The LSU Manship School Hall of Fame welcomed four new members to its 2023 class that will be formally honored at the school’s annual gala on Sept. 21.
The Hall of Fame, entering its 47th year, “honors alumni and supporters who have achieved exceptional success in their careers” in a wide array of communications related fields.
Here are the honorees:
Louis Day, Ph.D.
An expert in media law and ethics, Day holds the position of alumni professor emeritus at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in mass communication from Ohio University.
When asked about his research, Day said “That he would like to see more graduate students join interest in researching Law and Media Ethics.” He has been teaching for over 30 years at LSU, running his courses with a high engagement, heavy demanding style in order for students to come away with something they can use in the real world. Day also worked as a television and radio news reporter, writer and editor along with two years in public information with the U.S. military during his profound career.
While teaching the ethics course for the Manship School, Day couldn’t find a book he found suitable, so he decided to write his own. This book ended up being highly successful and went through 5 versions, becoming adopted by 80 other colleges and universities along the way.
“I hope that will inspire others to research and explore some of the issues covered, with a goal of identifying the best ethical practices across the media landscape.” Day said when asked about how he hopes his book will affect future generations.
Connie Ledoux Book, Ph. D.
Book earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from LSU and received her master’s degree in education and administration from Northwestern State University, then earned her doctorate from University of Georgia.
She spent the majority of her career as a vital member of Elon University, which prides itself on excellence in teaching and learning. After 16 years at Elon, she took on the role of chief academic officer and the first female provost at the Citadel in 2015.
During her time at Elon, Book was an integral part in setting the standards for the “Boldly Elon” plan for 2030, whose goal is to “sharply define Elon’s position as a top-100 national university.” Book also led the successful $250 million Elon LEADS campaign, which has funded more than 200 new scholarships and increased resources for the entire university.
Book has also launched several initiatives with public schools and Alamance Community College in order to continue her goal of being an advocate for access to education at all levels.
Bob Bocaccio
Bocaccio graduated from LSU with a degree in broadcast journalism in 1981 and would go on to open up his own business located in Baton Rouge called Bocaccio Productions, which between 1991 and 2016 helped produce NBA All-Star games, NCAA Final Fours, Super Bowls and six national championship football games.
Boccaccio also directed and produced LSU’s debut coach’s show, The Skip Bertman Show, and was the first call for ESPN, NFL Network and the SEC Network.
Bocaccio has also ventured outside of the sports realm, working on an Emmy Award-winning American Roots documentary series as the director of photography. Throughout his career he worked with CBS, NBC, HBO, CNN, TBS, TNT, Bravo, History Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC and Fox News. When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, he was a part of covering the recovery efforts for ABC World News.
Kurt Davis
Davis graduated from LSU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinction in 2020, and currently serves on the Manship School of Mass Communication’s Board of Visitors, as well as the Emma Bowen Foundation Board of Directors.
He has worked for 40-plus years in the broadcast industry as a journalist and corporate executive, and currently serves as executive vice president of CBS Affiliate Relations, managing daily operations and the relationship between hundreds of CBS affiliates across the nation.
Davis also worked for several local news stations throughout his career, including WSB-TV Atlanta, WDSU-TV New Orleans, KDFW-TV Dallas, WSET-TV Lynchburg, Virgina; KATV-TV Little Rock, Arkansas and WBRZ-TV Baton Rouge.
The Manship School Hall of Fame Annual Gala to honor the inductees will take place on Sept. 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the LSU Lod Cook Alumni Center. More information on the event, including tickets, can be found here.
