Leesville native retires after 46 years of service to his country
Courtesy of Cynthia Poland
Lawrence “Larry” Jerome Poland has been a hard worker most of life starting as a young teenager cutting grass for neighbors as a job during the hot and humid summers in his hometown of Leesville, LA. Poland is now retiring after many years of outstanding leadership and service to his country and starting a new chapter.
After 46 combined years in the military and federal government, Poland retired from his federal service post as an administrator assigned to the Pentagon on June 30th during an official ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
Traditionally excluded from Duke’s predominantly white fraternities and sororities, it wasn’t until 11 years after being admitted on campus that Black students could find social outlets in the University’s Greek life scene. Now, 46 years later, Duke's NPHC is currently in a transition period.