Dr. Charles R. McDonald
Former Louisiana legislator and ULM employee Dr. Charles McDonald passed away Saturday. McDonald served as the Director of Counseling, Placement, and Testing and the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships. ULM President Dr. Ron Berry said in January, they honored him with the naming of the Dr. Charles R. McDonald Office of Financial Aid. He said the room was packed with former students.
“Just really wanted to be there and show him how he had changed their lives. So, his impact was significant for many people,” said Berry.
McDonald spent more than two decades at ULM and was elected to serve in the State House of Representatives in 1991. In 2017, Berry said McDonald was honored with an appointment to serve on the Board of Regents.
“A phone call to him, no matter what the need was, he was advocating on our behalf and doing everything he could to help us meet our needs here at ULM,” said Berry.
As a legislator, McDonald served as Chair of the House Education Committee and was a lead author of TOPS. Berry said McDonald had a great understanding of the financial hardships students faced with higher education. Berry said TOPS serves almost 60,000 students in Louisiana annually.
“A significant impact on the lives of those students who probably couldn’t afford to go to college without it. And if you look across the country, there are other programs that have been created that are similar to what he created,” said Berry.
A service will be held at First Methodist of Monroe on Wednesday at 10 a.m. McDonald was 84.
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