Louisiana Tech University
Encyclopedia
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducation
al public
research university
located in Ruston
, Louisiana
. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report
college rankings. As a designated space grant college, member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
, and Carnegie
Research University with high research activity (RU/H), Louisiana Tech conducts research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as NASA
, the National Institutes of Health
, the National Science Foundation
, and the Department of Defense
. The university is known for its engineering
programs. It features as one of the best institutions in the US for its innovation productivity (R&D output/dollar spent) in a study by the Association for University Technology Managers.
Louisiana Tech University opened as The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana in 1894 during the Second Industrial Revolution
. The original mission of the college was for the education of white students in the arts and sciences for the purpose of developing an industrial economy in post-Reconstruction Louisiana. Four years later, the state constitution changed the school's name to the Louisiana Industrial Institute. In 1921, the college changed its name to the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a larger and more capable technical institute
. Under the leadership of Dr. F. Jay Taylor, the college continued to grow and change over time. The Louisiana Polytechnic Institute became desegregated in the 1960s, and officially changed its name to Louisiana Tech University in 1970.
Louisiana Tech enrolled 11,804 students in five academic colleges during the Fall 2010 academic quarter including 2,803 students in the graduate school. In addition to the main campus in Ruston, Louisiana Tech holds classes at the Technology Transfer Center in Shreveport
, operates a satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force Base
in Bossier City, and maintains an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 305.
Louisiana Tech fields 16 varsity NCAA Division I sports teams (7 men's, 9 women's teams) and has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference
since 2001. The university is known for its football
team and Lady Techsters women's basketball
program which won three national championship titles (1981, 1982, 1988) and made 13 Final Four
appearances in the program's history.
George M. Lomax to introduce the proposed legislation during the upcoming session. Representative Lomax, Jackson Parish
Representative J. T. M. Hancock, and lawyer and future judge John B. Holstead fought for the passage of the bill. On July 6, 1894, the proposed bill was approved as Act Number 68 of the General Assembly of Louisiana.
The act established "The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana", an industrial institute created for the education of white children in the arts and sciences.
In 1894, Colonel Arthur T. Prescott was elected as the first president of the college. Colonel Prescott moved to Ruston and began overseeing the construction of a two-story main building. The brick building housed eight large classrooms, an auditorium, a chemical laboratory, and two offices. A frame building was also built nearby and was used for the instruction of mechanics. The Main Building was located on a plot of 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) that was donated to the school by Francis P. Stubbs. On September 23, 1895, the school started its first session with six faculty members and 202 students.
In May 1897, Harry Howard became the first graduate. Colonel Prescott awarded him with a Bachelor of Industry degree, but there was no formal commencement. The first formal commencement was held in the Ruston Opera House the following May with 10 graduates receiving their diplomas.
Article 256 of the 1898 state constitution changed the school's name to Louisiana Industrial Institute. Two years later, the course of study was reorganized into two years of preparatory work and three years of college level courses. Students who were high school graduates were admitted to the seventh quarter (college level) of study without examination. As years went by, courses changed and admissions requirements tightened. From 1917-1925, several curricula were organized according to the junior college standards and were offered as Bachelors of Industry. In 1919, the Board of Trustees enlarged the curricula and started granting a standard baccalaureate degree. The first of these was granted on June 15, 1921, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
The Constitution adopted June 18, 1921, changed the name of the school in Article XII, Section 9, from Louisiana Industrial Institute to Louisiana Polytechnic Institute.
of New Orleans
. The building was renamed after the death of former university president, J.E. Keeny, and remains the remodeled Keeny Hall.
Louisiana Polytechnic Institute experienced an infrastructure growth spurt in 1939 and 1940. Seven buildings were designed by architect Edward F. Neild, Jr. and completed at a cost of $2,054,270. The buildings constructed on the Tech campus were Aswell Hall (girls' dormitory), Robinson Hall (men's dormitory for juniors and seniors), Tolliver Hall (880 seat dining hall), Bogard Hall (the Engineering Building), the S.J. Wages Power Plant, Reese Agricultural Hall (located on the South Campus Tech Farm), and Howard Auditorium & Fine Arts Building.
During World War II
, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
In 1959, four students were awarded the first master's degrees by the institution.
Most of the modern buildings on the Main Campus were either built or renovated during Dr. Taylor's tenure as university president. The main athletic facilities were constructed during the Taylor Era including Joe Aillet Stadium
, the Thomas Assembly Center
, J.C. Love Field, and the Lady Techster Softball Complex. In addition to the athletic facilities, the 16-story Wyly Tower, Student Bookstore, Nethken Hall (Electrical Engineering
building), the University President's House, and the current College of Business Building were built on the Main Campus. In order to house the increasing student body of Louisiana Tech, Dr. Taylor led the construction of Graham, Harper, Kidd, Caruthers, and Neilson Residence Halls.
Dr. Taylor's time as Louisiana Tech president also marked the beginning of Lady Techster athletics. In 1974, Dr. Taylor established the Lady Techsters women's basketball
program with a $5,000 appropriation. He hired Sonja Hogg
, a 28-year old PE instructor at Ruston High School
, as the Lady Techsters' first head coach. Under Coach Hogg and her successor Leon Barmore
, the Lady Techsters won three National Championships during the 1980s. In 1980, Dr. Taylor founded the Lady Techster Softball
team with Barry Canterbury serving as the team's first head coach. The team made seven straight teams to the NCAA Softball Tournament and three trips to the Women's College World Series
during the 1980s.
The first doctorate was awarded in 1971, a doctorate of philosophy in chemical engineering
.
In 1992, Louisiana Tech became a "selective admissions" university. This university has increased their admissions criteria four times since 2000 by raising the minimum overall grade point average, composite ACT score, and class ranking.
Louisiana Tech has earned recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents
for its graduation rate and retention rate. According to a report of the Louisiana Board of Regents published in September 2010, Louisiana Tech has the second-highest graduation rate among the fourteen public universities in the state of Louisiana. The 53.16% 6-year graduation rate is second only to LSU. Louisiana Tech has a 74.4% retention rate among incoming freshmen who stays with the same school after the first year, the top rate among Louisiana's public universities.
Louisiana Tech became the first in the world to award a bachelor's of science in nanosystems engineering when Josh Brown earned his degree in May 2007.
As of May 2011, Louisiana Tech has awarded more than 91,300 degrees.
and U.S. Highways 80 and 167 are located within one mile (1.6 km) of the Main Campus. In addition, a set of railroad tracks operated by Kansas City Southern bisects the campus near Railroad Avenue.
The portion of the Main Campus located west of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include all of the university's major athletic facilities except for J.C. Love Field. The land east of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include the Lambright Intramural Center, J.C. Love Field, and the University Park Apartments. Most of the older residence halls are located near California Avenue and along Tech Drive south of the railroad tracks. The older part of the Main Campus is located south of Railroad Avenue. The proposed Enterprise Campus will be located on a 50 acres (202,343 m²) plot of land east of Homer Street and bordering the oldest part of the Main Campus.
In addition to the Main Campus, Louisiana Tech also has 474 acres (1.9 km²) of land located on the South Campus, 167 acre (0.67582562 km²) of farm land west of the Main Campus, 603 acres (2.4 km²) of forest land in Winn, Natchitoches, and Union Parishes, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land in Shreveport, a 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) golf course in Lincoln Parish, 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land for an arboretum west of the Main Campus, and a Flight Operations Center at the Ruston Municipal Airport.
The oldest existing building on Louisiana Tech's campus is the Ropp Center. The Italian-style, wood-frame house was constructed in 1911 and is named after R.L. Ropp, Louisiana Tech's President from 1949 to 1962. The Ropp Center served as the home of seven Louisiana Tech Presidents until a new president's house was built in 1972 on the west side of Tech's campus. The Ropp Center was used by the College of Home Economics for 13 years until the Office of Special Programs moved into the building in 1985. In 2002, a $1 million renovation was completed to transform the Ropp Center into a faculty and staff club that is used for special events and housing for on-campus guests.
The Quadrangle (the Quad) is the focal point of the oldest part of the Main Campus. The Quad is considered to be one of the most peaceful and beautiful locations at Louisiana Tech. Large oak trees and park benches all around the Quad provide students and visitors a quiet place to study and relax. At the center of the Quad is The Lady of the Mist sculpture and fountain, a landmark for students and alumni alike. The buildings surrounding the Quad are Keeny Hall, Howard Auditorium, the Student Center, the Bookstore, the Wyly Tower of Learning, the current Prescott Memorial Library, and the original Prescott Library now known as University Hall.
Another popular location on the Main Campus is Centennial Plaza. In 1994, Centennial Plaza was constructed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Louisiana Tech's founding. The plaza was funded by a student self-assessed fee and designed specifically for the use and enjoyment of the student body. Centennial Plaza is used for special events throughout the year, such as Christmas in the Plaza, movie events, and student organizational fairs. Centennial Plaza is one of the main gathering points of the students due to the plaza's close proximity to the on-campus restaurants, coffee shops, dining halls, university post office, and offices for Student Life, SGA, and Union Board. At the center of the plaza is the Clock Tower which has the sound and digital capabilities to play the Alma Mater, Fight Song, and any other songs and calls as needed. The Alumni Brick Walkway runs through Centennial Plaza and around the Clock Tower. A large Louisiana Tech seal marks the middle of Centennial Plaza just west of the Clock Tower. Centennial Plaza is enclosed by Tolliver Hall, the Student Center, Howard Auditorium, and Harper Residence Hall.
Louisiana Tech has two main dining halls on Wisteria Drive on the west end of Centennial Plaza. The first dining hall is the Student Center which is home to the cafeteria, a smaller dining hall for eating and socializing, the LA Tech Cafe, several small restaurants including Chick-fil-a
and Burger King
, and the Tonk. The Student Center is also home to the CEnIT Innovation Lab, several large study areas, and a conference room. One of the three bronze bulldog statues is located on the first floor of the Student Center near the entrance of the Tonk. Students pet the bulldog statue for good luck as they walk by the statue.
The second student center on the Tech campus is Tolliver Hall. Tolliver Hall, named after Tech's first full-time dietitian Irene Tolliver, is located at the west end of Centennial Plaza near the Wisteria Student Center. This two-story building was built in the 1920s as one of three dining halls at Louisiana Tech. The eating area in the second floor remained open until it was shut down in the 1980s. In 2003, nearly $3 million was spent to renovate Tolliver Hall into a modern cyber student center. The second floor now houses a cyber cafe which includes computer stations, a McAlister's Deli
restaurant, several smaller restaurants, a large dining area with big-screen televisions, and smaller tables surrounding the floor for dining and studying. The offices of the Louisiana Tech Student Government Association, Union Board, the International Student Office, and multicultural affairs are also housed on the second floor. The first floor is used as the post office for Tech's students, faculty, and administration officials.
In the past decade, Louisiana Tech built new buildings and renovated some of the Main Campus' older buildings. The university erected Davison Hall (home of the university's Professional Aviation program), the Micromanufacturing Building, and the Biomedical Engineering Building on the south end of the Main Campus along Hergot Avenue. Tech tore down the old Hale Hall and constructed a brand-new Hale Hall in the style and design of the predecessor in 2004. On the eastern edge of the campus, the university renovated the building now known as University Hall, redesigned the bookstore interior, and made needed repairs to Keeny Hall and Howard Auditorium. All of the major athletics facilities on the north part of the Main Campus have received major upgrades and renovations in the past five years.
Construction started in early 2011 on a new College of Business building. The 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) facility will serve as the centerpiece of the entrepreneurship and business programs of the College of Business. The building will feature new classrooms, two auditoriums, computer labs, research centers, meeting rooms, and career and student support centers.
Louisiana Tech has announced plans to construct a new 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) College of Engineering and Science building adjacent to Bogard Hall.
The campus also hosts the Idea Place, a science museum; A.E. Phillips Lab School, a K-8 school which is recognized as a "Five Star School" by the Louisiana Department of Education; and the Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy.
In 2010, Louisiana Tech finished the renovations of the old Visual Arts Building by transforming that building into the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Center. The E&I Center will serve as the central hub for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology's (CEnIT) programs and is located between the College of Business building and Bogard Hall (COES).
Louisiana Tech broke ground on Tech Pointe, the first building on the Enterprise Campus, in 2010. Tech Pointe will house the Cyberspace Research Laboratory as well as high-tech companies and start-up technology companies. The 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) facility will include access to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI), fiber-optic and Internet networks, advanced computing capabilities, and other information technology supports needed to meet the demands of 24/7 high-tech companies and specialized cyber security research. Tech Pointe is scheduled for completion sometime in 2011.
The university recently unveiled plans to build a new College of Engineering and Science (COES) building between Bogard Hall (the current COES building) and Tech Pointe. The three-story, 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building will provide new active learning class labs, engineering shops, meeting rooms for classes in math, science, and engineering. The new COES building will provide new learning space for the university's first-year and second-year engineering and science students for the first time since the completion of Bogard Hall in 1940. Upon completion of the new College of Engineering and Science building, Louisiana Tech plans to renovate and improve Bogard Hall.
in Bossier City, Louisiana
. The university works in conjunction with the Department of the Air Force to provide postsecondary education programs that are designed to meet the needs of Air Force personnel. While the primary focus of the Barksdale campus is to educate Air Force personnel, civilians are permitted to take part in the classes offered at the Barksdale campus if space is available. All courses offered at Tech Barksdale are taught on-base or online. The administrative offices for the Louisiana Tech Barksdale Air Force Program are located in the Base Education Center.
The Fall 2010 imcoming freshmen class at Louisiana Tech consisted of 1,600 students. This incoming freshmen class had an average 23.6 ACT score, with 22% scoring between 27-36, and 47% between 22-26. 88.3% of the 2010 freshmen class are Louisiana residents, 10.6% are out-of-state students, and 1.1% are international students. The university has 19 National Merit Scholars
, including five from the 2009 freshman class.
As of September 2010, the College of Education had the largest enrollment of any college at Louisiana Tech with 29.0% of the student body. The College of Engineering and Science
enrolled 18.4%. The College of Liberal Arts, the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, and the College of Business had 14.7%, 14.2%, and 8.7% respectively. About 14.9% of the student body were enrolled in Basic & Career Studies.
), industrial/organizational psychology, computational analysis and modeling, engineering, and biomedical engineering, with a joint MD/PhD
program with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
.
Applied and Natural Sciences
The College of Applied and Natural Sciences is made up of the Departments of Agricultural Science, Biological Sciences, Forestry, Health Informatics and Information Management, Human Ecology, and Nursing.
College of Business
The College of Business comprises the Departments of Accounting, Economics & Finance, Graduate Studies & Research, Management & Information Systems, and Marketing & Analysis.
Louisiana Tech College of Business also houses Academy of Marketing Science. Academy of Marketing Science is the premier body of both national and international marketing scholars. Academy of Marketing Science publishes the top marketing journal -"The Journal of Academy of Marketing Science". College of Business has one of the strongest professional selling and sales management scholarship.
In 2009, Louisiana Tech launched their Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program designed specifically for executives and managers. The curriculum of the EMBA program places an emphasis on strategic thinking, leadership skills, and management decision-making. The 30 credit hour (10 course) program is taught at the Technology Transfer Center in Shreveport and the CenturyLink
headquarters in Monroe. The Shreveport EMBA program hosted their first EMBA class in January 2009, and the second group of EMBA students will start their studies at Shreveport in 2011. The Monroe EMBA program held their first EMBA class in January 2010 in conjunction with the University of Louisiana at Monroe's College of Business, and their second group of EMBA students are scheduled in start their classes in 2012.
Education
The College of Education is made up of the departments of Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership, Kinesiology, and Psychological and Behavioral Sciences.
College of Engineering and Science
The College of Engineering and Science (COES) is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The COES offers thirteen undergraduate degrees including seven engineering degrees, two engineering technology degrees, and four science degrees. The college also offers seven Master of Science degrees and four Doctorate degrees.
The college started as the Department of Mechanics in 1894 with a two-year program in Mechanic Arts. Since its founding, the college expanded its degree program to include chemical engineering
, civil engineering
, electrical engineering
, and mechanical engineering
. The COES began offering one of the first biomedical engineering
curriculum programs in the United States in 1972 and the first nanosystems engineering BS degree in 2005.
Bogard Hall is the second and current home of the College of Engineering and Science. Louisiana Tech constructed the building in 1940 and named it after Frank Howard, the former Dean of Engineering at Louisiana Tech. The college also utilizes Nethken Hall, the Biomedical Engineering Building, the Institute for Micromanufacturing, and parts of Carson-Taylor Hall for the college's activities. In early 2011, Louisiana Tech announced plans to construct a new Integrated Engineering and Science Building adjacent to Bogard Hall. The 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building will provide new classrooms, shops, and meeting rooms for engineering, science, and math students at Louisiana Tech. When the new engineering building is complete, the university will begin renovations of Bogard Hall.
Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts consists of nine academic departments: Architecture, Art, History, Journalism, Literature and Language, Performing Arts, Professional Aviation, Social Science, and Speech. The college offers 26 degree programs, including 19 bachelors, 6 masters, and the doctorate degree in audiology
The College of Liberal Arts hosts the Louisiana Tech University Honors Program and the Air Force ROTC Detachment 305.
In 2001, Louisiana Tech proposed the creation of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT), a collaboration between the College of Engineering & Science (COES) and the College of Business (COB). The CEnIT focuses the resources of the two colleges and their related centers in promoting entrepreneurial research, technology transfer, and education. The CEnIT was approved in 2002 by the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors and the Board of Regents. As of 2011, the CEnIT is housed in the 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) CEnIT Innovation Lab on the main floor of the Student Center next to The Quad. The center will move to the newly-renovated University Hall building located next to the College of Business sometime in 2011.
The Top Dawg Competition was created in 2002 by the Association of Business, Engineering, and Science Entrepreneurs (ABESE), now known as Bulldog Entrepreneurs. The annual competition is hosted by Bulldog Entrepreneurs and in conjunction with the CEnIT, COES, College of Business, and the Technology Business Development Center (TBDC). The competition started as the Top Dawg Business Plan Competition in 2002 and expanded six years later to include the Idea Pitch Competition. Participants in the Top Dawg Competition create teams to develop innovative ideas into real businesses and showcase intellectual properties developed by Louisiana Tech researchers and students. The teams must foster an idea, create a business plan, and compete for cash prizes and resources needed to further develop the team's concept. The total amount of money awarded during each competition to the competing teams has grown since 2002 to $14,500 for the 2011 Competition. In addition to prize money from the COES and College of Business, additional prize money is awarded by Jones Walker, Louisiana Tech's Innovation Enterprise Fund, and the Ruston-Lincoln Parish Chamber of Commerce.
Louisiana Tech established the Global_Campus on September 16, 2008. The mission of the Global_Campus is "to position Louisiana Tech as a world-class leader in electronic learning
, offering new educational opportunities for a global community that meets the needs of undergraduate, graduate, and non-traditional students". The campus offers a variety of degree programs, certificate programs, and general education courses. Global_Campus focuses on providing more flexibility and choices to Tech's traditional students and complete online education services to non-traditional students, such as military, international, and dual enrollment students.
As of 2011, Global_Campus offers over 275 distance learning courses while more courses are in development. Louisiana Tech has six master's degree programs, two bachelor's degree programs, and one associate's degree program available via distance learning. In addition to the nine degree programs, Global_Campus offers eight professional development programs.
MurphyUSA@LaTech
In January 2011, Louisiana Tech and Murphy USA announced a partnership called "MurphyUSA@LaTech" with the first classes scheduled to start in the 2011 Summer Quarter. The joint venture is designed to provide "targeted educational and professional developmental programs" to MurphyUSA managers around the world. MurphyUSA@LaTech will be housed in the Division of Continuing Education and Distance Learning and is available only to active and eligible employees of Murphy Oil USA.
MurphyUSA@LaTech offers Certificates of Completion in Communications, Liberal Studies, Business, Psychology, History, English, and Social Services. The joint venture also offers the Bachelor of General Studies, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Engineering and Technology Management degree programs.
, Lagniappe, Greek
, religious, honor, service, spirit, intramurals, club sports, pre-professional, and special interest organizations.
The Louisiana Tech University Union Board organizes entertainment activities for Louisiana Tech students throughout the entire school year. About 80 students participate in Union Board each academic school year. The Union Board receives an annual budget of about $210,000 in Student Assessment Fees and uses the money to organize and produce the annual Talent Show, Spring Fling, Christmas in the Plaza, the Miss Tech Pageant, and other special events.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official governing body of the Louisiana Tech University Student Association (the student body) and consists of three branches; the Student Senate, Executive Branch, and the Supreme Court. The organization is responsible for the Welcome Week/Dawg Haul activities, Homecoming Week, the Big Event, short term student loans, voter registration drives for the student body, and other various activities throughout the year.
Louisiana Tech and neighboring Grambling State University operate an ROTC exchange program. Louisiana Tech operates the Air Force ROTC while Grambling operates the Army ROTC, and students from either school may participate in either program.
Since 2006, Louisiana Tech has played host to Summer Leadership School for Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from public school systems all over the United States. It is operated by normal USAF retirees, but mostly by college level Cadet Training Officers. These sessions are held towards the end of the month of June for nine days.
The Lagniappe
is Tech's yearbook. The Lagniappe, which literally means "something extra" was first published in 1905 and has been published every year since except for 1913-1921 and 1926. The yearbook's annual release date is around the last week of the regular school year in the middle of May. The Lagniappe was recognized in May 2011 as "First Class" by the Associated Collegiate Press and as one of the top 2 percent of high school and collegiate yearbooks by Balfour Publishing's "The Yearbook's Yearbook". Mary May Brown, the recently-retired faculty advisor of the Lagniappe for 23 years was named the Collegiate Publications Advisor of the Year by the Louisiana Press Women in 2011.
Louisiana Tech's local radio station is KLPI
. The radio station was founded as WLPI-AM in 1966 and originally housed in a rented office on Railroad Avenue in downtown Ruston. By 1974, construction was completed on KLPI-FM, and the radio station began broadcasting at 10 watts. Afterward, WLPI-AM was shut down due to maintenance problems with the station's equipment. Today, KLPI transmits at 4,000 watts of power and is located at the southeast corner of the Student Center at the heart of the Tech campus.
Louisiana TechTV
is the official student-run television station at Louisiana Tech since its launch in 2000. TechTV shows newly-released movies, TechTV news, personal news clips by the general student body, original programming like Tech Cribs, Tech Play, and informational slides for upcoming campus events.
A building program is underway to move from traditional dormitories to apartment-style complexes. The first of these, University Park, was opened in 2005 and houses up to 450 students. The second phase, known as University Park 2 (UP2) opened for the Fall 2008 quarter. The third phase, Park Place, opened fall quarter of 2009.
While the university is constructing new apartment-style student housing complexes, Louisiana Tech is moving to demolish some of the traditional dormitories. The Kidd Residence Hall on the southern part of the Tech campus was demolished in 2004. The University is also planning to demolish the Caruthers and Neilson Residence Halls on the north side of the campus in the future. The planned demolition of Caruthers Hall was postponed in 2005 to allow 300 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina
to stay in the dorm for three months.
. The Phi Mu Golf Tournament raised $7,000 in 2007 and $10,000 in 2009.
Sigma Kappa has held the "Kickin' Grass" kickball tournament to benefit the Alzheimers Research Foundation since 2009 and raised $2,300 during the 3rd Annual tournament in 2011.
The Greek organizations also participate in other university activities including the Big Event, Homecoming Week activities, the Homecoming Step Show, and Bulldog Football tailgating at Hide-Away Park near Joe Aillet Stadium. The fraternities and sororities participate in Greek Week each year during the spring quarter.
Louisiana Tech's Greek fraternities and sororities are governed by three governing boards. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs the eleven male fraternities, Panhellenic governs the four female sororities, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (also known as "the Pan") governs the six multicultural sororities and fraternities.
Louisiana Tech's fifteen athletic teams have competed in the Western Athletic Conference
since 2001. The university's seven men's teams are known as the Bulldogs and wear the university colors of red and blue. The nine women's teams are known as the Lady Techsters and wear the colors of red and Columbia blue.
In the past four years, Louisiana Tech launched a campaign to improve the on-campus athletic facilities. The facility improvements include renovations to Joe Aillet Stadium
, the Thomas Assembly Center
, J.C. Love Field, and the Lady Techster Softball Complex. In addition to the recent renovations, Tech constructed new facilities including the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex, Lady Techster Soccer Field, Lambright Bowling Alley, and Louisiana Tech Tennis Complex. In 2010, Louisiana Tech announced the "Quest For Excellence" campaign. The $20 million project will finance the construction of a 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) facility in Joe Aillet Stadium's south endzone. The endzone facility will include a new sports medicine facility, strength & conditioning center, academic center, coaches' offices, locker rooms, administrative suites, and meeting rooms for the university's athletic department personnel. The South endzone complex will also include a Hall of Fame memorabilia area and large premium seating club.
and has competed at the Division I FBS level since 1989. In its 110 years of existence, Tech's football program has won three National Championships (1972-National Football Foundation Co-National Champions, 1973-Division II National Champions, 1974-UPI College Division National Champions), played in five Division I bowl games (2-2-1 overall record), and earned 25 conference titles. Its former players include 50 All-American players including Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
, Fred Dean
, Willie Roaf
, Matt Stover
, Ryan Moats
, Josh Scobee
, Troy Edwards
, Tim Rattay
, Luke McCown
, and Tramon Williams
.
The football team competes as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision institution in the Western Athletic Conference
. The Bulldogs are coached by head coach Sonny Dykes
and play their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium
on the north end of the Tech campus.
Three Bulldogs have had their numbers retired by Louisiana Tech. These basketball players are future Lady Techster Head Coach Leon Barmore
(#12), Karl Malone (#32), and collegiate All-American player Jackie Moreland
(#42). Other notable former Bulldog players include Paul Millsap
, P.J. Brown, Tim Floyd
, and Magnum Rolle
.
The Bulldogs are led by head coach Michael White and play their home games on Karl Malone Court at the Thomas Assembly Center
. Former Bulldog and Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone
is the program's Director of Basketball Promotions and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
as its first head coach. The Lady Techsters have won three national championships (1981, 1982, 1988), 20 conference titles, and 16 conference tournaments. The program has also appeared in eight AIAW/NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament finals, 13 Final Fours, and 27 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournaments including 25 in a row from 1982 to 2006. After a two-year hiatus from postseason play, the Lady Techsters have played in postseason tournaments each of the last three years (WNIT in 2009, NCAA Tournament in 2010 & 2011).
Alumnae of the program include WNBA All-Stars Teresa Weatherspoon
, Betty Lennox
, Cheryl Ford
, and Kim Mulkey, the first and only woman to have won NCAA Division I basketball titles as a player and head coach. Three former assistant coaches of the Lady Techsters basketball team have won NCAA National Women's Basketball Championships as head coaches: Leon Barmore (1988 with Louisiana Tech), Kim Mulkey (2005 with Baylor
), and Gary Blair
(2011 with Texas A&M
).
The team played their home games at Memorial Gym on Louisiana Tech's campus from 1974 until 1982 when the Thomas Assembly Center
was constructed. The team is coached by former Lady Techster and WNBA All-Star Teresa Weatherspoon
and plays its home games at the Thomas Assembly Center.
The statue and fountain was funded in 1938 by the Women's Panhellenic Association of Ruston, the governing body of the university's sorority groups. The Lady of the Mist was the idea of Art & Architecture faculty member Mary Moffett and Art Department Chair Elizabeth Bethea. The Lady of the Mist was created by Duncan Ferguson and Jules Struppeck and specifically located in the middle of the Quad facing north toward the old North entrance columns of the Tech campus. This was done to welcome everyone to the campus as people looked through the North entrance columns to see the statue's open arms waiting to greet them.
The Lady fell into disrepair in the years after its construction. In 1985, the statue was restored through the efforts of the Student Government Association, Panhellenic, the Residence Hall Association, and the Association of Women Students. Today, the statue remains a focal point of students and alumni who return to the Tech campus.
Before the convocation ceremony begins, each freshmen student receives a medallion and is expected to hold onto the medallion until the ending of the ceremony where they walk from Howard Auditorium along a candlelit, alumni-lined path to the Lady of the Mist. When the freshmen students reach the Lady of the Mist, they deposit the medallions into the fountain as a symbol of their own investment in themselves and Louisiana Tech. Upon graduation from Louisiana Tech, the student will receive the medallion during the commencement ceremony. Each medallion has a picture of the Lady of the Mist on the front and the Tenets of Tech on the back.
in 2004-2005; however, such plans have not materialized yet.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al public
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
research university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
college rankings. As a designated space grant college, member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is an American voluntary, non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. It has member campuses in all 50 states and the U.S. territories...
, and Carnegie
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
Research University with high research activity (RU/H), Louisiana Tech conducts research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, and the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. The university is known for its engineering
Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science
The College of Engineering and Science is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The roots of the current COES date back to the founding of Louisiana Tech in 1894 when the Department of Mechanics was created. Today, the college includes seven engineering programs, four science...
programs. It features as one of the best institutions in the US for its innovation productivity (R&D output/dollar spent) in a study by the Association for University Technology Managers.
Louisiana Tech University opened as The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana in 1894 during the Second Industrial Revolution
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I...
. The original mission of the college was for the education of white students in the arts and sciences for the purpose of developing an industrial economy in post-Reconstruction Louisiana. Four years later, the state constitution changed the school's name to the Louisiana Industrial Institute. In 1921, the college changed its name to the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a larger and more capable technical institute
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
. Under the leadership of Dr. F. Jay Taylor, the college continued to grow and change over time. The Louisiana Polytechnic Institute became desegregated in the 1960s, and officially changed its name to Louisiana Tech University in 1970.
Louisiana Tech enrolled 11,804 students in five academic colleges during the Fall 2010 academic quarter including 2,803 students in the graduate school. In addition to the main campus in Ruston, Louisiana Tech holds classes at the Technology Transfer Center in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, operates a satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
in Bossier City, and maintains an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 305.
Louisiana Tech fields 16 varsity NCAA Division I sports teams (7 men's, 9 women's teams) and has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
since 2001. The university is known for its football
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...
team and Lady Techsters women's basketball
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
program which won three national championship titles (1981, 1982, 1988) and made 13 Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
appearances in the program's history.
History
Early Years
On May 14, 1894, the Lincoln Parish Police Jury held a special session to outline plans to secure an Industrial School for Lincoln Parish. The police jury called upon State RepresentativeLouisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
George M. Lomax to introduce the proposed legislation during the upcoming session. Representative Lomax, Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro...
Representative J. T. M. Hancock, and lawyer and future judge John B. Holstead fought for the passage of the bill. On July 6, 1894, the proposed bill was approved as Act Number 68 of the General Assembly of Louisiana.
The act established "The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana", an industrial institute created for the education of white children in the arts and sciences.
In 1894, Colonel Arthur T. Prescott was elected as the first president of the college. Colonel Prescott moved to Ruston and began overseeing the construction of a two-story main building. The brick building housed eight large classrooms, an auditorium, a chemical laboratory, and two offices. A frame building was also built nearby and was used for the instruction of mechanics. The Main Building was located on a plot of 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) that was donated to the school by Francis P. Stubbs. On September 23, 1895, the school started its first session with six faculty members and 202 students.
In May 1897, Harry Howard became the first graduate. Colonel Prescott awarded him with a Bachelor of Industry degree, but there was no formal commencement. The first formal commencement was held in the Ruston Opera House the following May with 10 graduates receiving their diplomas.
Article 256 of the 1898 state constitution changed the school's name to Louisiana Industrial Institute. Two years later, the course of study was reorganized into two years of preparatory work and three years of college level courses. Students who were high school graduates were admitted to the seventh quarter (college level) of study without examination. As years went by, courses changed and admissions requirements tightened. From 1917-1925, several curricula were organized according to the junior college standards and were offered as Bachelors of Industry. In 1919, the Board of Trustees enlarged the curricula and started granting a standard baccalaureate degree. The first of these was granted on June 15, 1921, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
The Constitution adopted June 18, 1921, changed the name of the school in Article XII, Section 9, from Louisiana Industrial Institute to Louisiana Polytechnic Institute.
Expansion and Growth
The Main Building, a.k.a. Old Main, burned to the ground in 1936, but the columns that marked the entrance remain in place behind Prescott Memorial Library. By June 1936, construction on a new administration building had begun. On completion in January 1937, it was named Leche Hall in honor of then Governor Richard W. LecheRichard W. Leche
Richard Webster Leche was the 44th Governor of Louisiana from 1936 until 1939. Leche was the first governor of Louisiana sentenced to prison.- Early life :...
of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The building was renamed after the death of former university president, J.E. Keeny, and remains the remodeled Keeny Hall.
Louisiana Polytechnic Institute experienced an infrastructure growth spurt in 1939 and 1940. Seven buildings were designed by architect Edward F. Neild, Jr. and completed at a cost of $2,054,270. The buildings constructed on the Tech campus were Aswell Hall (girls' dormitory), Robinson Hall (men's dormitory for juniors and seniors), Tolliver Hall (880 seat dining hall), Bogard Hall (the Engineering Building), the S.J. Wages Power Plant, Reese Agricultural Hall (located on the South Campus Tech Farm), and Howard Auditorium & Fine Arts Building.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
In 1959, four students were awarded the first master's degrees by the institution.
University Era
In 1962, Dr. F. (Foster) Jay Taylor became the 12th President of the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute. During his 25 years at president, Dr. Taylor oversaw the transformation of the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute into Louisiana Tech University. The university's enrollment grew from about 3,000 students in 1962 to roughly 12,000 students in 1987.Most of the modern buildings on the Main Campus were either built or renovated during Dr. Taylor's tenure as university president. The main athletic facilities were constructed during the Taylor Era including Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium is a stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, USA. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs...
, the Thomas Assembly Center
Thomas Assembly Center
The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,098-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M...
, J.C. Love Field, and the Lady Techster Softball Complex. In addition to the athletic facilities, the 16-story Wyly Tower, Student Bookstore, Nethken Hall (Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
building), the University President's House, and the current College of Business Building were built on the Main Campus. In order to house the increasing student body of Louisiana Tech, Dr. Taylor led the construction of Graham, Harper, Kidd, Caruthers, and Neilson Residence Halls.
Dr. Taylor's time as Louisiana Tech president also marked the beginning of Lady Techster athletics. In 1974, Dr. Taylor established the Lady Techsters women's basketball
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
program with a $5,000 appropriation. He hired Sonja Hogg
Sonja Hogg
Sonja Hogg is the former head woman's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech University and at Baylor University.Hogg was a physical education teacher at Ruston High School when she interviewed at Louisiana Tech for a position in its P.E. department. School president Dr. F. Jay Taylor remarked that...
, a 28-year old PE instructor at Ruston High School
Ruston High School
Ruston High School is a 4 year public high school located in the Lincoln Parish School District of Ruston, Louisiana, United States. The school has an enrollment of approximately 1200 students with 85 faculty members; the mascot is the bearcat. The school colors are red and white. Black students...
, as the Lady Techsters' first head coach. Under Coach Hogg and her successor Leon Barmore
Leon Barmore
Leon Barmore is a college women's basketball coach. He coached at Louisiana Tech University from 1982 to 2002, serving the first three years as co-head coach with Sonja Hogg, who had begun the program in 1974 at the invitation of university president F. Jay Taylor...
, the Lady Techsters won three National Championships during the 1980s. In 1980, Dr. Taylor founded the Lady Techster Softball
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters softball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters softball team represents Louisiana Tech University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Western Athletic Conference. They are currently coached by head coach Sarah Dawson and assistant coaches Brad Kerr and Amber Miles. They play...
team with Barry Canterbury serving as the team's first head coach. The team made seven straight teams to the NCAA Softball Tournament and three trips to the Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
during the 1980s.
The first doctorate was awarded in 1971, a doctorate of philosophy in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
.
In 1992, Louisiana Tech became a "selective admissions" university. This university has increased their admissions criteria four times since 2000 by raising the minimum overall grade point average, composite ACT score, and class ranking.
Louisiana Tech has earned recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents
Louisiana Board of Regents
The Louisiana Board of Regents is a government agency in the U.S. state of Louisiana that is responsible for coordination of all public higher education in the state...
for its graduation rate and retention rate. According to a report of the Louisiana Board of Regents published in September 2010, Louisiana Tech has the second-highest graduation rate among the fourteen public universities in the state of Louisiana. The 53.16% 6-year graduation rate is second only to LSU. Louisiana Tech has a 74.4% retention rate among incoming freshmen who stays with the same school after the first year, the top rate among Louisiana's public universities.
Louisiana Tech became the first in the world to award a bachelor's of science in nanosystems engineering when Josh Brown earned his degree in May 2007.
As of May 2011, Louisiana Tech has awarded more than 91,300 degrees.
Campus
The campus of Louisiana Tech University is located in Ruston, Louisiana. The major roads that border or intersect the Tech campus are Tech Drive, California Avenue, Alabama Avenue, and Railroad Avenue. Interstate 20Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
and U.S. Highways 80 and 167 are located within one mile (1.6 km) of the Main Campus. In addition, a set of railroad tracks operated by Kansas City Southern bisects the campus near Railroad Avenue.
The portion of the Main Campus located west of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include all of the university's major athletic facilities except for J.C. Love Field. The land east of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include the Lambright Intramural Center, J.C. Love Field, and the University Park Apartments. Most of the older residence halls are located near California Avenue and along Tech Drive south of the railroad tracks. The older part of the Main Campus is located south of Railroad Avenue. The proposed Enterprise Campus will be located on a 50 acres (202,343 m²) plot of land east of Homer Street and bordering the oldest part of the Main Campus.
In addition to the Main Campus, Louisiana Tech also has 474 acres (1.9 km²) of land located on the South Campus, 167 acre (0.67582562 km²) of farm land west of the Main Campus, 603 acres (2.4 km²) of forest land in Winn, Natchitoches, and Union Parishes, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land in Shreveport, a 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) golf course in Lincoln Parish, 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land for an arboretum west of the Main Campus, and a Flight Operations Center at the Ruston Municipal Airport.
Main Campus
The Main Campus at Louisiana Tech University originated in 1894 as a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) plot of land with only two buildings, The Old Main Building and a frame building nearby used by the Department of Mechanics (the forerunner of the College of Engineering and Science). Today, the Main Campus is housed on 280 acres (1.1 km²) of land with 86 buildings including 22 apartment buildings for the University Park Apartments on the north part of the campus. Many of the buildings, especially the older buildings, on the Main Campus are built in the Colonial Revival style. Bogard Hall, Howard Auditorium, Keeny Hall, University Hall (formerly the original Prescott Library), Reese Hall, Robinson Hall, and Tolliver Hall are all included on the National Register of Historical Places.The oldest existing building on Louisiana Tech's campus is the Ropp Center. The Italian-style, wood-frame house was constructed in 1911 and is named after R.L. Ropp, Louisiana Tech's President from 1949 to 1962. The Ropp Center served as the home of seven Louisiana Tech Presidents until a new president's house was built in 1972 on the west side of Tech's campus. The Ropp Center was used by the College of Home Economics for 13 years until the Office of Special Programs moved into the building in 1985. In 2002, a $1 million renovation was completed to transform the Ropp Center into a faculty and staff club that is used for special events and housing for on-campus guests.
The Quadrangle (the Quad) is the focal point of the oldest part of the Main Campus. The Quad is considered to be one of the most peaceful and beautiful locations at Louisiana Tech. Large oak trees and park benches all around the Quad provide students and visitors a quiet place to study and relax. At the center of the Quad is The Lady of the Mist sculpture and fountain, a landmark for students and alumni alike. The buildings surrounding the Quad are Keeny Hall, Howard Auditorium, the Student Center, the Bookstore, the Wyly Tower of Learning, the current Prescott Memorial Library, and the original Prescott Library now known as University Hall.
Another popular location on the Main Campus is Centennial Plaza. In 1994, Centennial Plaza was constructed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Louisiana Tech's founding. The plaza was funded by a student self-assessed fee and designed specifically for the use and enjoyment of the student body. Centennial Plaza is used for special events throughout the year, such as Christmas in the Plaza, movie events, and student organizational fairs. Centennial Plaza is one of the main gathering points of the students due to the plaza's close proximity to the on-campus restaurants, coffee shops, dining halls, university post office, and offices for Student Life, SGA, and Union Board. At the center of the plaza is the Clock Tower which has the sound and digital capabilities to play the Alma Mater, Fight Song, and any other songs and calls as needed. The Alumni Brick Walkway runs through Centennial Plaza and around the Clock Tower. A large Louisiana Tech seal marks the middle of Centennial Plaza just west of the Clock Tower. Centennial Plaza is enclosed by Tolliver Hall, the Student Center, Howard Auditorium, and Harper Residence Hall.
Louisiana Tech has two main dining halls on Wisteria Drive on the west end of Centennial Plaza. The first dining hall is the Student Center which is home to the cafeteria, a smaller dining hall for eating and socializing, the LA Tech Cafe, several small restaurants including Chick-fil-a
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
and Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, and the Tonk. The Student Center is also home to the CEnIT Innovation Lab, several large study areas, and a conference room. One of the three bronze bulldog statues is located on the first floor of the Student Center near the entrance of the Tonk. Students pet the bulldog statue for good luck as they walk by the statue.
The second student center on the Tech campus is Tolliver Hall. Tolliver Hall, named after Tech's first full-time dietitian Irene Tolliver, is located at the west end of Centennial Plaza near the Wisteria Student Center. This two-story building was built in the 1920s as one of three dining halls at Louisiana Tech. The eating area in the second floor remained open until it was shut down in the 1980s. In 2003, nearly $3 million was spent to renovate Tolliver Hall into a modern cyber student center. The second floor now houses a cyber cafe which includes computer stations, a McAlister's Deli
McAlister's Deli
McAlister's Deli is a chain of fast casual restaurants founded in 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi by retired dentist Dr. Don Newcomb. There are currently over 300 locations in 23 states, ranging from Virginia in the East to Florida in the South to New Mexico in West to Indiana in the Midwest...
restaurant, several smaller restaurants, a large dining area with big-screen televisions, and smaller tables surrounding the floor for dining and studying. The offices of the Louisiana Tech Student Government Association, Union Board, the International Student Office, and multicultural affairs are also housed on the second floor. The first floor is used as the post office for Tech's students, faculty, and administration officials.
In the past decade, Louisiana Tech built new buildings and renovated some of the Main Campus' older buildings. The university erected Davison Hall (home of the university's Professional Aviation program), the Micromanufacturing Building, and the Biomedical Engineering Building on the south end of the Main Campus along Hergot Avenue. Tech tore down the old Hale Hall and constructed a brand-new Hale Hall in the style and design of the predecessor in 2004. On the eastern edge of the campus, the university renovated the building now known as University Hall, redesigned the bookstore interior, and made needed repairs to Keeny Hall and Howard Auditorium. All of the major athletics facilities on the north part of the Main Campus have received major upgrades and renovations in the past five years.
Construction started in early 2011 on a new College of Business building. The 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) facility will serve as the centerpiece of the entrepreneurship and business programs of the College of Business. The building will feature new classrooms, two auditoriums, computer labs, research centers, meeting rooms, and career and student support centers.
Louisiana Tech has announced plans to construct a new 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) College of Engineering and Science building adjacent to Bogard Hall.
The campus also hosts the Idea Place, a science museum; A.E. Phillips Lab School, a K-8 school which is recognized as a "Five Star School" by the Louisiana Department of Education; and the Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy.
South Campus
South Campus is located just southeast of the main campus in Ruston and covers over 80 acre (32 ha). It is home to the School of Forestry, Department of Agricultural Studies, Center for Rural Development, Equine Center, and Tech Farm. The Tech Farm Salesroom markets dairy, meat, and plant products produced and processed by Tech Farm to the public.Enterprise Campus
In Fall Quarter 2009, the University broke ground on the new Enterprise Campus which will expand the campus by 50 acre (20 ha) upon completion. The Enterprise Campus will be a green building project and will be a research facility available to technology companies and businesses. The Enterprise campus will also try to bridge the Engineering and Business colleges with the addition of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC).In 2010, Louisiana Tech finished the renovations of the old Visual Arts Building by transforming that building into the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Center. The E&I Center will serve as the central hub for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology's (CEnIT) programs and is located between the College of Business building and Bogard Hall (COES).
Louisiana Tech broke ground on Tech Pointe, the first building on the Enterprise Campus, in 2010. Tech Pointe will house the Cyberspace Research Laboratory as well as high-tech companies and start-up technology companies. The 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) facility will include access to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI), fiber-optic and Internet networks, advanced computing capabilities, and other information technology supports needed to meet the demands of 24/7 high-tech companies and specialized cyber security research. Tech Pointe is scheduled for completion sometime in 2011.
The university recently unveiled plans to build a new College of Engineering and Science (COES) building between Bogard Hall (the current COES building) and Tech Pointe. The three-story, 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building will provide new active learning class labs, engineering shops, meeting rooms for classes in math, science, and engineering. The new COES building will provide new learning space for the university's first-year and second-year engineering and science students for the first time since the completion of Bogard Hall in 1940. Upon completion of the new College of Engineering and Science building, Louisiana Tech plans to renovate and improve Bogard Hall.
Barksdale Campus
Since September 1965, Louisiana Tech has offered on-base degree programs through its satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
in Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
. The university works in conjunction with the Department of the Air Force to provide postsecondary education programs that are designed to meet the needs of Air Force personnel. While the primary focus of the Barksdale campus is to educate Air Force personnel, civilians are permitted to take part in the classes offered at the Barksdale campus if space is available. All courses offered at Tech Barksdale are taught on-base or online. The administrative offices for the Louisiana Tech Barksdale Air Force Program are located in the Base Education Center.
Student body
As of the Fall 2010 quarter, Louisiana Tech had an enrollment of 11,804 students pursuing degrees in six academic colleges. The student body has members from every Louisiana parish except Cameron Parish, 46 U.S. states and 64 foreign countries. Louisiana residents account for 85.4% of the student population, while out-of-state students and international students account for 8.9% and 5.7% of the student body respectively. The student body at Louisiana Tech is 61.1% white, 13.0% black, 5.7% international students, and 20.1% other or "unknown" ethnicity. The student body consists of 52.7% women and 48.3% men.The Fall 2010 imcoming freshmen class at Louisiana Tech consisted of 1,600 students. This incoming freshmen class had an average 23.6 ACT score, with 22% scoring between 27-36, and 47% between 22-26. 88.3% of the 2010 freshmen class are Louisiana residents, 10.6% are out-of-state students, and 1.1% are international students. The university has 19 National Merit Scholars
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
, including five from the 2009 freshman class.
As of September 2010, the College of Education had the largest enrollment of any college at Louisiana Tech with 29.0% of the student body. The College of Engineering and Science
Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science
The College of Engineering and Science is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The roots of the current COES date back to the founding of Louisiana Tech in 1894 when the Department of Mechanics was created. Today, the college includes seven engineering programs, four science...
enrolled 18.4%. The College of Liberal Arts, the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, and the College of Business had 14.7%, 14.2%, and 8.7% respectively. About 14.9% of the student body were enrolled in Basic & Career Studies.
Rankings
- 1st: Top public school with best "total out-of-state costs" by Kiplinger's Magazine 2009-10
- 1st: Top public school with best "out-of-state costs after aid" Kiplinger's Magazine 2009-10
- 2nd: 2008 Top University Faculty List by RateMyProfessors.com
- 125th: Best Engineering schools in the national universities category by US News & World Report 2011
- 7th: Best institution in graduating students with the least amount of debt
- 7th: Best institution in nanotechnology commercialization in the nation Small Times 2009
- 92nd: Best value in public colleges and universities by Kiplinger's Magazine 2009-10
Colleges
The university confers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees through its five academic colleges. Additionally, LA Tech offers doctoral degrees in audiology, business administration, counseling psychology (accredited by the American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
), industrial/organizational psychology, computational analysis and modeling, engineering, and biomedical engineering, with a joint MD/PhD
MD/PhD
MD/PhD refers to an education which includes both the medical training of a physician with the rigor of a scientific researcher . It can refer to the designation given to a person who has graduated from such an education, or an educational program which incorporates both curricula.-Profession:An...
program with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport is the academic center for medicine and medical research in North Louisiana. It is located in Shreveport and is part of the Louisiana State University System. The medical school opened in 1969. One of its founders was Dr. Joe E...
.
Applied and Natural Sciences
The College of Applied and Natural Sciences is made up of the Departments of Agricultural Science, Biological Sciences, Forestry, Health Informatics and Information Management, Human Ecology, and Nursing.
College of Business
The College of Business comprises the Departments of Accounting, Economics & Finance, Graduate Studies & Research, Management & Information Systems, and Marketing & Analysis.
Louisiana Tech College of Business also houses Academy of Marketing Science. Academy of Marketing Science is the premier body of both national and international marketing scholars. Academy of Marketing Science publishes the top marketing journal -"The Journal of Academy of Marketing Science". College of Business has one of the strongest professional selling and sales management scholarship.
In 2009, Louisiana Tech launched their Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program designed specifically for executives and managers. The curriculum of the EMBA program places an emphasis on strategic thinking, leadership skills, and management decision-making. The 30 credit hour (10 course) program is taught at the Technology Transfer Center in Shreveport and the CenturyLink
CenturyLink
CenturyLink, Inc. is a United States telecommunications firm, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. The company, founded as Central Telephone & Electronics Corporation in 1968, later changed its name to Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. in 1971, and then was called CenturyTel, Inc. from 1999 to 2010...
headquarters in Monroe. The Shreveport EMBA program hosted their first EMBA class in January 2009, and the second group of EMBA students will start their studies at Shreveport in 2011. The Monroe EMBA program held their first EMBA class in January 2010 in conjunction with the University of Louisiana at Monroe's College of Business, and their second group of EMBA students are scheduled in start their classes in 2012.
Education
The College of Education is made up of the departments of Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership, Kinesiology, and Psychological and Behavioral Sciences.
College of Engineering and Science
Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science
The College of Engineering and Science is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The roots of the current COES date back to the founding of Louisiana Tech in 1894 when the Department of Mechanics was created. Today, the college includes seven engineering programs, four science...
The College of Engineering and Science (COES) is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The COES offers thirteen undergraduate degrees including seven engineering degrees, two engineering technology degrees, and four science degrees. The college also offers seven Master of Science degrees and four Doctorate degrees.
The college started as the Department of Mechanics in 1894 with a two-year program in Mechanic Arts. Since its founding, the college expanded its degree program to include chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, and mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. The COES began offering one of the first biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve...
curriculum programs in the United States in 1972 and the first nanosystems engineering BS degree in 2005.
Bogard Hall is the second and current home of the College of Engineering and Science. Louisiana Tech constructed the building in 1940 and named it after Frank Howard, the former Dean of Engineering at Louisiana Tech. The college also utilizes Nethken Hall, the Biomedical Engineering Building, the Institute for Micromanufacturing, and parts of Carson-Taylor Hall for the college's activities. In early 2011, Louisiana Tech announced plans to construct a new Integrated Engineering and Science Building adjacent to Bogard Hall. The 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building will provide new classrooms, shops, and meeting rooms for engineering, science, and math students at Louisiana Tech. When the new engineering building is complete, the university will begin renovations of Bogard Hall.
Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts consists of nine academic departments: Architecture, Art, History, Journalism, Literature and Language, Performing Arts, Professional Aviation, Social Science, and Speech. The college offers 26 degree programs, including 19 bachelors, 6 masters, and the doctorate degree in audiology
The College of Liberal Arts hosts the Louisiana Tech University Honors Program and the Air Force ROTC Detachment 305.
Interdisciplinary Centers
Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT)In 2001, Louisiana Tech proposed the creation of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT), a collaboration between the College of Engineering & Science (COES) and the College of Business (COB). The CEnIT focuses the resources of the two colleges and their related centers in promoting entrepreneurial research, technology transfer, and education. The CEnIT was approved in 2002 by the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors and the Board of Regents. As of 2011, the CEnIT is housed in the 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) CEnIT Innovation Lab on the main floor of the Student Center next to The Quad. The center will move to the newly-renovated University Hall building located next to the College of Business sometime in 2011.
The Top Dawg Competition was created in 2002 by the Association of Business, Engineering, and Science Entrepreneurs (ABESE), now known as Bulldog Entrepreneurs. The annual competition is hosted by Bulldog Entrepreneurs and in conjunction with the CEnIT, COES, College of Business, and the Technology Business Development Center (TBDC). The competition started as the Top Dawg Business Plan Competition in 2002 and expanded six years later to include the Idea Pitch Competition. Participants in the Top Dawg Competition create teams to develop innovative ideas into real businesses and showcase intellectual properties developed by Louisiana Tech researchers and students. The teams must foster an idea, create a business plan, and compete for cash prizes and resources needed to further develop the team's concept. The total amount of money awarded during each competition to the competing teams has grown since 2002 to $14,500 for the 2011 Competition. In addition to prize money from the COES and College of Business, additional prize money is awarded by Jones Walker, Louisiana Tech's Innovation Enterprise Fund, and the Ruston-Lincoln Parish Chamber of Commerce.
Continuing Education and Distance Learning
Global_CampusLouisiana Tech established the Global_Campus on September 16, 2008. The mission of the Global_Campus is "to position Louisiana Tech as a world-class leader in electronic learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
, offering new educational opportunities for a global community that meets the needs of undergraduate, graduate, and non-traditional students". The campus offers a variety of degree programs, certificate programs, and general education courses. Global_Campus focuses on providing more flexibility and choices to Tech's traditional students and complete online education services to non-traditional students, such as military, international, and dual enrollment students.
As of 2011, Global_Campus offers over 275 distance learning courses while more courses are in development. Louisiana Tech has six master's degree programs, two bachelor's degree programs, and one associate's degree program available via distance learning. In addition to the nine degree programs, Global_Campus offers eight professional development programs.
MurphyUSA@LaTech
In January 2011, Louisiana Tech and Murphy USA announced a partnership called "MurphyUSA@LaTech" with the first classes scheduled to start in the 2011 Summer Quarter. The joint venture is designed to provide "targeted educational and professional developmental programs" to MurphyUSA managers around the world. MurphyUSA@LaTech will be housed in the Division of Continuing Education and Distance Learning and is available only to active and eligible employees of Murphy Oil USA.
MurphyUSA@LaTech offers Certificates of Completion in Communications, Liberal Studies, Business, Psychology, History, English, and Social Services. The joint venture also offers the Bachelor of General Studies, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Engineering and Technology Management degree programs.
Activities
Louisiana Tech has over 163 officially recognized student organizations. Students can opt to participate in Student Government, Union Board, The Tech Talk, Louisiana TechTVLouisiana TechTV
TechTV is a 24-hour Cable television channel for students of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, featuring news and shows about Louisiana Tech affairs and events. Originally titled "ResTV", the information-based television channel started off as a Public-access television cable TV...
, Lagniappe, Greek
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
, religious, honor, service, spirit, intramurals, club sports, pre-professional, and special interest organizations.
The Louisiana Tech University Union Board organizes entertainment activities for Louisiana Tech students throughout the entire school year. About 80 students participate in Union Board each academic school year. The Union Board receives an annual budget of about $210,000 in Student Assessment Fees and uses the money to organize and produce the annual Talent Show, Spring Fling, Christmas in the Plaza, the Miss Tech Pageant, and other special events.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official governing body of the Louisiana Tech University Student Association (the student body) and consists of three branches; the Student Senate, Executive Branch, and the Supreme Court. The organization is responsible for the Welcome Week/Dawg Haul activities, Homecoming Week, the Big Event, short term student loans, voter registration drives for the student body, and other various activities throughout the year.
Louisiana Tech and neighboring Grambling State University operate an ROTC exchange program. Louisiana Tech operates the Air Force ROTC while Grambling operates the Army ROTC, and students from either school may participate in either program.
Since 2006, Louisiana Tech has played host to Summer Leadership School for Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from public school systems all over the United States. It is operated by normal USAF retirees, but mostly by college level Cadet Training Officers. These sessions are held towards the end of the month of June for nine days.
Media
The Tech Talk is Louisiana Tech's official student newspaper for the past 86 years. The Tech Talk is published every Thursday of the regular school year, except for finals week and vacation periods. The award-winning newspaper has been honored in the past few years by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), Louisiana Press Women, National Federation of Press Women, Louisiana Press Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists. The Tech Talk was named the 10th Best Newspaper in the South in 2010 and the 3rd Best Newspaper in the South in 2011 by the Southeast Journalism Conference.The Lagniappe
Lagniappe (yearbook)
Lagniappe is Louisiana Tech's official student yearbook. The Lagniappe, which literally means "something extra" was first published in 1905 and has been published every year since except for 1913-1921 and 1926. The yearbook's annual release date is around the last week of the regular school year in...
is Tech's yearbook. The Lagniappe, which literally means "something extra" was first published in 1905 and has been published every year since except for 1913-1921 and 1926. The yearbook's annual release date is around the last week of the regular school year in the middle of May. The Lagniappe was recognized in May 2011 as "First Class" by the Associated Collegiate Press and as one of the top 2 percent of high school and collegiate yearbooks by Balfour Publishing's "The Yearbook's Yearbook". Mary May Brown, the recently-retired faculty advisor of the Lagniappe for 23 years was named the Collegiate Publications Advisor of the Year by the Louisiana Press Women in 2011.
Louisiana Tech's local radio station is KLPI
KLPI
KLPI is a non-commercial educational college radio station owned by Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 89.1 MHz with an effective power of 4 kW. KLPI is student-operated and allows any Louisiana Tech...
. The radio station was founded as WLPI-AM in 1966 and originally housed in a rented office on Railroad Avenue in downtown Ruston. By 1974, construction was completed on KLPI-FM, and the radio station began broadcasting at 10 watts. Afterward, WLPI-AM was shut down due to maintenance problems with the station's equipment. Today, KLPI transmits at 4,000 watts of power and is located at the southeast corner of the Student Center at the heart of the Tech campus.
Louisiana TechTV
Louisiana TechTV
TechTV is a 24-hour Cable television channel for students of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, featuring news and shows about Louisiana Tech affairs and events. Originally titled "ResTV", the information-based television channel started off as a Public-access television cable TV...
is the official student-run television station at Louisiana Tech since its launch in 2000. TechTV shows newly-released movies, TechTV news, personal news clips by the general student body, original programming like Tech Cribs, Tech Play, and informational slides for upcoming campus events.
Residential life
Louisiana Tech requires students to live on campus for 7 quarters or 80 credit hours, in turn coming to a little over two years, unless deemed a commuter.A building program is underway to move from traditional dormitories to apartment-style complexes. The first of these, University Park, was opened in 2005 and houses up to 450 students. The second phase, known as University Park 2 (UP2) opened for the Fall 2008 quarter. The third phase, Park Place, opened fall quarter of 2009.
While the university is constructing new apartment-style student housing complexes, Louisiana Tech is moving to demolish some of the traditional dormitories. The Kidd Residence Hall on the southern part of the Tech campus was demolished in 2004. The University is also planning to demolish the Caruthers and Neilson Residence Halls on the north side of the campus in the future. The planned demolition of Caruthers Hall was postponed in 2005 to allow 300 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
to stay in the dorm for three months.
| Residence Halls | Apartments | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | University Park | University Park 2 | Park Place |
|
|
|
|
|
Greek life
Louisiana Tech has 21 nationally-recognized Greek organizations. Each fraternity and sorority on the Tech campus promotes community services, philanthropy, and university involvement through each organization's own locally and/or nationally designated service project. The local Kappa Delta sorority raised over $10,000 this year from their annual Shamrock 5K & 1 Mile Run to benefit the Methodist Children's Home of Ruston. Since 2002, the Phi Mu sorority has held a golf tournament to benefit the Children's Miracle NetworkChildren's Miracle Network
The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. The organization, founded in 1982 by the Osmond family and John Schneider, is headquartered in...
. The Phi Mu Golf Tournament raised $7,000 in 2007 and $10,000 in 2009.
Sigma Kappa has held the "Kickin' Grass" kickball tournament to benefit the Alzheimers Research Foundation since 2009 and raised $2,300 during the 3rd Annual tournament in 2011.
The Greek organizations also participate in other university activities including the Big Event, Homecoming Week activities, the Homecoming Step Show, and Bulldog Football tailgating at Hide-Away Park near Joe Aillet Stadium. The fraternities and sororities participate in Greek Week each year during the spring quarter.
Louisiana Tech's Greek fraternities and sororities are governed by three governing boards. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs the eleven male fraternities, Panhellenic governs the four female sororities, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (also known as "the Pan") governs the six multicultural sororities and fraternities.
| Interfraternity Council | National Pan-Hellenic Council | Panhellenic Council | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina... Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... Sigma Nu Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia... Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee... |
Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle... Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ... Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University... Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin... Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos... Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean... |
Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members... Kappa Delta Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university... Phi Mu Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year... Sigma Kappa Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn... |
Athletics
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
since 2001. The university's seven men's teams are known as the Bulldogs and wear the university colors of red and blue. The nine women's teams are known as the Lady Techsters and wear the colors of red and Columbia blue.
In the past four years, Louisiana Tech launched a campaign to improve the on-campus athletic facilities. The facility improvements include renovations to Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium is a stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, USA. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs...
, the Thomas Assembly Center
Thomas Assembly Center
The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,098-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M...
, J.C. Love Field, and the Lady Techster Softball Complex. In addition to the recent renovations, Tech constructed new facilities including the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex, Lady Techster Soccer Field, Lambright Bowling Alley, and Louisiana Tech Tennis Complex. In 2010, Louisiana Tech announced the "Quest For Excellence" campaign. The $20 million project will finance the construction of a 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) facility in Joe Aillet Stadium's south endzone. The endzone facility will include a new sports medicine facility, strength & conditioning center, academic center, coaches' offices, locker rooms, administrative suites, and meeting rooms for the university's athletic department personnel. The South endzone complex will also include a Hall of Fame memorabilia area and large premium seating club.
Football
Louisiana Tech's football team played its first season in 1901Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football, 1901–09
-1901:-Schedule:-1902:The November 1902 Industrialist, the first student publication at Louisiana Tech, reported that Coach Frank Singleton led the second team to “a fairly successful season,” although the record of that Bulldog squad is not known....
and has competed at the Division I FBS level since 1989. In its 110 years of existence, Tech's football program has won three National Championships (1972-National Football Foundation Co-National Champions, 1973-Division II National Champions, 1974-UPI College Division National Champions), played in five Division I bowl games (2-2-1 overall record), and earned 25 conference titles. Its former players include 50 All-American players including Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
, Fred Dean
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
, Willie Roaf
Willie Roaf
William Layton Roaf, sometimes nicknamed "Nasty" is a former American football offensive tackle.-Football career:...
, Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
, Ryan Moats
Ryan Moats
Ryan Moats is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
, Troy Edwards
Troy Edwards
Troy Edwards , is a professional American football player who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft. A wide receiver from Louisiana Tech University, Edwards led the nation in receiving during his senior year in college with 140 receptions for 1,996 yards and...
, Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Luke McCown
Luke McCown
Lucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
, and Tramon Williams
Tramon Williams
Tramon Vernell Williams is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
.
The football team competes as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision institution in the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. The Bulldogs are coached by head coach Sonny Dykes
Sonny Dykes
Sonny Dykes is an American football coach and former college baseball player. He is currently the head football coach at the Louisiana Tech University, a position he has held since 2010. Dykes has served as offensive coordinator under Mike Stoops, Mike Leach and Hal Mumme...
and play their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium is a stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, USA. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs...
on the north end of the Tech campus.
Men's basketball
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs men's basketball program started in the 1925-26 season under Head Coach R.C. Kenny. The basketball team has won 19 conference titles, and earned 6 NCAA Tournament and 6 NIT appearances. The Bulldog program reached the NCAA or the NIT tournaments nine straight years from 1984 to 1992.Three Bulldogs have had their numbers retired by Louisiana Tech. These basketball players are future Lady Techster Head Coach Leon Barmore
Leon Barmore
Leon Barmore is a college women's basketball coach. He coached at Louisiana Tech University from 1982 to 2002, serving the first three years as co-head coach with Sonja Hogg, who had begun the program in 1974 at the invitation of university president F. Jay Taylor...
(#12), Karl Malone (#32), and collegiate All-American player Jackie Moreland
Jackie Moreland
Jack Wade "Jackie" Moreland was an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and the former New Orleans Buccaneers.-Early Life & High School:...
(#42). Other notable former Bulldog players include Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap is an American professional basketball player currently with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. As a 6'8", 250 lbs. power forward from Louisiana Tech University, Millsap was selected by the Jazz in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft. His game was initially...
, P.J. Brown, Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
, and Magnum Rolle
Magnum Rolle
Magnum Rolle is a Bahamian professional basketball player currently with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Freeport, Bahamas, Rolle did not play basketball until his freshman year in high school and was taught by his coach at St. George's High School, Darrel Sears....
.
The Bulldogs are led by head coach Michael White and play their home games on Karl Malone Court at the Thomas Assembly Center
Thomas Assembly Center
The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,098-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M...
. Former Bulldog and Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
is the program's Director of Basketball Promotions and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Women's Basketball
The Lady Techsters women's basketball program was founded in 1974 with Sonja HoggSonja Hogg
Sonja Hogg is the former head woman's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech University and at Baylor University.Hogg was a physical education teacher at Ruston High School when she interviewed at Louisiana Tech for a position in its P.E. department. School president Dr. F. Jay Taylor remarked that...
as its first head coach. The Lady Techsters have won three national championships (1981, 1982, 1988), 20 conference titles, and 16 conference tournaments. The program has also appeared in eight AIAW/NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament finals, 13 Final Fours, and 27 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournaments including 25 in a row from 1982 to 2006. After a two-year hiatus from postseason play, the Lady Techsters have played in postseason tournaments each of the last three years (WNIT in 2009, NCAA Tournament in 2010 & 2011).
Alumnae of the program include WNBA All-Stars Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
, Betty Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
, Cheryl Ford
Cheryl Ford
Cheryl Ford is a professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Personal information:Cheryl Ford is the daughter of Bonita Ford and former NBA player Karl Malone.-High school:...
, and Kim Mulkey, the first and only woman to have won NCAA Division I basketball titles as a player and head coach. Three former assistant coaches of the Lady Techsters basketball team have won NCAA National Women's Basketball Championships as head coaches: Leon Barmore (1988 with Louisiana Tech), Kim Mulkey (2005 with Baylor
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
), and Gary Blair
Gary Blair
Gary Claude Blair is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team. In his 26 years as a collegiate head coach, Blair has only suffered one losing season, and has reached postseason play 22 times, including 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 2 Final Four appearances in 1998...
(2011 with Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
).
The team played their home games at Memorial Gym on Louisiana Tech's campus from 1974 until 1982 when the Thomas Assembly Center
Thomas Assembly Center
The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,098-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M...
was constructed. The team is coached by former Lady Techster and WNBA All-Star Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
and plays its home games at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Lady of the Mist
The Lady of the Mist is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Louisiana Tech Main Campus. The granite sculpture sits in the midst of a fountain in the middle of the quadrangle (The Quad), one of the focal points of the university and part of the older section of the Main Campus. The Lady of the Mist symbolizes "Alma Mater" who welcomes new students and bids farewell to Tech graduates. The statue also symbolizes the hope that Louisiana Tech graduates will fulfill their ambitions and highest callings in life.The statue and fountain was funded in 1938 by the Women's Panhellenic Association of Ruston, the governing body of the university's sorority groups. The Lady of the Mist was the idea of Art & Architecture faculty member Mary Moffett and Art Department Chair Elizabeth Bethea. The Lady of the Mist was created by Duncan Ferguson and Jules Struppeck and specifically located in the middle of the Quad facing north toward the old North entrance columns of the Tech campus. This was done to welcome everyone to the campus as people looked through the North entrance columns to see the statue's open arms waiting to greet them.
The Lady fell into disrepair in the years after its construction. In 1985, the statue was restored through the efforts of the Student Government Association, Panhellenic, the Residence Hall Association, and the Association of Women Students. Today, the statue remains a focal point of students and alumni who return to the Tech campus.
First-Year Experience Academic Convocation
The Lady of the Mist has played an integral part in Louisiana Tech's First-Year Experience Academic Convocation since the first ceremony was held in 2007. Every September during Welcome Week, the ceremony marks the first time the members of the incoming freshmen class come together and the last time they will officially gather together until their graduation. During the Academic Convocation, the freshmen students are introduced to President Daniel D. Reneau, university administrators, and distinguished alumni.Before the convocation ceremony begins, each freshmen student receives a medallion and is expected to hold onto the medallion until the ending of the ceremony where they walk from Howard Auditorium along a candlelit, alumni-lined path to the Lady of the Mist. When the freshmen students reach the Lady of the Mist, they deposit the medallions into the fountain as a symbol of their own investment in themselves and Louisiana Tech. Upon graduation from Louisiana Tech, the student will receive the medallion during the commencement ceremony. Each medallion has a picture of the Lady of the Mist on the front and the Tenets of Tech on the back.
Alumni Brick Walkway
The alumni walkway was constructed in 1995 as part of the centennial celebrations at Louisiana Tech. The brick path stretches from the corner of Adams Blvd & Arizona Avenue through the heart of Centennial Plaza and ends at the footsteps of Tolliver Hall near Wisteria Street. As of May 2011, the walkway contains 72,000 engraved bricks representing all Louisiana Tech graduates up to the year 2000. As of 2002, the plan was to extend the alumni brick walkway through the new University Park student housing apartments that were built near J.C. Love FieldJ. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park is a baseball stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, United States. It is the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs college baseball team....
in 2004-2005; however, such plans have not materialized yet.
Notable Alumni
Some of Louisiana Tech's notable alumni include:- Businessmen: Charles WylyCharles WylyCharles Wyly Jr. was an American entrepreneur and businessman, philanthropist, civic leader, and a major contributor to Republican causes and Dallas art projects. This included $20 million to build a performing arts center in Dallas. In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1 billion...
, Sam WylySam WylySamuel "Sam" Wyly is an American entrepreneur and businessman, philanthropist, and major contributor to conservative campaigns and candidates. In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion...
, Glen F. Post IIIGlen PostGlen F. Post, III is the chief executive officer and president of CenturyLink, an S&P 500 integrated communications service provider based out of Monroe, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1974 at Louisiana Tech University and an MBA in 1976 at LA Tech. Post joined...
, James E. Davison, and Michael McCallisterMichael McCallisterMichael B. McCallister is the chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Humana, a health insurance company. He earned his bachelor's degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1974. He joined Humana in 1974 as a finance specialist. He earned his MBA from Pepperdine University...
. - Entertainers: Kix BrooksKix BrooksLeon Eric "Kix" Brooks III , is an American country music artist, best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn.-Early life:...
, Trace AdkinsTrace AdkinsTracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, and Muse WatsonMuse WatsonMuse Watson is an American stage and screen actor. He most recently appeared as the recurring character Mike Franks in the television drama NCIS.-Biography:Watson was born on July 20, 1948 in Alexandria, Louisiana...
. - Football players: Terry BradshawTerry BradshawTerry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
, Fred DeanFred DeanFrederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
, Willie RoafWillie RoafWilliam Layton Roaf, sometimes nicknamed "Nasty" is a former American football offensive tackle.-Football career:...
, Luke McCownLuke McCownLucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
, Josh ScobeeJosh ScobeeJoshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
, Ryan MoatsRyan MoatsRyan Moats is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Troy EdwardsTroy EdwardsTroy Edwards , is a professional American football player who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft. A wide receiver from Louisiana Tech University, Edwards led the nation in receiving during his senior year in college with 140 receptions for 1,996 yards and...
, Tim RattayTim RattayTimothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Tramon WilliamsTramon WilliamsTramon Vernell Williams is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
, and Matt StoverMatt StoverJohn Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
. - Men's basketball players: Karl MaloneKarl MaloneKarl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
, P.J. Brown, Paul MillsapPaul MillsapPaul Millsap is an American professional basketball player currently with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. As a 6'8", 250 lbs. power forward from Louisiana Tech University, Millsap was selected by the Jazz in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft. His game was initially...
, Tim FloydTim FloydTim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
, and Leon BarmoreLeon BarmoreLeon Barmore is a college women's basketball coach. He coached at Louisiana Tech University from 1982 to 2002, serving the first three years as co-head coach with Sonja Hogg, who had begun the program in 1974 at the invitation of university president F. Jay Taylor...
. - United States politicians: Saxby ChamblissSaxby ChamblissClarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
, Jim McCreryJim McCreryJames Otis "Jim" McCrery, III , is an American lawyer who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and...
, Rodney AlexanderRodney AlexanderRodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
, Joe WaggonnerJoe WaggonnerJoseph David Waggonner, Jr. , better known as Joe D. Waggonner, was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Bossier Parish who represented the old 4th Congressional District of northwest Louisiana from December 1961 until January 1979. He was also a confidant of Republican U.S...
, and James P. PopeJames P. PopeJames Pinckney Pope was a mayor of Boise, Idaho, and a United States Senator from Idaho.Pope graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1906 and from the law department of the University of Chicago in 1909...
. - Women's basketball players: Teresa WeatherspoonTeresa Weatherspoon-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
, Venus LacyVenus LacyVenus Lacy , born on February 9, 1967 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a former star basketball player, at the high school, college, Olympic and professional levels. A wide-bodied, muscular 6'-4" center, at her best Lacy was an intimidating force inside the paint, both scoring and rebounding...
, Cheryl FordCheryl FordCheryl Ford is a professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Personal information:Cheryl Ford is the daughter of Bonita Ford and former NBA player Karl Malone.-High school:...
, Betty LennoxBetty LennoxBetty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
, Vickie JohnsonVickie JohnsonVickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
, Janice Lawrence BraxtonJanice Lawrence BraxtonJanice Lawrence Braxton is an American professional basketball player.-College:She played college basketball for Louisiana Tech, where she helped lead the Lady Techsters to national championships in 1981 and 1982...
, Pam KellyPam KellyPamela Kelly-Flowers is a former American women's basketball player at Louisiana Tech University. She won two national championships for the Lady Techsters. She was named to the All-American team in 1980, 1981, and 1982, her school's only three-time All-American...
, and Kim Mulkey.