Love of Libraries: Central branch named for influential board member Norris “Butch” Millet
Published 12:15 am Wednesday, August 23, 2017
- St. John Parish Councilman Larry Snyder, right, shakes hands in August 2017 with Norris "Butch" Millet Sr. at the LaPlace library, which was named in honor of Millet. Pictured at left is Leatrice Arlie of the St. John Parish Library Board. (Lori Lyons/L’OBSERVATEUR)
LAPLACE — For Norris “Butch” Millet Sr., Saturday was a great day to be alive.
Millet, a longtime teacher and administrator at Leon Godchaux High School in Reserve and a charter member of the St. John the Baptist Parish Library Board, was on hand as the Central Library on U.S. 51 in LaPlace was renamed in his honor.
Both are great achievements.
“Normally they don’t name buildings for people still alive,” Millet said. “It took a lot of work.”
Norris ‘Butch’ Millet Sr.’s grandchildren pull the tarp off a portrait photo of their grandfather, honoring him in the LaPlace library.
It actually took an act of the State Legislature with a push from St. John Parish President Natalie Robottom and Council members Jaclyn Hotard and Michael Wright.
Millet said the process made him nervous.
“Mr. Leroy Williams was my good friend and a good library board member,” Millet said of the man whose name is on the Reserve Library. “They started with him but Leroy died before the Legislature passed it. My friend (former St. John Sheriff) Lloyd Johnson, they’re going to name the shooting range after him. Old Lloyd passed before they could finish it. There were some times when I wasn’t feeling well when I’d say, ‘Oh God.’”
Luckily for Millet, it got done and he was able to enjoy Saturday’s ceremony with his family, friends and a slew of admirers.
Millet beamed as he listened to tributes from Robottom, St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre, District Attorney Bridget Dinvaut, Assessor Lucien Gauff III and Library Director Trina Smith, among others.
While some turned the ceremony into a bit of a roast, most acknowledged Millet’s more than 50 years of public service.
Following the ceremony, Millet’s two youngest grandchildren climbed a ladder to unveil his portrait in the lobby.
“Oh Lord, I’m way up there and all around,” he said, pointing to the air above him. “This wasn’t easy to get done.”
Barbara and Norris ‘Butch’ J. Millet Sr. sit outside the LaPlace library.
Neither was the library system itself.
It was 50 years ago last October when the St. John the Baptist Parish Police Jury first petitioned State Librarian Sally Farrell for the funds to open a public library.
A “demonstration” library was then opened in Edgard.
After it was deemed a success, parish voters approved a property tax to fund the operation of the library, which has grown to include four branches — the Leroy Williams Memorial Library in Reserve, the Roland Borne Sr. Memorial Library in Edgard, the Frazee-Harris Memorial Library in Garyville and now the Norris J. Millet Sr. Library in LaPlace.
“They couldn’t put ‘Butch’ up there,” he said. “I was a little disappointed in that.”
Millet said he is proud of what the library system has grown to be.
“It’s something we worked long and hard for,” Millet said. “We’ve been very fortunate every time a millage came up it passed overwhelmingly. We conserve our money, we watch how we spend it. It’s been a good ride. It didn’t always come easy.”
After thanking his family, his friends and his creator, Millet encouraged everyone to continue to use the library.
“It’s a good one,” he said.
