March 7, 2025
NATCHITOCHES – “Those who have the least need us the most.” Words often spoken by the late Claudie Moore Triche, former chair of Northwestern State University’s Department of Social Work.
Friends, family and colleagues gathered March 6 to offer reflections on Triche and her legacy that extended far beyond NSU, and to announce the endowment of the Claudia Triche Memorial Scholarship in Social Work that honors her lifelong achievements.
“That was what social work meant to Claudia,” said Byron McKinney, associate professor and chair of the Triche Scholarship committee. “We’re following Claudia’s vision. She wanted everybody to have a chance to go to school, especially her vets, her clients and the students that she loved so much here at Northwestern.”
The scholarship was created in 2022 to benefit a student pursuing a degree in social work. It is the first endowed scholarship for the Department of Social Work, according to Department Chair Dr. Susan Campbell, and reached the amount of $10,877 through donations to the NSU Foundation.
Triche was a native of Shreveport who graduated from NSU with a degree in social work in 1970. She attended Louisiana State University, earning a Master’s of Social Work degree in 1972 and Licensed Clinical Social Worker certification in 1973. She began her tenure on faculty at NSU in 1974 as the director of field internships for the Department of Social Work, later to become professor and chair of the department.
While educating hundreds of students, Triche operated her own private practice and was a contract social worker for the Veterans Affairs Office assisting Vietnam veterans for over three decades. In addition to her work in higher education and Veteran Affairs, she advocated for thousands of children, families and individuals.
Triche worked for years to gain approval for NSU to offer a Master of Social Work degree, which was approved last year and will begin this fall. She wrote millions of dollars in grants, including the original Title IV-E grant that supports child welfare education and training. NSU remains the lead university in Louisiana for that scholarship program, helping more than 800 individuals become child welfare professionals. She retired from NSU as Professor Emeritus in 2013 after 39 years of service.
She passed away in 2020.
Friends can continue to contribute to Claudia Triche Scholarship. Gifts can be mailed to Office of University Advancement, 535 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71497. Online gifts may be made at http://www.northwesternstatealumni.com/donations/claudia-triche-memorial-scholarship/.
Information on NSU’s Department of Social Work is available at https://www.nsula.edu/socialwork/.
The family of the late Claudia Triche, former chair of NSU’s Department of Social Work, gathered to celebrate the endowment of the Claudie Triche Memorial Scholarship in Social Work. Representing the family are, from left, grandsons Patrick and Keegan Loveless, daughter Kathryn Triche Loveless, sister Becky Keenan, son Eric Triche and his wife Karyn Triche. Son Adam Triche was unable to attend.
