Sept. 7, 2007

Dowell Fontenot, who was the first athletic trainer in McNeese State history, passed away Thursday night.

The 76 year old Fontenot had served McNeese State for more than 20 years as athletic trainer, had been a national boxing champion during his college days and is a member of the McNeese Hall of Fame.

He was a graduate of Vidrine High, received his bachelor degree from McNeese and a master degree from LSU. He also became the first registered physical therapist to serve as an athletic trainer in the state of Louisiana in 1960 following his graduation from the Hermann Hospital Physical Therapy School in Houston.

Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. on Monday at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Lake Charles. Visitation is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at Johnson Funeral Home.

Fontenot had served as a student trainer during his college days at McNeese and he also had studied athletic training under Marty Broussard at LSU. He retired from McNeese following the 1974 school year and opened up his own physical therapy practice in Lake Charles.

As an athlete at McNeese, Fontenot won the national junior college 125 pound boxing championship in 1949 and 1950.

He is a member of the Louisiana Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame and was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 1980.

The McNeese sports medicine center is named after him.

"Doc"is survived by his wife Madlyn, a daughter and a son and grandchildren.