Loyola University New Orleans to Honor Roland and Carol Waguespack with Integritas Vitae Award

NEW ORLEANS — August 27, 2026 — Loyola University New Orleans will honor Dr. Roland Waguespack Jr., M.P.S. ’92, and Carol Gisevius Waguespack ’62, M.Ed. ’64, M.P.S. ’92, with the Integritas Vitae Award, one of the university’s highest honors, at the 1912 Society Masquerade on Thursday, October 1.

Presented annually to individuals who exemplify a life of integrity, the Integritas Vitae Award recognizes those whose lives reflect an enduring commitment to service, leadership and the well-being of others. For Roland and Carol, those ideals have shaped decades of service to their family, their faith, Loyola and communities throughout Louisiana and beyond.

“Roland and Carol Waguespack represent the very best of Loyola and the ideals the Integritas Vitae Award was created to honor,” said Loyola University New Orleans President Xavier A. Cole. “Their lives have been defined by faith, service and a profound commitment to others, from the generations of families they have cared for and mentored to the extraordinary generosity they have shown Loyola and communities across Louisiana and beyond. They remind us that a Loyola education is ultimately about how we use our gifts in service to others. It is a privilege to celebrate Roland and Carol and the remarkable legacy they continue to build.”  

After graduating from LSU Medical School and completing his training at Charity Hospital, Roland returned to his hometown of Vacherie, Louisiana, where he continued the family medical practice founded by his grandfather in 1900. For more than 60 years, he has cared for generations of families throughout St. James Parish while contributing to medical education, civic life and community leadership.

His service has included roles as a founding member and first president of the Vacherie Jaycees, Grand Knight of the Vacherie Knights of Columbus, a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus and president of the River Parishes Medical Society.

Carol’s relationship with Loyola grew into a lifelong commitment to the university and its Jesuit, Catholic mission. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education at Loyola before pursuing graduate study at the University of London and later returning to Loyola for graduate education. Throughout her life, she has devoted herself to faith and ministry, including teaching confirmation classes, supporting grieving parents and volunteering with the marriage tribunals of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Her Loyola legacy spans generations. Her late sisters, Joan Gisevius Johnson ’65, M.Ed. ’79, and Jane M. Gisevius ’65, J.D. ’68, were Loyola graduates, as was her father, Fred J. Gisevius Jr., J.D. ’36, H’77, a distinguished College of Law alumnus, professor, trustee and benefactor. Two of Roland and Carol’s three children also attended Loyola.

Like her father before her, Carol has given generously of her time and leadership to the university, serving as both president and vice president of the Loyola Alumni Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees. Today, Carol and Roland continue their service to Loyola as members of the College of Arts and Sciences Visiting Committee.

Together, Roland and Carol have extended their commitment to service far beyond the university. In the River Parishes, they have helped organize community responses to environmental concerns affecting local residents. They have opened their home to families building new lives and have supported the educational and professional aspirations of others.

Through Catholic Charities, the Waguespacks sponsored families seeking new beginnings in the United States, including a Vietnamese physician and a couple from the Republic of Georgia following the fall of the Soviet Union. They also supported the education of another student from the Republic of Georgia through scholarships for Loyola’s College of Law and Georgetown University’s LL.M. program.

At the heart of their shared life is a deep commitment to their Catholic faith. In 1992, Roland and Carol together earned master’s degrees in pastoral studies from Loyola, further strengthening a relationship with the university rooted not only in education, but in faith and service. It also delighted Carol, who could finally say she married a Loyola boy.

Through their philanthropy, leadership and care for others, Roland and Carol Waguespack embody the ideals at the heart of the Integritas Vitae Award and Loyola’s Jesuit mission: using one’s gifts in service to others and working toward a more just and compassionate world.

The Waguespacks will be honored Thursday, October 1, at the 1912 Society Masquerade at The Josephine in New Orleans. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit loyno.edu/1912.