Richard C. Sealy

B.S. Mechanical Engineering – 1943

New Iberia native Richard C. Sealy, a licensed professional engineer, graduated from University of Louisiana at Lafayette (SLI) and continued his education at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD. He left as a commissioned officer and served on active sea duty for the next two and a half years in the Pacific Theatre during and after World War II, first on a light cruiser as a division officer and later as assistant chief engineer on a small aircraft carrier.

In 1946, Richard married Sybil Beaullieu of Jeanerette and began his career as a mechanical engineer for a sugar cane harvesting machinery manufacturer. He later became a plant engineer for a chemical company and then a sales engineer for a New Orleans construction and industrial equipment company.

In 1954, Richard embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. He started a wholesale supply business in Lafayette selling equipment, parts, and supplies to dealers and contractors in the new industry of air conditioning and refrigeration. When he sold the company in 1980, it included 40 employees and three branches in Lafayette, New Iberia, and Lake Charles. During its operation, his firm was a member of Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Wholesalers (ARW). Richard represented the ARW Region 12 for several years before his election to the national board of directors and served until his retirement.

Success inspired him to develop other enterprises that required invention and business skills, including water purification, home construction, and a 19-year investment in laundry equipment on UL Lafayette (USL) campus.