Induction ceremony was in New Orleans

BY CHRIS KINKAID THE DAILY NEWS

Ben Nevers was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame at the 31st annual ceremony and Banquet that took place at the National World War II Museum U.S. Freedom Pavilion in New Orleans on March 4.

“My remarks to them is that I really feel like that the people I surrounded myself with in the House of Representatives and the Senate allowed me to do some things I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own,” Nevers said. “The people that served with me at District 12, the senate and house staff deserve the credit. They don’t always get the credit, but a lot of times, they were the ones who draft bills and put feet to the floor. You have ideas about what you would like to change in the law and they actually draft the pieces of legislation and advise you to get where you want to go. I certainly gave them a lot of credit and our families. Our families probably put up with a lot more than we do.”

Nevers, who is from Bogalusa and graduated from Bogalusa High School in 1964, talked about what made him get into politics.

“My original position was Bogalusa School Board,” Nevers said. “I was there for about seven years. I just thought I could make a difference and bring a better educational system to Louisiana. I guess I was the driving force behind the old Charity Hospital and Our Lady of the Angels Hospital. We were able to get residency programs in Bogalusa. At that time, the BOgalusa Hospital was run by the Board of Directors. We had the LSU Charity Hospital here and both were struggling financially. I was a driving force to get the LSU hospital from a private hospital to a public hospital. I feel like if we hadn’t done that, we may not have a hospital here. But I owe everything to the people who elected me, my family and God. I wouldn’t have made it without my strong faith in God.”

SEE NEVERS, PAGE 24