang two French hymns), and Warren and Mary Perrin.

(July 2021)
World War II veteran Jay Broussard of Erath is pictured being interviewed at the Acadian Museum by Dr. Jason Theriot for his "Frenchie" project. The project, sponsored by the Acadian Museum, seeks to record and preserve stories of Cajun WWII veterans for posterity. Theriot is also writing a book about the experiences of the French-speaking Cajuns in WWII and he is the host of the Frenchie Podcast—a show dedicated to the stories and legacies of the Frenchie Cajuns of WWII. To learn more: https://jasontheriot.com/the-frenchie-podcast/

(June 2021)
Local resident Layla Melancon is seen giving a TV interview at the Acadian Museum as part of the publicity around La Table Française, a French Immersion program in Vermilion Parish, timed to coincide with the reopening of the museum at 10am on June 25, 2021. The French Table will be held weekly at 10am on Fridays at Cafe Erath on E. Edwards Street in Erath, LA. Drop in and see what it's all about.

(June 2021)
On June 25, on the occasion of the reopening of the museum and the launching of the new French Table at the Café Erath, five Living Legends are photographed: Allen Simon, Ray Trahan, Lester Gauthier, Pat Campbell and Richard Landry.

(June 2021)
On June 11, Warren A. Perrin made a presentation on the history of the Cajun culture and its connection to Olympian David Berger of Tulane at the quarterly meeting of the New Orleans KA Alumni Association at Galatoire’s restaurant in the French Quarter. The civic organization, headed by David Toso, strives to assist the local college chapter and allows brothers to socialize on a regular basis. Shown below are, left to right, Drew Dodenhoff, Perrin, and Frank Arnemann, who introduced the speaker. The trio were KA fraternity brothers, Gamna Phi chapter, in the late 1960s at USL.

(June 2021)
The Acadian Museum hosted 40 visiting queens participating in the Erath Fourth of July pageant. Volunteers Boni Suire and Douglas and Jackie Vincent helped to explain the various exhibits to them. Shown here are Warren Perrin and Sarah Sommers of Lake Charles, who was a student of French Immersion at Gillis Elementary, Moss Bluff Middle and Sam Houston High School. She is presently studying French at McNeese State University. She is the Queen representing the Cajun French Music Association.

(May 2021)
Mary Alice Hale, Jerry Hale and Mavis Frugé of Acadian Brown Cotton donated this contemporary brown cotton blanket made from locally grown cotton in Arnaudville, Louisisana. Mary Perrin is shown displaying the beautiful blanket.

(November 2020)
On November 7, we hosted a group from New Orleans for a tour of the Acadian Museum. Frank Arneman and Warren Perrin are pictured standing next to the Royal Proclamation (photo by Eileen Arneman).

(October 2020)
The Acadian Museum hosted Quebec journalist Etienne Leblanc, who interviewed several local residents on environmental, political and cultural issues. He is seen here interviewing Jonas "Nonc Man" Perrin at his home in Henry.

(May 2020)
Robert B. Vincent, attorney from Erath, Louisiana and of counsel with Perrin, Landry, deLaunay, was recognized as one of the Distinguished Alumni of Southern University Law Center. Shown following the presentation are (seated) Vincent; (L-R) Warren A. Perrin, chairman of the Francophone Section, Justice Jimmy Genovese, Louisiana Supreme Court and Judge Jonathan Perry, Third Circuit Court of Appeal, who made the presentation on behalf of the law school.

(March 2020)
Morgan "Pookie" LeBlanc (left) of Abbeville met with Warren Perrin and Robert Vincent (right) in Erath. LeBlanc made a donation to the Acadian Museum of some photographs and materials once belonging to his father, the late Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc, who had a fascinating business and political career as the inventor, producer, and marketer of the patent medicine Hadacol.

(November 2019)
Warren and Mary Perrin (left) talked to the Iberia Cultural Resources Association about their book Seeking an Acadian Nation - the 1930 Diary of an Evangeline Girl, which is based on the diary and scrapbook of Breaux Bridge resident Corinne Broussard. Special guests included Corinne's son and grandson, Winn and John Murphey (right), who donated the materials for the book. Proceeds from sale of the book benefit the Acadian Museum of Erath.

(October 2019)
In working to curate a textile exhibition in 2020 at the Hilliard Museum in Lafayette, a meeting was held at the Acadian Museum of Erath. The organizers surveyed the textile artifacts in the museum's collection in order to determine which artifacts might be loaned for display in the exhibition, which will be part of the Grand Reveille Acadien scheduled for early October, 2020. Shown above admiring a blanket made by Madam Dronet (owned by David Dronet) are, L to R, Sharon Donnan, David Dronet and Elaine Bourque.

In 2019, Robert Vincent, one of the founders of the Acadian Museum, is pictured in the museum with his parents (standing) Jackie and Douglas Vincent. In January, 2020, Robert was featured in an article in Acadiana Lifestyle magazine.