Article archive / November 2023
Originally published: . Volume 14, No. 11. Source pages: 2.
It was sometime in the mid 70s that Darlyne Nemeth introduced me to Tommy Stigall at the Baton Rouge Mental Health Center.
As a newly minted doctoral student, I was enamored with all things that had to do with psychology and Dr. Tommy Stigall was at the center of almost all of it in Louisiana. He was dedicated to whatever gods protected Psychology.
It was the time of the “consultation and collaboration clause“ battle that Tommy had taken on to liberate psychologists from the oversight of organized Medicine.
I and some of the other graduate students from LSU had joined the Louisiana Psychological Association. To my good fortune, I was useful because I came from Red River Parish and had a speaking relationship with the representative there, "Mutt" Fowler.
Upon Tommy’s request, I visited Representative Fowler–a "good egg" my father used to call him–and asked him for his vote. He said, "I don't see why not," and freely committed to Psychology's independence, being a good egg and probably also because he was not subject to the medical lobby in the backwoods of rural Louisiana.
I remember this well because Tommy shocked me when he put forth some sort of resolution at the state psychology convention commending me for my actions. I don't remember everything, but I remember standing at the back of the room with the rest of the peanut gallery and having everybody turn and look at me and applaud. As a young graduate student I was overwhelmed. It’s probably the reason I’ve been hooked into being a member of LPA for almost 50 years.
Our paths crossed again after Act 251 which moved medical psychologists from the psychology board to the medical board. Act 251 upset each of us for different reasons. He called it backwards and "anachronistic." I objected to the secrecy. He wanted a political solution. I created a community newspaper.
It had not registered that Tommy’s background was in journalism but it all came out eventually. Once when I was having lunch with Tom Hannie and Tommy, the three of us found ourselves discussing community psychology and the role of a newspaper. Tom had said some nice things about my efforts. Tom Hannie laughed and turned to me, saying, “That’s high praise coming from Tom Stigall."
Probably what I’m most thankful for is the opportunity to have showcased Tommy Stigall‘s photography in the Times. We fell into the arrangement when I learned that his hobby had become near and dear to his heart in his retirement. He won two first place awards for best photography composition in the Times from the Louisiana Press Association. One judge called his work "stunning."
He and Connie attended the awards ceremony with us. Tommy and Archimedes enjoyed the levity when they donned free hats and sunglasses for the association’s “Mission Possible” theme. But somehow, everyone turned out looking more like the Blues Brothers.
I’d never seen this before, Dr. Tommy Stigall was always so dignified, and I had a feeling that he was having a very good time.
"To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his Gods."
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.