Feb. 15, 2025

NATCHITOCHES – “This scholarship is so appropriate in that Doug Ireland dedicated so much time and effort to the Sports Information Office.  Doug went from the NSU student to the real Mr. NSU, but he’s known by many names: Mr. Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Mr. Natchitoches, Uncle Dougie and, to dozens of his buddies, the best friend who always answers the call when they get it.”

So said Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey during an event to announce the Doug Ireland Endowed Scholarship, created by Robert “Skeeter” Salim with a $100,000 gift to the Northwestern State University Foundation. The scholarship honors NSU’s long-time Sports Information Director who continues to serve the university as an advisor to NSU President James Genovese and is a devoted ambassador of his alma mater.

“When you have people like Doug Ireland, you have an abundance of institutional knowledge,” Genovese said. “We are so glad to have him. He is a great member of our team.”

The scholarship will benefit undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in communications, media and/or journalism.  The Feb. 15 announcement drew friends, colleagues and NSU supporters together to acknowledge Ireland’s long commitment to NSU with contributing comments from Genovese, Salim, Louie Bernard, Buddy Wood, former NSU Women’s Basketball Coach James Smith and NSU’s Associate Athletic Director of External Operations Jason Pugh.

“For those of us who have known Doug all this this time, soon to be 47 years for me, we started praying for him then and we haven’t stopped,” Wood remarked in a preamble to his invocation.  “But this is a very special occasion and we’re so honored to be a part of it and to share in this outstanding event.”

“We all gather to honor a man who was born in Pennsylvania but became a Louisiana legend and, more to the point, a national legend, a figure whose attachment to Northwestern began as a student and stretched throughout three decades in his career as an athletic administrator.  He is one of his alma mater’s most ardent supporters,” Pugh said.

“He is Deadline Doug,” Smith added. “He is a great guy when you win and he’s a comfort when you lose.  He was always there. Winning was much more enjoyable, but he made good excuses when we lost, and I was proud of the way he did that.  He has always been right there.”

Ireland retired from NSU in 2019 after 30 years of service. During his career, he earned numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and was enshrined in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a winner of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. Since 1990, he has been chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and spearheaded efforts leading to construction and the 2013 opening of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in Natchitoches. Since 2021, Ireland has been the sports director for Online Journals LLC, which encompasses 14 parish journals in northwest and central Louisiana.

Bernard noted the impact of Salim’s generosity that has benefited NSU students over the years.

“Skeeter Salim has chosen to be what can only be called a major force in moving Northwestern forward,” Bernard said. “It must be a deep and gratifying moment for Skeeter to look out over this beautiful and tradition-rich campus and realize how many students in the years to come will walk these hallowed halls and have their lives changed.”

Salim is a 1972 graduate of NSU and long-time supporter of athletics and academics at NSU. In addition to the Ireland scholarship, he established four $100,000 endowments over the past two years in memory of the late Jerry Pierce, Richard Ware, Jack Brittain Jr. and H.N. & Inez Towry. Last year, Salim was appointed to the University of Louisiana System board of supervisors by Gov. Jeff Landry.  Both Salim and Ireland were inducted into NSU’s alumni hall of distinction, the Long Purple Line, in 2024.

Salim talked about the day in November 2023 when he announced the scholarships he created in memory of his friends Brittain, Pierce and Ware, all three regarded as pillars of NSU.

“It was a really great day and great for the families, but it left me with a little bit of a hollow feeling because my three buddies weren’t there to celebrate it with me,” Salim said. “Well, today, my buddy is here.  I want everyone here to join me in honoring the most deserving person that could ever be.”

The Doug Ireland Scholarship announcement was one of several big events that took place at NSU Saturday. In addition to several athletic contests, NSU welcomed hundreds of prospective students to N Side View, the university’s preview day for high schoolers, and held a ceremony to name the basketball court in Prather Coliseum for former head Coach Mike McConathy, who attended Ireland’s event. Ireland said he was honored to share the special day.

“Mike has been the pinnacle of what we all should be, not just about Northwestern, but living a life of service, of compassion, of relentless commitment to excellence, of inspiration. You deserve this for infinity.  That’s for sure,” he said.

Stamey, who met Ireland in a health class in 1978, mentioned the many students, student workers and assistants that Ireland mentored during his years as Sports Information Director and his efforts to promote the university through Athletics.

“[This scholarship] will make a difference to the media students at NSU for years to come and we all need to accept the challenge of helping make Northwestern a top regional university,” Stamey said.

“It’s good talk about generosity, commitment and compassion for this institution and commitment to this town. This is a forward step, one of many things that Skeeter is doing and has done to support our university,” Ireland said. “Some of us can’t give $1,000. Some of us can’t give $100, but we can all give something, if it’s just our time and promoting the university. I’m proud to have an example like Skeeter doing this for our university.”

Friends can contribute to the scholarship by visiting https://northwesternstatealumni.com/ireland-scholarship/ or accessing the page through the QR code below.