O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest
Lacour’s legacy: teacher and fighter for justice By Ronald Clay Small
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ne of the true great American legal scholars and trailblazers, Vanue B. Lacour (“Snook,” as he was known by his family) entered Omega Chapter on Jan. 7, 2011. He was 95. Brother Lacour was initiated at Beta Tau Chapter at Xavier University of Louisiana, in New Orleans, La., in 1937—just one year after the chapter was established. He had a stellar and distinguished career as a lawyer, law professor, dean and mentor to many. He was widely known for his legal acumen and was educated by some of the finest legal minds in American history, including Brothers Thurgood Marshall, and Charles Hamilton Houston and Federal Appeals Judge Spotswood Robinson III. Born in Cane River, La., in 1915, near Natchitoches, Lacour began his fight for equality and justice at Central High School in Shreveport, La., having experienced the scourge of segregation firsthand. His black teachers and mentors shaped his knowledge of the effects of racism and discrimination and how it functioned in American society. As a member of the debate team he honed and refined his oratorical skills with a design to use them for the greater good.
After graduating summa cum laude from Xavier, Lacour finished second in his class at Howard University School of Law in 1941. He began his legal career in Kansas City, Mo., where he gained respect and notoriety for handling several cases beneficial to the African-American community. Upon the founding of Southern University Law School in Baton Rouge, La., Lacour joined the faculty, embarking upon a 26-year teaching career, including becoming dean of the law school. Lacour complimented his teaching with fighting injustice wherever he found it. He argued several cases promoting voter registration. He even personally escorted bus loads of black people to register to vote in Louisiana. Perhaps his most famous case was Weber vs. Aetna Casualty & Surety Company, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1972, the high court sided with Lacour, and he successfully won the rights of illegitimate children to share equally with legitimate children in the awarding of worker’s compensation. Lacour was a highly respected activist in the community—most notably as a Boy Scout leader—for which he received the distinguished Silver Beaver Award. In 1988, he
Vanue B. Lacour was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the Southern University School of Law’s Hall of Fame. In 2010, the university established the Dean Vanue Lacour $100,000 Endowed Professorship. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Arthemise Wilson Lacour, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; seven children; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren. H It is with deep appreciation and gratitude that The Sphinx acknowledges the Very Rev. Thomas F. Clark, S.J., V.F., of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, La., and Chancellor Freddie Pitcher Jr. of Southern University Law Center, for their immense contributions to this tribute.
Shelton was longtime pharmacist, philanthropist
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Wesley N. Shelton
esley N. Shelton, 75, of Baltimore, Md., was a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha, initiated at Delta Lambda Chapter in 1967. He served three terms as chapter president in the 1970s and focused on renovation, reclamation, and rededication. As a young chapter president, he was able to infuse enthusiasm for Alpha projects and inspired those who aspired to become members of the fraternity. At 19, Brother Shelton graduated from Howard University’s pharmacy school in 1955. He served as a pharmacist in the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir Army Hospital and at the Pentagon in Virginia; went on to practice in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. He was diligent about service to his family
and community by mentoring and through his philanthropy. He was a board member of Super Pride Community Foods in Baltimore; a member of Chi Delta Mu Fraternity, the black allied health professional organization; a 32nd degree Prince Hall Mason; and served more than 40 years at his church. After years of declining health, Shelton entered Omega Chapter on July 26, 2010, after suffering from heart disease and sarcoidosis. His wife and family ask that donors make a contribution to the scholarship fund he created in 2007: The Alice and Wesley N. Shelton Scholarship Fund, 1916 Cedric Road, Baltimore, MD 21216. H
Fall 2011 H THE SPHINX
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