After nearly a year of lobbying, planning, and recruiting by Linus A. Sims and fellow supporters, the institution that would eventually become Southeastern first opened its doors on September 14. Named Hammond Junior College, it was housed in two rooms in the then Hammond High School, with Sims as the first president.
Quickly outgrowing its current space, the school moved to 15 acres on the former Hunter Leake Estate—a place that would become the cornerstone of Southeastern’s location for centuries to come. Three main buildings that came with the purchase served as the new campus’ facilities: the main house was converted into the president’s home and women’s dormitories, and the servants’ quarters became classrooms, labs, and a library.
Southeastern’s growth was rapid and strong from the very beginning, and only three years after its founding, the institution was renamed Southeastern Louisiana College and was formally adopted into the state educational system under the State Board of Education. An additional 60 acres adjoining the original 15 were also purchased to allow the physical campus to continue to grow, along with the burgeoning school’s reputation.
Now an official state college, the drive to provide students with more opportunities only ramped up. A third year was added to the previous two-year-only curriculum, allowing graduates to earn a three-year teaching certificate and complete all the required curriculum for admission to professional schools.
Although 1934 looked much different than today, the oldest remaining man-made sight on Southeastern’s campus was revealed that year—the iconic McGehee Hall. Three years later, a second legendary campus structure, Strawberry Stadium, was opened as not only a place for fans to cheer on their team, but also to serve as a cafeteria, post office, men’s dormitories, and a social room for student organizations to meet. By the end of the decade, other recognizable campus facilities were also born, including Meade Hall, McClimans Hall, and Pottle Music Building.
Academics took another leap forward, with students now able to complete a four-year curriculum in a variety of fields, including liberal arts, teacher education, business administration, music, social sciences, and physical education. Two years later, 18 students walked across the stage as the recipients of Southeastern’s first bachelor’s degrees.
With WWII raging, Southeastern’s numbers dwindled from 612 in 1940 to 353 in 1944. Many young men and women left to join the service, while others jumped into home-front efforts at factories. The students and staff who stayed at Southeastern found other ways to contribute, from taking up posts in Strawberry Stadium’s press box to watch for enemy bombers, to working in the fields each morning to save the local strawberry crops.
While many who left during the war years eventually returned to finish their studies, 29 Southeastern students had lost their lives in the fight.
By the fall of 1946, with WWII in the past, a new era of exuberance and growth was taking hold. Football returned with cheerful fans. Southeastern gained full accreditation and acceptance into the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. More surrounding land was purchased for the campus, bringing the total to 375 acres. And returning GIs flooded back to Southeastern, with students from further afield also enrolling in greater numbers for the first time, leading to skyrocketing attendance.
As a result, a second wave of extensive campus construction began. “G” buildings and two steel navy barracks were also contributed by the federal government as a temporary fix for the post-war boom.
In 1950, Southeastern marked its 25th anniversary with a week of attention-grabbing festivities. Even Vice President of the United States Alben Barkley, along with Governor Earl K. Long and other prestigious guests, felt the event too important to miss. In addition to events such as a parade through downtown Hammond and an official Celebration and Dedication Ceremony, a formal Silver Jubilee Dance was held to christen the brand new War Memorial Student Union—with legendary band leader Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra taking the stage.
Southeastern’s athletics program thrived, with its football team becoming a powerhouse and going undefeated in the 1954 season—and only losing one game in the 1956, 1960, and 1961 seasons. The team earned recognition as one of the strongest in the state, drawing large crowds and boosting the university’s reputation. This period of athletic success not only energized the campus, but also strengthened Southeastern’s community ties.
In 1955, Southeastern stepped forward to embrace all who wanted an education, becoming one of the first integrated colleges in the South. Many early Black students still felt the reverberations of prejudice and discrimination from both the community and their classmates, though some recounted that their professors—including 40-year professor of history C. Howard Nichols—would help them feel welcomed and serve as stalwarts against bullying.
These students, including Southeastern’s first Black graduate Mildred Myles Crawford, helped bravely pave the way for future generations. By the end of the institution’s first century, minority students would comprise 36 percent of the student body.
In the early 1960s, Southeastern saw a dramatic rise in enrollment, driven partly by the influx of baby boomers entering college. Between 1960 and 1966, the student population nearly tripled, growing from about 1,700 to more than 6,100 students.
To further support its growing academic community, Southeastern introduced its first master’s degree programs during this period. These graduate offerings, first education and then shortly followed by English, history, business, music, biology, chemistry, and mathematics, elevated the university’s academic standing and attracted more diverse students and faculty. The expansion reinforced Southeastern’s role as a major educational institution in the region, preparing it for continued growth and success in the coming decades.
Southeastern established its first nursing program, an essential addition given the rising healthcare needs in the region. This program quickly became a cornerstone of the university, training students to serve in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. Expansion in this area reflects Southeastern’s ongoing commitment to addressing community needs through education. By equipping students with the necessary skills to meet healthcare demands, Southeastern plays a vital role in improving public health in southeastern Louisiana.
As enrollment rapidly increased, Southeastern undertook significant campus expansion projects to accommodate the growing student body. The construction of new facilities, including a biology building, a chemistry and physics building, an industrial arts building, a health center, the West Side Cafeteria, four new residence halls, and a new student union, helped modernize the campus. The expansions also signified Southeastern’s commitment to providing modern resources and facilities for its campus community, laying the groundwork for future growth.
Southeastern Louisiana College is officially renamed Southeastern Louisiana University, signifying its expanded mission and growing influence. This change reflects the institution’s evolution from a local college into a comprehensive regional university. With the new designation comes increased funding, new academic programs, and greater recognition across the state and region. The renaming also marks a turning point in the university’s history, setting the stage for continued development and a stronger presence in higher education.
In 1970, at the height of the Vietnam War, Southeastern established an Army Reserve Officer Training Program. The ROTC program played a crucial role in preparing students for military service. The same year the program was established, the university constructed a building (which would later become the home of the University Police Department) for the new program. General William Westmore, who commended Southeastern for its contribution to national defense, attended the building’s dedication ceremony.
Although phased out in the mid-1990s, the ROTC program would return in 2016. The university has also since established a wide array of support services for both current and former military service members and their families, becoming consistently ranked as a top military-friendly school.
The cultural shifts of the 1970s brought significant changes to student life at Southeastern. The university’s dress code, which had long required women to wear skirts and men to wear collared shirts, began to face backlash. Students protested against these rigid regulations, symbolizing a broader desire for personal freedom and expression. This period saw the loosening of dress codes, which now allowed women to wear pants or shorts, and the fading of strict campus rules, such as dormitory curfews. These changes contributed to a more relaxed and open campus environment, reflecting the growing influence of student voices on university policies.
The university launched Fanfare, a month-long arts festival that quickly became one of the region’s most anticipated cultural events. Fanfare showcases Southeastern’s commitment to the arts, bringing renowned performers, speakers, and exhibitions to campus. The festival strengthened Southeastern’s reputation as a cultural hub in southeastern Louisiana, drawing participants from across the state. Over the years, Fanfare grew to include a wide variety of artistic expressions, becoming a beloved tradition that enriches the cultural life of the community.
Past performers and speakers have included Lou Rawls, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Judy Collins, Kathy Mattea, and author of Forrest Gump Winston Groom, with Fanfare expanding on a legacy from the ’60s and ’70s of Southeastern bringing to campus big-name guests, including Dionne Warwick, director Robert Altman, former British Prime Minister Clement Atlee, Ray Charles, and Kenny Rogers.
The student-run KSLU radio station, which had launched in 1974, broadcasting around the clock for the Northshore and serving as a valuable hands-on learning resource, has been at the forefront of technological advancement on multiple occasions. In 1988 it became the first station in the South to install a digital touchscreen operating system. This new system attracted radio personnel from across the world to visit and see it in operation.
Over a decade later, in 1996, the station again made history as one of the first noncommercial stations in the world to broadcast via the internet, bringing to Southeastern a global listenership.
The late ’80s through the ’90s brought another period of rapid growth to Southeastern. The university more than doubled its student population during this time, reflecting its increasing appeal and the effectiveness of its academic programs. By 1995, Southeastern had become known as the fastest growing university in the nation, with enrollment jumping from 7,000 in 1986 to 14,000 that year, and two years later it would reach 15,000.
The rise of personal computing transformed how students engage with coursework, allowing for greater flexibility and access to resources. Laptops became more common among students from the late ’90s on, and the university began expanding its computer labs and internet access across campus. Southeastern’s commitment to keeping pace with technological advancements set the stage for the modern, tech-savvy campus that exists today.
Football returned to Strawberry Stadium after an 18-year hiatus, having been cut in 1985 due to increased budgetary constraints. This created a resurgence of school spirit and community support as the Lions completed a 5-7 season. The return of football and the increased student population brought new energy to campus, creating a vibrant and dynamic environment for both academics and extracurricular activities.
Hurricane Katrina struck, causing devastation throughout southeast Louisiana. Southeastern, which didn’t sustain any major structural damages, played a critical role in relief efforts, housing displaced students, staff, faculty, National Guard members, and utility workers. The university also re-opened enrollment and provided housing for many displaced students from other universities and community colleges in the disaster area. Southeastern enrolled a record-breaking 16,068 students that fall. Southeastern’s quick response to the disaster showcased its commitment to the community, providing much-needed support during a time of crisis.
Southeastern was approved to offer its first doctoral program—a doctorate in educational leadership—reflecting the institution’s growing academic prestige and commitment to leadership development. Along with attracting top-tier students and faculty interested in advanced research, the launch of doctoral programs also provided new opportunities for collaboration with other institutions and organizations.
Several major state-of-the-art facilities were opened in the 2010s, including a $32 million Student Union renovation and addition. Three years later a 70,000-square-foot Computer Science and Technology building opened, providing new space for computer science, information technology, engineering technology, industrial technology, and OSHE programs.
The following year, in 2018, Southeastern would draw even more national attention with the opening of two new residence halls, Ascension and Twelve Oaks, which featured a hybrid geothermal system for heating and cooling—the first of its kind for any university or state building in Louisiana and the second largest site in the country to use such a system.
Southeastern launched the first collegiate recovery program in the state, reaffirming the university’s commitment to caring and supporting all members of the campus community. The Lion Up Recovery program was created to provide vital support to students in recovery from addiction, helping them achieve academic success while maintaining their sobriety.
In March 2020, with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the country and the region, Southeastern temporarily moved all classes to remote learning for the remainder of the spring semester and for the entirety of the summer semester. The university also quickly created opportunities for online engagement, procured masks for the campus community, and developed stringent cleaning procedures to enhance a safe return to campus. Southeastern also dispersed over $5 million to students via the federal CARES Act.
After several years of research and development in indefying and reimaging a brand that best resonated with the university’s audiences, Southeastern unveiled the first phase of the rebranding process—new logos for both the university and athletics. The following year the full scale of Southeastern’s new brand, from colors and photography style to voice and talking points, was launched.
On Southeastern’s 99th birthday, entering the institution’s 100th year, the university launched a year-long Centennial celebration—commemorating 100 years of impact while also looking ahead to the next century. At the same time, Southeastern launched a monumental $100 million capital campaign, chaired by alumna Robin Roberts, in pursuit of continually advancing the university for generations to come.
