Southern University
Encyclopedia
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college
located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section
of the City of Baton Rouge. The city parish has a population of more than 500,000 and serves as a cultural, political, educational, and industrial center for South Louisiana. The campus encompasses 512 acres, with an agricultural experimental station on an additional 372-acre site, located five miles north of the main campus.
, T. T. Allain, Henry Demas, and as an institution "for the education of persons of color" at the 1879 Louisiana State Constitutional Convention
. In April 1880, the Louisiana General Assembly
chartered Southern University, originally located in New Orleans
. Southern opened its doors on with twelve students. One of the original locations of the early campus was the former Israel Sinai Temple
on Calliope Street, between St. Charles and Camp streets in New Orleans. Southern became a land grant
school in 1890, and an Agricultural
and Mechanical
department was established. Because of continued growth and a lack of land for expansion, the university relocated to what was then Scotlandville
, along Scott's Bluff facing the Mississippi River
in 1914. It is included as a destination of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
.
The new president and first president of what is now known as Southern University at Baton Rouge was Dr. Joseph Samuel Clark. Clark, an outstanding citizen in the Baton Rouge African American
community, presided over Baton Rouge College and the Louisiana Colored Teachers Association. The Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1921 authorized the reorganization and expansion of Southern University; and Legislative Act 100 of 1922 provided that the institution be reorganized under the control of the State Board of Education. Clark presided over Southern University during a transitionary period for the institution. The student enrollment grew from forty-seven students to 500 students and many of the school's early buildings were built during this time. Clark presided until his retirement in 1938, at which time the position was given to his son, Dr. Felton Grandison Clark, a renowned speaker and gentleman. Under his tenure, the university underwent tremendous growth. About 33 of 114 current buildings were erected in his 30 years at the university. The student enrollment grew from 500 to nearly 10,000 students. Due to the reluctance of LSU
Law School to admit African Americans into its law program, and a law suit that was filed, a special Louisiana Convention allowed a law program, Southern University Law Center
to come to Southern University in 1947. The university was one of the first historically black colleges to receive a visit from a First Lady
, Eleanor Roosevelt
, in 1943. Also during Clark's tenure, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) (1956) and Southern University at Shreveport
/Bossier City
(SUSLA) (1964) were founded. They were later incorporated into the Southern University System
in 1974.
In 1969, the university saw a changing of the guard, when Clark retired and Dr. Leon G. Netterville took over the reins of leadership. On November 16, 1972, two students involved with "Students United", a student protest group on the campus, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, were shot and killed outside the Old Auditorium (now the Southern University Museum of Art). The murders, apparently committed by a patrolman, have never been solved.
The institution continued to grow, and in 1974 a special session
in the Louisiana Legislature established the Southern University System
, with Jesse N. Stone
of Shreveport as its president. The Southern University System consists of Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, (SUBR); Southern University, New Orleans (SUNO); Southern University Law Center; Southern University Agricultural Center; and Southern University, Shreveport (SUSLA is a two-year, commuter college). The Southern University Museum of Art at Shreveport is another destination of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
.
The Jetson Chair of Public Policy was endowed by former State Representative
Kevin P. Reilly, Sr.
, and his wife, Anna Lamar Switzer Reilly of Baton Rouge. Reilly is the former CEO of Lamar Advertising Company
, a company now run by his two sons, Kevin Reilly, Jr., and Sean E. Reilly
. The first season of the reality television series College Hill on BET
premiered in 2004 with the Southern University campus as its locale.
Since 1960, buildings containing more than 2,000,000 square feet of floor area have been constructed. These
buildings include:
The Smith-Brown Memorial Union, a 66,200-square feet multipurpose building which serves as a major center for extracurricular activities. The recently renovated Union features a
6 food court with popular food outlets; barber and beauty shops; television rooms; 12 bowling lanes; a game room
for billiards, video games, and quiet games; an art gallery; a browsing room; a ballroom, meeting and conference
rooms; and a U.S. Post Office. The building also houses offices for student organizations.
The F. G. Clark Activity Center has accommodations for theater, athletic events, conferences, convocations, and recreational activities. The building houses the Athletic Department.
The J. S. Clark Administration Building contains the offices of the Southern University Board of
Supervisors, the Southern University System officers, the Chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus, and
other campus administrative officers.
E. N. Mayberry Dining Hall contains the Magnolia Room, the Cypress Room, and the Oak Room,
which is for student dining. Dunn Cafeteria is located in the Freshman Complex.
All Southern University programs are accredited and also are monitored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS).
intercollegiate athletics. Southern's sports teams participate in Division I (FCS for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference
.
Southern University and its northern Louisiana rival, Grambling State University
, annually participate in the Bayou Classic
on the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans. NBC
has carried the game live for over 15 years. In 2011, Southern became the first school handed a postseason ban in two sp football) for failing to meet the NCAA's academic progress rate requirements.
, Presidential Inauguration
ceremonies and several Super Bowl
halftime presentations. For many years, the band was one of the few in the U.S. that had no female members but that has changed in recent years; currently there are over 20 female members.
Southern's marching band was more infamously involved in a brawl with the Prairie View A&M University
marching band during halftime of the 1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
. The bands for both schools were suspended for two games after the incident. Southern's program honored the suspension, while Prairie View did not.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section
of the City of Baton Rouge. The city parish has a population of more than 500,000 and serves as a cultural, political, educational, and industrial center for South Louisiana. The campus encompasses 512 acres, with an agricultural experimental station on an additional 372-acre site, located five miles north of the main campus.
History
The concept of Southern University was put forth by P. B. S. PinchbackP. B. S. Pinchback
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was the first non-white and first person of African American descent to become governor of a U.S. state...
, T. T. Allain, Henry Demas, and as an institution "for the education of persons of color" at the 1879 Louisiana State Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. In April 1880, the Louisiana General Assembly
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
chartered Southern University, originally located in 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...
. Southern opened its doors on with twelve students. One of the original locations of the early campus was the former Israel Sinai Temple
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
on Calliope Street, between St. Charles and Camp streets in New Orleans. Southern became a land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
school in 1890, and an Agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and Mechanical
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...
department was established. Because of continued growth and a lack of land for expansion, the university relocated to what was then Scotlandville
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, along Scott's Bluff facing the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in 1914. It is included as a destination of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
The new president and first president of what is now known as Southern University at Baton Rouge was Dr. Joseph Samuel Clark. Clark, an outstanding citizen in the Baton Rouge African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community, presided over Baton Rouge College and the Louisiana Colored Teachers Association. The Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1921 authorized the reorganization and expansion of Southern University; and Legislative Act 100 of 1922 provided that the institution be reorganized under the control of the State Board of Education. Clark presided over Southern University during a transitionary period for the institution. The student enrollment grew from forty-seven students to 500 students and many of the school's early buildings were built during this time. Clark presided until his retirement in 1938, at which time the position was given to his son, Dr. Felton Grandison Clark, a renowned speaker and gentleman. Under his tenure, the university underwent tremendous growth. About 33 of 114 current buildings were erected in his 30 years at the university. The student enrollment grew from 500 to nearly 10,000 students. Due to the reluctance of LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
Law School to admit African Americans into its law program, and a law suit that was filed, a special Louisiana Convention allowed a law program, Southern University Law Center
Southern University Law Center
Southern University Law Center, a campus of the Southern University System, opened for instruction in September 1947. Its concept was born out of a response of a lawsuit by an African American resident, Charles J. Hatfield, III, seeking to attend law school at a state institution...
to come to Southern University in 1947. The university was one of the first historically black colleges to receive a visit from a First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, in 1943. Also during Clark's tenure, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) (1956) and Southern University at 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....
/Bossier City
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...
(SUSLA) (1964) were founded. They were later incorporated into the Southern University System
Southern University System
The Southern University System is a system of universities in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its headquarters are at the Joseph Samuel Clark Administration Building on the property of the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge...
in 1974.
In 1969, the university saw a changing of the guard, when Clark retired and Dr. Leon G. Netterville took over the reins of leadership. On November 16, 1972, two students involved with "Students United", a student protest group on the campus, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, were shot and killed outside the Old Auditorium (now the Southern University Museum of Art). The murders, apparently committed by a patrolman, have never been solved.
The institution continued to grow, and in 1974 a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
in the Louisiana Legislature established the Southern University System
Southern University System
The Southern University System is a system of universities in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its headquarters are at the Joseph Samuel Clark Administration Building on the property of the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge...
, with Jesse N. Stone
Jesse N. Stone
Jesse Nealand Stone, Jr. , was an African American attorney and educator from Shreveport, Louisiana, who broke past color barriers in state government....
of Shreveport as its president. The Southern University System consists of Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, (SUBR); Southern University, New Orleans (SUNO); Southern University Law Center; Southern University Agricultural Center; and Southern University, Shreveport (SUSLA is a two-year, commuter college). The Southern University Museum of Art at Shreveport is another destination of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
The Jetson Chair of Public Policy was endowed by former State Representative
Louisiana 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...
Kevin P. Reilly, Sr.
Kevin Reilly (Louisiana politician)
Kevin Patrick Reilly, Sr. , a retired businessman and active philanthropist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the former executive officer of the Lamar Advertising Company who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 68 between 1972 and 1988...
, and his wife, Anna Lamar Switzer Reilly of Baton Rouge. Reilly is the former CEO of Lamar Advertising Company
Lamar Advertising Company
The Lamar Advertising Company , based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a provider of billboards, transit advertising, and highway logo signs. Founded in 1902, Lamar currently operates over 150 outdoor advertising companies in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico...
, a company now run by his two sons, Kevin Reilly, Jr., and Sean E. Reilly
Sean Reilly (Louisiana politician)
Sean Eugene Reilly is the Chief Executive Officer of Lamar Advertising Company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Lamar Advertising was founded by Charles W. Lamar, Sr., Reilly's maternal great-grandfather as a small operation in Pensacola, Florida. It is one of the largest national corporations...
. The first season of the reality television series College Hill on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
premiered in 2004 with the Southern University campus as its locale.
Campus
Lake Kernan flows through the center of the campus and the Mississippi River forms its western boundary.Since 1960, buildings containing more than 2,000,000 square feet of floor area have been constructed. These
buildings include:
- F. G. Clark Activity Center
- J. S. Clark Administration Building
- E. N. Mayberry Dining Hall
- Music Recital Hall
- Band Building
- John B. Cade Library
- School of Nursing Building
- Health Research Wing of Lee Hall
- Rodney G. Higgins Hall for Social Science
- Augustus C. Blanks Hall for Special Education and Psychology
- Baranco-Hill Student Health Center
- College of Engineering Building, P.B.S. Pinchback.
The Smith-Brown Memorial Union, a 66,200-square feet multipurpose building which serves as a major center for extracurricular activities. The recently renovated Union features a
6 food court with popular food outlets; barber and beauty shops; television rooms; 12 bowling lanes; a game room
for billiards, video games, and quiet games; an art gallery; a browsing room; a ballroom, meeting and conference
rooms; and a U.S. Post Office. The building also houses offices for student organizations.
The F. G. Clark Activity Center has accommodations for theater, athletic events, conferences, convocations, and recreational activities. The building houses the Athletic Department.
The J. S. Clark Administration Building contains the offices of the Southern University Board of
Supervisors, the Southern University System officers, the Chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus, and
other campus administrative officers.
E. N. Mayberry Dining Hall contains the Magnolia Room, the Cypress Room, and the Oak Room,
which is for student dining. Dunn Cafeteria is located in the Freshman Complex.
Academics
Southern University main campus offers bachelors in 44 areas, 24 master's and 6 doctoral and one associate degree.- College of Agriculture, Family, and Consumer Sciences
- College of Arts and Humanities
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Sciences
- School of Architecture
- School of Nursing
- The Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
All Southern University programs are accredited and also are monitored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS).
Athletics
The Southern Jaguars represent the university in NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
intercollegiate athletics. Southern's sports teams participate in Division I (FCS for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
.
Southern University and its northern Louisiana rival, Grambling State University
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
, annually participate in the Bayou Classic
Bayou Classic
The State Farm Bayou Classic is the annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars, first held under that name in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, although the series itself actually began in 1936...
on the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
has carried the game live for over 15 years. In 2011, Southern became the first school handed a postseason ban in two sp football) for failing to meet the NCAA's academic progress rate requirements.
Marching band
The Southern University marching band, nicknamed the Human Jukebox, has been featured in television commercials, and invited to participate in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, Presidential Inauguration
Presidential Inauguration
A Presidential Inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. To see detailed information on specific presidents, see the links below:* Brazilian presidential inauguration* Croatian presidential inauguration...
ceremonies and several Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
halftime presentations. For many years, the band was one of the few in the U.S. that had no female members but that has changed in recent years; currently there are over 20 female members.
Southern's marching band was more infamously involved in a brawl with the Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
marching band during halftime of the 1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
The 1998 Southern vs. Priarie View A&M game is a college football game that took place between the Southern Jaguars and the Prairie View A&M Panthers on September 9, 1998...
. The bands for both schools were suspended for two games after the incident. Southern's program honored the suspension, while Prairie View did not.
External links
- www.subr.edu — Official website
- www.gojagsports.com — Official athletics website