In 1997, Bussie received an honorary degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, and other such honorary degrees followed. Then Southeastern President Sally Clausen described Bussie as "an individual who has distinguished himself through his quiet but steadfast work for the underprivileged and his strong stand for justice. He has been a lifelong supporter of education, serving as an advocate for quality instruction and a voice of support for higher education... ".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/bl12-3.htm|title=ByLion|date=December 3, 1997|publisher=Southeastern Louisiana University|author=Sarah Sue Goldsmith|accessdate=August 22, 2019}}</ref> | In 1997, Bussie received an honorary degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, and other such honorary degrees followed. Then Southeastern President Sally Clausen described Bussie as "an individual who has distinguished himself through his quiet but steadfast work for the underprivileged and his strong stand for justice. He has been a lifelong supporter of education, serving as an advocate for quality instruction and a voice of support for higher education... ".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/bl12-3.htm|title=ByLion|date=December 3, 1997|publisher=Southeastern Louisiana University|author=Sarah Sue Goldsmith|accessdate=August 22, 2019}}</ref> |