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After completing her college degree, on January 31, 1941, Sue Lyles married Paul Mechlin Eakin, Sr.,<ref name=obit/> (J1917-1995) of [[Pittsburgh]], urgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], later [[New Jersey]]. They resided in Bunkie, where he was an accountant and she a professional freelance journalist and a columnist]for ''The Alexandria Town Talk'' in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], the  ''Opelousas Daily World'' in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish,  and the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune.''  From 1957 to 1959, Paul and Sue Eakin also owned and operated ''The Bunkie Record'' newspaper.<ref name=obit/>

After completing her college degree, on January 31, 1941, Sue Lyles married Paul Mechlin Eakin, Sr.,<ref name=obit/> (J1917-1995) of [[Pittsburgh]], urgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], later [[New Jersey]]. They resided in Bunkie, where he was an accountant and she a professional freelance journalist and a columnist]for ''The Alexandria Town Talk'' in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], the  ''Opelousas Daily World'' in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish,  and the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune.''  From 1957 to 1959, Paul and Sue Eakin also owned and operated ''The Bunkie Record'' newspaper.<ref name=obit/>

At the age of forty-two in 1960, Eakin began graduate work at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]] to earn two master's degrees, one in journalism and the other in history. She was one of thirteen women students in the nation to receive an educational grant from the American Association of University Women.<ref name=adtt/>​

At the age of forty-two in 1960, Eakin began graduate work at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]] to earn two master's degrees, one in journalism and the other in history. She was one of thirteen women students in the nation to receive an educational grant from the American Association of University Women.<ref name=adtt/>

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==Teaching and research==​

​==Teaching and Research==

 

After completing her graduate degrees, Eakin began a 25-year teaching career at Louisiana State University at Alexandria. It had been established in 1960 as a junior college, and later developed as a four-year institution. In an interview with ''The Town Talk,''  Patsy K. Barber, an LSUA colleague, recalled Eakin as "a master teacher [who] researched, she knew her topic and knew how to place her topic into the larger setting. She could hold you spellbound. The creative ideas just spilled out."<ref name=adtt/> Barber and Eakin collaborated on several books about the history of Rapides Parish and Lecompte.<ref name=adtt/>​

After completing her graduate degrees, Eakin began a 25-year teaching career at Louisiana State University at Alexandria. It had been established in 1960 as a junior college, and later developed as a four-year institution. In an interview with ''The Town Talk,''  Patsy K. Barber, an LSUA colleague, recalled Eakin as "a master teacher [who] researched, she knew her topic and knew how to place her topic into the larger setting. She could hold you spellbound. The creative ideas just spilled out."<ref name=adtt/> Barber and Eakin collaborated on several books about the history of Rapides Parish and Lecompte.<ref name=adtt/>​

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