Moody inducted into Political Hall of Fame

LAFAYETTE -- Politicians and politicos from across the state were in Lafayette Saturday to honor the 2016 class of the Louisiana Political Museum’s Political Hall of Fame.
Approximately 400 people attended the event, including Gov. John Bel Edwards, former Govs. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Edwin Edwards, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, Attorney General Jeff Landry, Judge Marilyn Castle and Judge Doug Saloom
Seven politicians and business leaders, including Crowley’s own Braxton “B.I.” Moody III, joined the 155 inductees before them.
Moody, who said he was surprised when he was invited to be inducted, gave a thank-you address full of humility and humor.
“I accepted right away when they called – just in case it was a mistake,” he joked.
Acknowledging Gov. John Bel Edwards, on the dais, and his old friend, former Gov. Edwin W. Edwards, in the crowd, Moody referred to the “young Edwards and the old Edwards – or maybe I should just say the older Edwards.”
Moody is chairman of The Moody Co. and of Louisiana State Newspapers Inc., both located in Lafayette. After Navy service in World War II, he was a founding partner in the CPA firm of Moody, Broussard, Poché & Guidry. He also served as president and CEO of Chart House Inc. in Lafayette and chairman of the board for First National Bank of Lafayette.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette renamed its College of Business Administration after Moody in recognition of his service to the business industry in Acadiana as well as his community involvement.
Other inductees included retired Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr. of Lafayette, shipbuilder Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger of Covington, lobbyist Randy K. Haynie, native of Lafayette, former state Attorney General Richard Ieyoub of Baton Rouge, former Gov. Sam Houston Jones of Lake Charles, former Jefferson Parish District Attorney John Mamoulides, and the Chehardy family, represented by Lawrence E. Chehardy and including his father, Lawrence A. Chehardy, both long-serving Orleans Parish tax assessors, and his sister, Susan Marie Chehardy, who has served as a state judge in the 24th Judicial District and now is a jurist on the state 5th Circuit Court of Appeal.