Campus History

Louisiana State University began in 1860 as a small, all-male military school near Pineville. The institution survived the Civil War, Reconstruction politics, and budgetary difficulties to become a nationally and internationally recognized leader in research and teaching. A devastating fire destroyed the campus in 1869, and the school moved to Baton Rouge, where it has remained. Successive moves to larger campuses in 1887 and 1925 created greater opportunities in academics, student life, and athletics. Academics began with classical and engineering courses. New majors in the arts, literature, engineering, agriculture, and the sciences evolved, along with research in those fields. Student life changed from military regimentation to coeducation and students' freedom to live off campus and make their own decisions. Intercollegiate athletics began in 1893 with baseball and football games against Tulane, and the LSU Tigers have since won numerous championships. These evolutionary steps all helped to create Louisiana's flagship university.

The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a nationally known institution of higher education located in northeast Louisiana that opened in the fall of 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. The first class consisted of 379 students who enrolled in English, French, Latin, Spanish, history, government, mathematics, biology, and chemistry courses. In 1934, the college became the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University, and in 1939, the name was changed to Northeast Junior College. In 1950, management of the college transferred from Louisiana State University to the State Board of Education, and the college became Northeast Louisiana State College. In 1970, to reflect the awarding of graduate degrees, the college became Northeast Louisiana University. In 1999, the school officially became the University of Louisiana Monroe. Since this institution first opened its doors in 1931, the name changes reflect its growth from a junior college to what has become a national and international university of choice for students.

Surrounded by live oaks and azaleas, McNeese State University has served Southwest Louisiana for over sixty years. Founded in 1939 by area businessmen and cattlemen, the university has grown and thrived side by side with the city of Lake Charles. Alumni, faculty, staff, and students alike take pride in the heritage of their evolving university, and the city embraces the school as a treasured landmark of the community. McNeese State University began as Lake Charles Junior College, a division of Louisiana State University. Just one year after its inception, the name was changed to John McNeese Junior College in honor of one of the area's foremost pioneer educators. In 1950 the name was changed to McNeese State College when four-year status was obtained, and university status was achieved in 1970. The campus has enjoyed phenomenal expansion, from its initial three buildings constructed on the site of the town's Poor Farm to the vibrant and sprawling 68 buildings and over 500 acres it consists of today. Scenes of student life--in classrooms, dormitories, club meetings, and at athletic events--as well as memorable events throughout the course of the school's history are the focus of this visual journey. Students are pictured during lighter moments, enjoying the camaraderie of their classmates, but their serious side is also displayed during such trials as the disastrous hurricane that forced over 1,000 refugees to shelter on campus and the period during World War II when the campus became the headquarters of the Louisiana Maneuvers. Notable alumni of McNeese State include Dr. Cecil Cyrus Vaughn, a pioneer in cardiovascular medicine and artificial transplant surgery; Sheryl L. Abshire, one of the first five inductees into the National Teacher Hall of Fame and a Christa McAuliffe Fellow; and Andre Dubus, a critically acclaimed writer.

Founded in 1947, the Southern University Law Center (SULC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a model for student body and faculty diversity. While SULC was once required by law to be an all-black institution, the school's founders and subsequent leadership have created a legacy of providing access and opportunity to legal education that continues today. SULC graduates, beginning with the legendary civil rights attorney, political leader, and educator Jesse N. Stone Jr. and others in the school's first graduating class of 1950, have become trailblazers. The alumni have been successful in law, business, government, and other careers in Louisiana and places beyond. This book highlights their successes as well as the historical events that have shaped this institution. From student-led efforts to desegregate public accommodations to alumni leadership in achieving greater diversity in the Louisiana judiciary, SULC has and continues to produce lawyer-leaders who effect positive change.

Centenary College of Louisiana began as a public institution known as the College of Louisiana on February 18, 1825, and has enjoyed a long and
distinguished history. The years have brought a multitude of changes to the school—the name has changed, the location has changed, and the student
population has changed. However, what remains steadfast at Centenary is a commitment to the highest standards of academic excellence, and an
environment that fosters growth and achievement.
Within these pages, students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the college will discover the Centenary of the past—the early days in Jackson, Louisiana, the devastation of the Civil War, the move to the
Shreveport campus, and the championship football team that once was. Vintage photographs of the school's founders and supporters, the campuses, and the students will evoke memories of years past and
reflect the traditions that continue at Centenary today. Accompanied by informative captions, the photographs include aerial views of the physical layout of the school, early sporting events, academic
settings, and notable figures who contributed to the institution as graduates, teachers, and dynamic leaders.