Jerry Pierce, often cited as the father of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at age 83 after a brief illness.

A Springhill native and longtime leader at Northwestern State University, Pierce was responsible for the creation of the Hall of Fame display in Prather Coliseum in 1972. He was chairman of the LSHOF from 1971-90, when he was promoted from assistant to the president to vice president of external affairs at NSU.

While those artifacts moved to the palatial Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in downtown Natchitoches in 2013, Pierce’s contributions did not go unnoticed.

In June, Pierce was honored during the 50th anniversary of the Hall’s time in Natchitoches, receiving a standing ovation from the capacity crowd at the Natchitoches Events Center.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday with a 2 p.m. funeral service Saturday at First Baptist Church in Natchitoches, located at 508 2nd Street.