Renowned Cajun folklorist, author and UL professor retires

After almost four decades, Barry Ancelet, award-winning author, Cajun folklorist, musician and teacher, retired from his post as director of Francophone studies and department head at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's department of modern language.

Ancelet is also a fellow of the Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism at the UL. The send-off could never be as great as the legacy of the man of course, but hundreds of friends, colleagues and family members gave it their all.

The event, held at UL's Alumni Center, drew musicians and artists from across the state who have worked with the Cajun guru. Ancelet's list of awards and accomplishments would fill one of his many books. He is a member of the l'Ordre des francophones d'Amérique, in Quebec, Canada, a fellow of the American Folklore Society, and was named Humanist of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, just to name a few.

We doubt retirement will slow him down. In fact,we're sure there will be much more to come.

For more, check out the entire gallery of photos below.