Albany High School Honors “Voice of the Hornets” for Years of Service
ALBANY, La. – Albany school leaders and members of the Livingston Parish School Board recently approved action to posthumously honor Russell D. Hutchinson, the “Voice of the Hornets,” for his lifetime of service and commitment to the school, by naming the press box at the schools’ stadium after him.
The press box of the Jesse Fletcher Memorial Stadium will now be known as the Chief Russell D. Hutchinson Memorial Press Box.
“It’s that ‘voice from above’ that we will always remember,” said Albany High School Principal Sammie Lacara. “Russell is officially known as Chief Hutchinson, but too many of the people who knew him in this community, he was simply ‘Uncle Russell.’”
Hutchinson served the Albany community as the town’s police chief and the play-by-play commentator of the Albany Hornets for 40 years. He also served as a substitute teacher at the Albany schools throughout his career, as well as volunteering his time to assist at various athletic events while also serving as security.
Hutchinson was a founding member of the Albany Youth Association, which in its first year consisted of two basketball teams numbering about 45 kids. This past year’s AYA basketball season had 44 teams and 360 children from Albany and surrounding communities participate. He was also instrumental in the founding of AYA baseball, which this past year included more than 200 participants in T-ball and coach’s pitch leagues.
“Russell’s coaching philosophy always revolved around the development of young athletes as he believed if he did not work with them as youngsters, he would have to deal with them once they got older,” Lacara recalls. “He always believed there was good in every child and that you only had to look for it.”
Hutchinson was a graduate of Albany High School, Class of 1966, and as a member of the Hornet football team, he wore #66.