Southwestern Louisiana Institute - Lacadien Yearbook (Lafayette, LA)

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1956 — Institute authorized to grant Master ' s degree in Education, thus provided for the forma- tion of a Graduate School. Graduate Council was created. The SLI Foundation was created to receive and administer private gifts to the Univer- sity. 1957 — State Board of Education authorized Mas- ter of Science degree in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. Passed first bond issue for buildings. Constructed Roy and Caffery Halls; Student Union Group — Coronna Hall; Guillory Hall; Olivier Hall; Resweber building; Home Econom- ics House; H. Flood Madison Hall; Marine Biol- ogy Laboratory at Red Fish Point in Vermilion Bay; Billeaud Hall; and renovated DeClouet Hall. 1958 — Graduated first five students from Master degree programs. 1959 — 20 units of Married Student Housing built. Renovated O. K. Allen Dining Hall and Brown Ayres Hall for Art and Architecture Department. UNIVERSITY YEARS 1960 — Name changed to The University of Southwestern Louisiana. Enrollment was 4,910. USL Opera Guild was created. 1961 — Completed first floor of Dupre Library. Acquired first digital computer. 1962 — Bonm Hall built. 1963 — McCullough Hall completed. Martin Hall (Administration building) and F. G. Mouton Hall completed. Began broadcasting over KRVS-FM, the student radio station. 1964 — Master ' s degree offered in Computer Sci- ence. Began program in Medical Records. 1965 — Constructed Voorhies Hall. 1966 — Dr. Clyde L. Rougeou succeeds as Presi- dent. Masters ' degrees offered in Political Science and Statistics. 1967 — Maxim D. Doucet Hall and Stokes Hall built. 1968 — Denbo Hall and Wharton Hall built. 1969 — Ph.D. degrees in Biology, English, His- tory, Mathematics, Microbiol ogy and Education authorized. 1970 — Opened Cajun Field Stadium. Opened Student Union facility. Digital computer system installed. 1972 — H. L. Griffin Hall built. Architecture pro- gram given full accreditation. Opened first Student Government Child Care Center in the state. 1974 — Dr. Ray Authement became President in July. 1975 — Music degrees accredited. Began school of Life Insurance Marketing; National Bilingual Resource Center. Expanded Computer C- nter. Began construction on new Art and Architecture building from design selected in open competition. For completion in August 1976.

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1943 — Enrollment dropped during World War II. President Fletcher brought the V-12 Navy and Marine officer-candidate training and Navy V-5 aviation candidate programs to the campus. This boosted enrollment and also provided the Institute with a football team with many All-American players including Alvin Dark. The Institute won the first Oil Bowl game with this team. 1945 — Institute was approved by Veterans Administration for training veterans. 1946 — Acquired 108 units of Veteran Housing. Enrollment was up after the war years to 3,167. 1947 — Night and Special Division was estab- hshed into the Institution. Student body was 60% veterans. 1948 — SLI Creamery constructed. 1949 — Constructed Blackham Coliseum. Became member of the Gulf Coast (sports) Conference. Began Air Force ROTC program. 1950 — Built Baker, Huger and Randolph Halls, and Alumni Hall. Faculty numbered 248. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. 195 1 — College of Nursing established. Miss Clare M. J. Wangen as dean. 1952 — College of Nursing accredited. College of Commerce formed, with Dr. Herbert A. Hamilton as dean. Montgomery Hall completed. 1954 — La Maison Acadienne Francaise (Acadian Culture Center) acquired. 1955 — Degree program added in Medical Tech- nology.

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This year, 1976. the United States of America is observing its two hundredth birthday. Looking back over two hundred years, the history presents a colorful array of events which drastically altered the course of this country. It all started on July 4, 1776, when a new nation was founded. This Nation set up a new system of government, which many Europeans thought would never last. The Americans, then, as now, thought of themselves as a new strain of people in a fast growing but young country. These first Americans were intent on proving to the rest of the world that they could carry out their plan of having elected officials govern the new nation. They also advocated equal opportunity for all men and a system to protect and extend personal liberties. The goals of the new nation were documented in The Declaration of Inde- pendence. This document contained two earth-shaking propositions: that all men are created equal and that government must not exist without the consent of the governed. Thus the country was an independent nation and no longer considered The Thirteen Colonies.