Mr. Voohries L. Gassie was born in 1909 in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana and died September 17th, 1997. He was the son of the late Auguste Gassie and the former Lucie Voorhies.  He was educated in the public schools of West Baton Rouge and Lafayette Parishes and was a resident of Lafayette since 1921.  He retired from U.S. Steel-Oilwell Division in 1971.

Mr. Gassie was one of eleven children.  He was married to Inez Verot who preceded him in death in 1991. He never had any children of his own.

Mr. Gassie was a devoted Catholic and a member of Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Church, a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 1286, where he served as Grand Knight and was a honorary life member of that organization.  He served as Captain of the Bishop Dubourg 4th Degree Knights of Columbus.  He was bestowed the title of Knight of St. Gregory the Great by the late Pope Pius, which is an honor given to a church layman for his works for the good of the Catholic Church and mankind.

Mr. Gassie assisted the late Monsignor A. F. Isenberg and the late Frank DeBaillion in the reorganizing of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and served as President for many years.  He also assisted in organizing chapters of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Genevieve, St. Paul and Our Lady of Fatima church parishes.  He was also one of the organizers of the Perpetual Rosary.

He served as Chairman of the City of Lafayette Transit System Advisory Board and assisted in the transition of the system from private operation to public as it is now.  He served as a member of the City of Lafayette Zoning Board, where he was also President for many years.

Mr. Gassie strongly believed in investing in our youth to assist with their education and future well­ being.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Must be a junior or senior
2. Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
3. Must be a U.S. citizen
4. Preference given to Louisiana resident