Memorial to be held for longtime campus leader, Leland Bennett

The Tulane community will say goodbye to a longtime staff member Leland Bennett, a fixture on the uptown campus for more than four decades, in a memorial service on Friday (Oct. 5).

Bennett, who died Sept. 1, held many positions during his 45-year tenure at the university. Before his retirement, Bennett served as director of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. Prior to that he served as director of student activities and director of the University Center. In 2008, the Tulane Alumni Association named him an honorary alumnus.

In addition to his roles on staff, Bennett also was active in the arts community on campus. He was director of the Tulanians musical performing group and conductor of Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre. His seemingly ubiquitous presence in the beating heart of the university made Bennett extremely popular among students spanning across many eras.

“His dedication to the university went far beyond his job description, earning the undying devotion of literally generations of Tulanians,” says Tulane alumna Mary Rickard. “Leland had an understated but profound influence on Tulane student activities for more than 40 years. His omnipresence in the UC personally influenced hundreds of students' college experiences.”

The memorial service will be held Friday at 3 p.m. in the Myra Clare Rogers Memorial Chapel with a reception to follow in the Lavin-Bernick Center.