1965 Henry High graduates honor former teachers at class reunion

Saturday afternoon was the 50th class reunion for the 1965 graduating class of Henry High School. What made this reunion special was not the graduates who attended but the former teachers who were there.
The reunion was held at Warren Perrin’s parents’ old home, which is less than a mile from the old Henry High School, which is no longer standing. Perrin, the class president, orchestrated the reunion and also invited three teachers who taught the students either in elementary school or high school.
In attendance were teachers Edna Mae Landry, a second grade teacher, Billie Wayne Broussard, an English teacher and former librarian, and Johnny Picard, a former ag teacher.
They were greeted by nine out of 13 graduates.
Broussard, who is 80, was also given a special honor by being inducted into the Living Legends in Erath. She was inducted because of her total years in education in Vermilion Parish. She retired in 1990.
Perrin presented her with the honor, which she was not expecting. Her family was on hand to witness her induction.
“She came to Henry High School to help prepare us for college, teaching us English and she was our librarian,” said Perrin.
Dale Domingue, a 1965 graduate, said,
“Without Mrs. Broussard I would still be in high school. Thank you.”
“We learned a little bit of English and we became friends,” said Broussard. “Many are still my friends. I really enjoyed teaching at Henry. I enjoyed the people. Thank you all very much. You all have given me a distinct honor.”
Edna Mae Landry only taught at Henry High School for one year - her first year in education. It was a second grade class.
Landry, who is from Maurice, said she is not sure why she did not stay longer at Henry. After leaving Henry, she went to a school in Abbeville before ending up at Maurice High School, the school she graduated from.
“I kept getting closer and closer to Maurice,” said Landry, who is now 84 years old. She retired from teaching in 1984.
Legendary coach Johnny Picard began his coaching career at Henry High School It was his first coaching job, as well as teaching job. His basketball team won only two games his final year at Henry School.
He became the Maurice High School basketball and track coach. At Maurice, he won two basketball state titles and a handful of track state titles.
Picard, who graduated from Maurice High in 1955, admitted going from the relax atmosphere of Henry to a school where winning was expected.
“Maurice had a good feeder program and they had good freshmen coming up, so I did not mind coming,” said Picard. “You were taking a chance. I told Warren (Perrin) when I was at Henry, we would cheer on the way to a game and we would cheer on the way back - win or lose. At Maurice, if they lost, they cried.”