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- For other Southern University campuses, see Southern University System.
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The concept of Southern University was put forth by P. B. S. Pinchback, T. T. Allain, and Henry Demas as an institution "for the education of persons of color" at the 1879 Louisiana State Constitutional Convention. In April 1880, the Louisiana General Assembly chartered Southern University, originally located in New Orleans. Southern opened its doors on 1881-03-07 with twelve students. One of the original locations of the early campus was the former Israel Sinai Temple Synagogue on Calliope Street, between St. Charles and Camp streets in New Orleans. Southern became a land grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established. Because of continued growth and a lack of land for expansion, the university relocated to what was then Scotlandville, along Scott's Bluff facing the Mississippi River in 1914.
[edit] The "New" Southern University
The new president and first president of what is now known as Southern University at Baton Rouge was Dr. Joseph Samuel Clark. Clark, an outstanding citizen in the Baton Rouge African American community, presided over Baton Rouge College and the Louisiana Colored Teachers Association. The Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1921 authorized the reorganization and expansion of Southern University; and Legislative Act 100 of 1922 provided that the institution be reorganized under the control of the State Board of Education. Clark presided over Southern University during a transitionary period for the institution. The student enrollment grew from forty-seven students to 500 students and many of the school's early buildings were built during this time. Clark presided until his retirement in 1938, at which time the position was given to his son, Dr. Felton Grandison Clark, a renowned speaker and gentleman. Under his tenure, the university underwent tremendous growth. About 33 of 114 current buildings were erected in his 30 years at the university. The student enrollment grew from 500 to nearly 10,000 students. Due to the reluctance of LSU Law School to admit African Americans into its law program, a special Louisiana Convention allowed a law program to come to Southern University in 1947. The university was one of the first historically black colleges to receive a visit from a First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1943. Also during Clark's tenure, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) (1956) and Southern University at Shreveport/Bossier City (SUSLA) (1964) were founded. They were later incorporated into the Southern University System in 1974.
In 1969, the university saw a changing of the guard, when Clark retired and Dr. Leon G. Netterville took over the reins of leadership. On November 16, 1972, two students involved with "Students United", a student protest group on the campus, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, were shot and killed outside the Old Auditorium (now the Southern University Museum of Art). The murder, apparently committed by a patrolman, has never been solved. Nevertheless, the institution continued to grow and in 1974 a special session in the Louisiana Legislature established the Southern University System. The Southern University System consists of Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, (SUBR); Southern University, New Orleans (SUNO); Southern University, Shreveport (SUSLA is a two-year, commuter college) Southern University Law Center and The Southern University Agricultural Center.
Southern University and its northern Louisiana rival, Grambling State University, participate in the Bayou Classic Football Game and other festivities (pageant, job fairs, street festival, concerts, Greek/Step Show and Battle Of The Bands) annually on the Thanksgiving Day weekend in New Orleans. The Classic is considered the "Grandfather" of all the college football classics that have spawned in recent years. The game attracts upwards of over 400,000 alumni, students, fans and other revelers to New Orleans each year and has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to New Orleans' economy since its inception in 1974. It is believed to be the largest gathering of African-Americans annually in the US. Due to Hurricane Katrina and subsequent damage to the Superdome in 2005, the game was moved to Houston, Texas, but it returned to New Orleans in 2006. It is the only historically black college or Division I-AA football game that is televised on a major network. NBC has carried the game live for over 15 years and each year it has become the highest rated college football telecast among African-Americans for the network. In addition, sports broadcaster ESPN chose the 2005 Bayou Classic as its highly sought-after locale for its most popular presentation, College GameDay with Lee Corso. It is the only time in the show's twenty-year history that it was broadcast from a game involving teams from two historically black universities or Division I-AA schools.
The widely acclaimed Southern University marching band is widely recognized as one of the top bands in the world. In addition to being featured in television commercials, the "Human Jukebox" has been invited to participate in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, Presidential Inauguration ceremonies and several Super Bowl halftime presentations. USA Today newspaper once named the band the number one marching band in the United States. For many years, the band was one of the few in the U.S. that had no female members but that has changed in recent years; currently there are over 20 female members.
The first season of the reality television series College Hill on BET premiered in 2004 with the Southern University campus as its locale.
The university is currently in the midst of a major campus facelift with the recent completion of several new dormitories, on campus apartments, renovation of on-campus A.W. Mumford Stadium and plans for construction of other infrastructure.
[edit] The Presidents of Southern University
[edit] Early Southern University
- A.R. Gourrier, 1881
- George Fayerweather, 1881-2
- Rev. C.H. Thompson, 1882-3
- Rev. J.H. Harrisond, 1883-
- George W. Bathwell, 1886-7
- H.A. Hill, 1887-1899
[edit] Modern Southern University
- Dr. Joseph S. Clark, 1914-1938
- Dr. Felton G. Clark, 1938-1969
- Dr. George L. Netterville, 1969-1974
- Dr. Jesse N. Stone 1974-1985
- Dr. Joffre T. Whisenton, 1985-1988
- Dr. Dolores Spikes, 1988-1996 (First female head of any college system in the U.S.)
- Dr. Leon Tarver II, 1997-2005
- Dr. Edward Jackson, (interim) 2005-2006
- Dr. Ralph Slaughter 2006-
[edit] Colleges within the University
- Honors College
- University College
- College of Agriculture, Family, and Consumer Sciences
- College of Arts and Humanities
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Sciences
- School of Architecture
- School of Nursing
- The Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
All Southern University programs are accredited and also are monitored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
[edit] Athletics
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[edit] Notable alumni
[edit] Sports figures
[edit] Entertainers
[edit] Politicians
[edit] Military commanders
[edit] Authors
| Name |
Class year |
Notability |
Reference |
| Olayinka Aikens |
|
Author of the novels "Smooth Operators", "Unfinished Business", and "Hollyhood" |
|
[edit] Faculty
| Name |
Class year |
Notability |
Reference |
| Alia Sabur |
|
Youngest Professor ever at 18 |
|
[edit] External links
