Dwight LeBlanc Receives Dan Hurley Award for Lifelong Service to Tulane

“Tulane to me is just a part of my life, and I couldn’t imagine having a life without Tulane University, says J. Dwight LeBlanc Jr. (B ’59, L *61), poignantly capturing his lifelong and heartfelt bond with the university.

Dwight’s deep connection with Tulane will be honored May 15 at the Emeritus Club Induction cocktail party and dinner, when he will receive the Dan Hurley Emeritus Award. The award, which is bestowed upon individuals who exhibit exceptional dedication, leadership and influence within the Tulane community, the New Orleans community and the Emeritus Club, is one of the highlights of the annual event, held at the Audubon Tea Room.

Dwight’s journey with Tulane began, as he puts it, through a “blessing in disguise.” After transferring from Spring Hill College, he had hoped to continue at Loyola University, but when his credits wouldn't transfer, he found an unexpected home at Tulane — one perfectly suited to launch his distinguished career in admiralty law. "As it turned out, [the credits not transferring] was a blessing in disguise because I ultimately got into maritime law and Tulane was much better situated for that," he recalls.

It was also during his undergraduate years at Tulane that Dwight would meet and court his wife Jane “Janie” Janssen (NC ’60) who was studying across the quad at Newcomb College. They would go on to have four children, among them a second-generation Tulane Law alumnus, J. Dwight LeBlanc III (L *86). According to Dwight, Janie’s support was a steady hand throughout his career, helping him both in law school and in the practice of admiralty law, especially when navigating the complexities of client relations.

Dwight says that Tulane in his student days was a different place — less formal but filled with opportunity. "For example, I got a combined degree in business administration and law. My junior year, I went over to the law school to see what I had to do to make sure I was enrolled in the freshman class the next year,” recalls Dwight. That casual spirit, he notes, contrasts with today’s rigorous admissions standards, but it also opened doors for ambitious students like him.

“Tulane to me is just a part of my life, and I couldn’t imagine having a life without Tulane University.” — J. Dwight LeBlanc Jr. (B ’59, L *61), 2025 Dan Hurley Emeritus Award Recipient

An Army ROTC student during his undergraduate years, Dwight became a member of the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps after completing law school. When he was stationed in San Antonio during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he found himself on the front lines of history: “I was scheduled to go if we invaded Cuba to try to seize the libraries and museums and things of that nature."

Returning home, he began working with Chaffe McCall in New Orleans, rising to become partner and building a successful career in admiralty law. Dwight found that his Tulane Law School education gave him a strong footing in the legal world. “Tulane Law School was much more encompassing of other jurisdictions. From that standpoint, it was very helpful, I believe, to have been at Tulane Law,” he says. His professional network, too, had deep Tulane roots: “A lot of the people who did maritime law had attended Tulane Law, so that was very helpful.”

Throughout his decades of practice, Dwight watched with pride as the university’s maritime law program blossomed from a single course into one of the nation’s strongest programs, crowned by the Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, where he still serves on the board today. "My Tulane Law degree allowed me to practice law until about three or four years ago and gave me a background that I thought was exceptional."

Dwight’s service to Tulane has continued well beyond graduation. He played a key role in revitalizing the Emeritus Club, alongside his friend Bobby McIntyre (B ’52). "We started promoting the Emeritus Club, and we became much more organized and effective," he said, recalling how they worked to strengthen alumni bonds and encourage greater engagement. 

For Dwight, emeritus members are crucial to the university’s vitality. "We believe that if you become active in the Emeritus Club, it will ultimately lead to donations. We think that just becoming active gets [alumni] more interested in Tulane," he says.

Reflecting on the enduring strength of the Tulane community, Dwight says, "The Tulane spirit is different than, say, an LSU spirit, which is more vocal. I think the Tulane spirit is more an interest in the university and keeping it one of the outstanding universities in the United States."

Today, Dwight’s legacy at Tulane shines brightly — as a talented attorney, an emeritus leader and a proud alumnus whose contributions have helped shape the university’s future.