Louisiana Tech University School of Forestry - Forester Yearbook (Ruston, LA)

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FQREWORD It is a real pleasure for me to be writing this foreword for Louisiana Tech's first year- book. On 25 March 1946 the Louisiana Tech Forestry Club was organized with the publishing of an annual as one of its purposes. At the Corney Lake summer camp on 24 July 1948 the Louisiana Tech Forestry Alumni Association was formed and offered its assistance in the publishing of this annual. Yearly dues were assessed with the understanding that part of the money would be devoted to this purpose. What was needed to make the yearbook a reality was the people who were willing to devote the time and attention necessary to getting it done. During the summer camp of 1958, some of the students interested their classmates in getting a yearbook started. A staff was organized and during the fall semester a contract was let for its publication. I want to specifically recognize the two summer camp students who were responsible for arousing this interest and in furnishing the effort that it has taken to get the pub- lication completed. They are Vance Reitzell of Kelly, Louisiana and Burl Gills of Gurdon, Arkansas. Special credit is also given to the Club's Faculty Advisor, Pro- fessor Edward R. Andrulot. This publication would not have been completed with the work of only a few people. The cooperation and assistance of the members of the Forestry Club, the Forestry Staff, and the Forestry Graduates have been most helpful. Other important contri- butors have been the advertisers. Our readers' attention is invited to their advertising and to the services which are offered. lt has been a particularly satisfying experience for me to see the LOUISIANA TECH FORESTER come to life. eff, C 4

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DEPARTME T HISTORY By: L. P. Blackwell' Until the summer of 1945 the word forestry as such had not appeared officially at Louisiana Tech. At a meeting of the State Board of Education in Baton Rouge that summer the name of the School of Agri- culture was changed to the School of Agriculture and Forestry. The President of Louisiana Tech was authorized to organize and put in operation a forestry department with a forestry curriculum. On 1 February 1946 I began work at Louisiana Tech as its first Professor of Forestry and Head of the Department of Forestry. I shall never forget the first day when Tech's President sent me to Reese Hall on the Tech Farm to pick out an office and set up shop. The building was empty with the exception of two men and a student assistant operating a milk processing unit. As far as forestry was concerned I did not find even the proverbial scratch to begin with. I made a distress call to New Haven, Connecticut and asked Dean George Garratt of the Yale Forestry School to come down and help me. He came and for almost a week we were guests in the President's home and worked out the first forestry curriculum. On 4 March 1946 registration was held in the main library building. At that time Louisiana Tech was on the accelerated World War II system of tri-semesters. Eleven upperclassmen registered in the forestry program. These eleven became Louisiana Tech's first forestry graduates in May 1948. It was a lot of fun that first year going in and out of the same classroom with the same students and announcing at each entrance the course that we were going to take up for the next hour. During the first year my office was the one which is now occupied by Professor Russell and forestry had one classroom across the hall for its use. Into the office I put all the books on forestry at Louisiana Tech which I had obtained from the Main Library--all six of them. Shortly after this I talked with Louisiana Tech's Librarian about keeping these books permanently. This would provide the opportunity for build- ing up a forestry library and having the material available for the use of the students in the building in which they attended classes. He was most cooperative and with the approval of the President this authorization was granted. In addition to the regular acquisitions through purchase, many old and rare books and other publications have been given to the library by: Nelson C. Brown of Syracuse, New Yorkg Togo McKeithen of Summerfield, Louisiana, Richard Townsend oflasper, Texasg Leslie Sample of Shreveport, Louisiana, I. F. Eldredge of New Orleans, Louisianag E. L. Demmon of Asheville, North Carolinag and W. N. Darwin of Elizabeth, Louisiana. A special purchase of the libraries of Paul D. Kelleter and Marcus Schaaf added many valuable and desirable items. The library has grown from the original six books to more than 9,000 catalogued items and has become the heartbeat of the forestry program. QContinued on Page 641 X' Thanks are given to Professor E. R. Andrulot for his assistance in the preparation and editing of this history. 3

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LUUISIANA TECH FORESTER STAFF Vance Reitzell Burl Gills Managing Editor Business Manager Tom Colvin Editor Jim Stagg Feature Editor David Shows Art Robert Westbrook Wesley McKissack Kenneth Rockett Assistant Feature Photographer Secretary Editor 5