By: Brian Howard
ANGOLA, La. | Grambling State University former head baseball coach Wilbert Ellis added to his extensive list of honors on Friday morning as he was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame.
Ellis was inducted into the hall of fame at the Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum with Alexandria Mayor Jeff Hall and Harold Pierite Sr., Chief of the Tunica Biloxi Police. Others who were inducted included:
- Raphael Cassimere, Jr., Retired Seraphia D. Leyda Emeritus-Professor, of History at University of New Orleans, Orleans Parish
- W. Ross and Elizabeth Foote, Judges, Caddo Parish
- Arthur S. Lawson, Jr., Gretna Chief of Police, Jefferson Parish
- Willy J. Martin, Jr., Sheriff, St. James Parish
- Kelly Ward, Retired Warden, West Feliciana Parish
- Julian Whittington, Sheriff, Bossier Parish
The Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame was created in 2004 to honor and acknowledge the men and women of Louisiana who have served their community and their state in law enforcement, the judiciary, criminal justice, civil service and other related fields including governmental service, corrections, education, communications/media, victim services and community activists.
Previous honorees include Governors John Bel Edwards and Kathleen Blanco. Previous honorees from Central Louisiana include Mayor Clarence Fields, Dr. Haywood Joiner, Rabbi Arnold Task, Judge Dee Drell, Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, Judge Harry Randow, Camille Gravel, Jr. and Sheriff William Earl Hilton.
Ellis, better known as Coach Ellis, has devoted a lifetime to making lives better for others throughout Lincoln Parish and beyond through unselfish service on many levels. For his decades of giving himself to others, Coach Ellis has been selected to be honored into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame.
"I am very thankful to earn this honor," Ellis said. "I thank God for giving me the strength each day to help others and this is something I truly appreciate."
Ellis had a forty-year tenure as an assistant and head baseball coach at Grambling State University. He has been recognized many times for his achievements on the baseball diamond, being inducted into several sports halls of fame and numerous recognitions by his conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He also received the Robert E. Russ Award in 2016 for his philanthropic contributions within the community. Most recently, Ellis was awarded the Bill Best Humanitarian Award for 2021 by the Ruston Rotary Club in December.
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