History of Southern University

Southern University and A&M College had its beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1880 when a group of Black politicians, led by former U.S. Senator P.B.S. Pinchback of New Orleans; a distinguished legislator, T.T. Allain of Iberville; and Henry Demas of St. John Parish petitioned the State Constitutional Convention to establish a school of higher learning for “colored” people. As a result of this petition, Southern University came into existence on April 10, 1880, by the passage of ACT 87 of the Louisiana General Assembly. This was the date on which funds were appropriated by the State of Louisiana for the establishment of an institution of higher learning for African Americans.

Act 87 provided for the establishment of a university for the education of persons of color. The Act further provided that the Board of Trustees should “establish a faculty of arts and letters, which shall be competent to instruct in every branch of liberal education; and, under rules of and in concurrence with the Board of Trustees, to graduate students and grant degrees pertaining to arts and letters on persons competent and deserving the same.” Under the provisions of Act 87 of the 1880 Louisiana General Assembly, Southern University first opened on March 7, 1881, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Calliope Street. It remained there until 1883, when it was reorganized. It was later moved into a brick structure on Magazine and Soniat Street Square.

During this time, the University offered academic studies beginning with the primary grades and extending through high school, with some college-level work being offered. It also offered training in the job-oriented disciplines of agriculture, home economics, printing, carpentry, and tinsmithing. The academic program was classical in nature, offering such liberal art subjects such as English, Latin, Greek, French, Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics, and Music. The curriculum was divided into six departments: College, Normal, High School, Agriculture, Industrial Education, and Music.

A significant development in the history of the University was the passage of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which provided for the establishment of an agricultural and mechanical department for people of color, with support from both the state and federal governments. The passage of the Second Morrill Act led to the reorganization of the University as a land-grant institution, with separate divisions for agriculture and mechanical arts. These departments were responsible for teaching agricultural and industrial courses, for the development of scientific and agricultural technologies, and for subsequent transfer of technology to rural inhabitants, primarily agriculturalists, in the development of more economical ways of increasing the productivity of crops and the marketing and utilization of products.

The University remained in New Orleans until 1912, when Legislative Act 188 authorized its change of location from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. The University was reopened on the new site on March 9, 1914, under the presidency of Dr. J.S. Clark.

In Baton Rouge, the University offered study from sixth grade through two years of college. The four areas of the college’s program were normal courses, home economics for women, vocational agriculture for men, and training for parish supervisors and agents. The Department of Industrial Arts offered, in addition to home economics and agriculture, such courses as carpentry, engineering, brickmasonry, blacksmithing, printing, shoemaking, and harness making. These courses were open to high school and college students. The academic dimension were classical in nature, offering such liberal arts subjects as English, Greek, French, algebra, geometry, chemistry, music, and physics. Latin was a requirement.

In the 1920s the University’s baccalaureate offerings were extended to four years. The University was developed into two colleges – the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education. The College of Education trained students to be teachers in academic subjects and industrial courses, including agriculture and home economics. The State School for the Blind and Deaf for Blacks, which was also under the supervision of Southern University, was separated into two schools – the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf. In 1938, Dr. J.S. Clark was succeeded by his son, Dr. Felton G. Clark.

In the early 1940s, the University’s curriculum was divided into eight divisions: Agriculture, Liberal Arts, Business Education, Education, Health and Physical Education, Home Economics, Mechanical Arts, and Music. The Law School was established in 1947.

The divisional structure of the University remained in existence until the middle 1950s, when Business and Engineering were added. It was reorganized into the Colleges of Agriculture, Business Education, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 1957, the Graduate School was established.

In the 1960s, the structure was again reorganized. The College of Arts and Sciences were divided to create the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Sciences. The Junior Division was established at that time. Dr. Felton G. Clark retired and was succeeded by Dr. G. Leon Netterville as president.

During the 1970s, the Southern University System, with its own management Board of Supervisors, was established. The System consists of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, Southern University Law Center, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport, and the Agricultural Extension Program.

Since the 1980s, the Southern University System has been headed by the System president. Each campus has a chancellor who is designated as the chief executive officer of the campus. The System has had four presidents: Dr. Jesse N. Stone, Jr.; Dr. Joffre T. Whisenton; Dr. Dolores R. Spikes, and Dr. Leon R. Tarver II. Since the establishment of the University System, the Baton Rouge campus has had six chancellors: Dr. Roosevelt Steptoe, Dr. James Prestage, Dr. Wesley C. McClure, Dr. Dolores R. Spikes, Dr. Marvin L. Yates, and Dr. Edward R. Jackson, who has been the chancellor since December 1997.

In the decade of the 1980s, higher education in the state of Louisiana operated under a Consent Decree, a court order handed down by federal judges as an out-of-control settlement between the State and the U.S. Department of Justice over the issue of desegregation. Under the Consent Decree, Southern University was promised enhancement funds to upgrade physical resources, construct new facilities, and establish new academic programs. During this period, thirteen major facilities were constructed, including the Nursing School Building, the Physical Plant Building, the Band Building, the Central Cooling and Heating Unit, the John B. Cade Library, J.S. Clark Administration Building, Mayberry Dining Hall, the Health Research Wing, Performing Arts Building, and several units for agricultural research.

Academic programs were established to offer a bachelor’s degree program in nursing. Master’s degree programs were offered in computer science, environmental chemistry, professional accounting, public administration, and rehabilitation counseling; doctoral programs were offered in special education (PhD and EdD). During this period, three schools were established: the School of Accountancy, the School of Nursing, and the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. The Department of Architecture was separated from the College of Engineering and elevated to the status of a school. The Law School was redesignated a Law Center, with a chancellor who reported directly to the System’s president. All schools and centers were freestanding units except for the School of Accountancy, which remained as a unit in the College of Business.

In the decade of the 1990s, the University experienced a period of growth and expansion in academic and administrative units. After a prolonged litigation, the U.S. Department of Justice, in November 1994, reached a ten-year settlement agreement with the State of Louisiana and other state public institutions for the desegregation of higher education. Under this agreement, the State would establish an open-admissions community college in Baton Rouge, while the University would opt selective admission policies. Furthermore, the agreement allows for the expansion of graduate programs offerings, particularly at the doctoral level. The University would increase enrollment of the “other race” students and employment of “other race” faculty, staff, and administrators. In addition, the agreement allows for the construction and renovation of facilities to accommodate new programs and to house existing ones.

Since the settlement agreement was signed, several programs have been added, including the bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice, the master’s programs in physics and in urban forestry, and the doctoral degree programs in public policy and in science and mathematics education. Other programs that will be added in the remaining years of the agreement include doctoral degree programs in nursing, environmental toxicology, and material science. Master’s degree programs will be added in engineering and business administration.

The decade of the 1990s witnessed a significant shift in the philosophy of management. More emphasis was placed on the quality of academic programs rather than on the number of programs offered. In 1993-1994 and in 1995-1996, the University carried out comprehensive reviews of all academic programs. Although the reviews were mandated by the Board of Regents, the University went beyond the mandate to consolidate, merge, and terminate programs that no longer serves the state’s constituents. As a result of these reviews, the University was able to reduce the number of programs offerings from 130 in 1993 to only 70 in 1999.

In addition, the University invested heavily in the accreditation of programs by specialized agencies. Several programs received accreditation for the first time, including business, computer science, mass communications, public administration, and rehabilitation counseling. Other programs received reaffirmation of accreditation. In the meantime, the athletics program was certified by the NCAA for the first time in 1996. Currently the University enjoys a high accreditation rate of 83 percent for all programs eligible for accreditation.

The physical facilities added or renovated in the 1990s include the Social Science Building (Higgins Hall), the Special Education Building (Blanks Hall), the Smith-Brown Student Union Building, the Men’s Gymnasium (Seymour Hall), the Home Management House (Office of Publications and Electronic Media), the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building, the Center for Small Farm Research, the Greenhouse, the Pinkie Thrift Hall, the Archives, the Naval ROTC Building, and T.H. Harris Hall (a multipurpose classroom and administrative office facility). Several dormitories and a road that will eventually loop around the campus for improving the flow of traffic were also constructed.

Since 1990, fifteen projects have been completed at a cost of approximately $30 million. Capital outlays for 25 projects under construction or in the planning stage total $93 million. Under the Master Plan for Facilities (currently under review), the University can expect to continue to grow, expand its physical resources, and establish new programs well into the next century.