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Wayne Reaud was tapped the 16^th Southeast Texas Legend Scholarship honoree at a news conference held November 9 in the lobby of the Wayne A Reaud Administration Building.

The Beaumont Foundation began Southeast Texas Legends Scholarships at ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ in 2007 to honor those who blazed a trail across Southeast Texas by providing endowed scholarships for bright youth who need financial help to achieve their potential. There are now 16 named scholarships, each honoring a regional leader.

Joining in remarks were businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, LU President Ken Evans, and nationally recognized trial lawyer Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low. Juan Zabala, vice president for university advancement at ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ, and John Adolph, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Beaumont, also participated in the program.

Reaud is the founder of the firm of Reaud, Morgan & Quinn and is known throughout the legal community as a champion of working men and women. He received his law degree from Texas Tech University in 1974. He is a former member of the ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ Board of Regents, is a former director of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and a past president of the Southeast Texas Trial Lawyers Association. He is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Association, a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers and is listed in Best Lawyers in America. He was awarded the Honorary Order of the Coif by the University of Texas School of Law in 2011.

A Distinguished Alumnus of LU, Reaud has numerous ties to the university, including the Wayne A. Reaud Administration Building named in his honor, and the prestigious Reaud Honors College. Reaud has been a generous benefactor to the university. His ties include a decade of service as a Lamar Regent (1985 to 1995) as well as establishment of the Albert E. and Gena Reaud Scholarship and, through the Beaumont Foundation of America, the endowed Southeast Texas Legends Scholarships.  He is a generous supporter of KVLU Public Radio, the Judge Joe J. Fisher Distinguished Lecture Series, and Cardinal Athletics.

He has represented clients in significant cases involving personal injury, product and premises liability, toxic torts and business litigation. Reaud has handled first impression mass tort litigation involving asbestos premises liability claims, including the largest asbestos product liability class action lawsuit in the history of Texas courts. He also represented the State of Texas in its landmark litigation against the tobacco industry. Reaud serves as an Independent director of the Huntsman Corporation.

The Legends Scholarship Program at ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ provides scholarships for underserved ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ students and honors Southeast Texas Civic leaders. Each Legends Scholarship was established with a $100,000 endowment. The program now totals $1.6 million in grants from the Beaumont Foundation of American that was created in 2001. The foundation provides grants and scholarships to a broad range of charitable, religions and educational organizations across the United States. 

More information on the Southeast Texas Legends can be found online at www.bmtfoundation.com/southeast-texas-legends/