McNeese opened doors in 1939, has storied history
Elizabeth Smith
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: News
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Today many students commute to campus and park their cars in designated lots. Some live in the dormitories and walk to their classes in the numerous buildings across campus. With a student population of approximately 8,000, McNeese has blossomed since its humble beginnings decades ago. In 1938, the present-day university was naught but abandoned farmland. When the school was built, many students rode horses to campus. In fact, cows roamed freely on the campus, giving McNeese the nickname "Cow College."
McNeese was founded by the joint efforts of three organizations. The Works Progress Administration, an agency created by President Roosevelt as a part of the New Deal, hoped to build an auditorium for performances. The Southwest Louisiana Cattleman's Association wanted an arena for rodeos, and the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury wanted to establish a college.
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury began by donating 86 acres for the campus, an area previously used as the parish's Poor Farm, a working farm for the impoverished and mentally ill during the Great Depression. LSU constructed a building to house classrooms and administrative offices, now known as Kaufman Hall, and an arena to host rodeo events, now called the Ralph O. Ward Memorial Gym. McNeese then built its third building, now called the Francis G. Bulber Auditorium.
On July 6, 1938, Governor Richard Leche signed Act No. 267, establishing Lake Charles Junior College, a division of the Louisiana State University System. One hundred forty students and 13 faculty members walked through the halls of Lake Charles Junior College for the first time on its opening day, Sept. 11, 1939. Students' tuition and fees were $12.50 per semester.
As the school progressed through the years, so did its name change. In the fall of 1940, the school was renamed John McNeese Junior College in honor of a pioneer in education in Southwest Louisiana. On July 17, 1950, McNeese became a four-year institution under the Louisiana Board of Education and was renamed McNeese State College. McNeese received its national accreditation in 1954 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and began to offer courses for master's degrees in 1960. The college achieved university status when the 1970 Louisiana Legislature renamed the school McNeese State University via Act 138 and incorporated it into the University of Louisiana System.
McNeese was founded by the joint efforts of three organizations. The Works Progress Administration, an agency created by President Roosevelt as a part of the New Deal, hoped to build an auditorium for performances. The Southwest Louisiana Cattleman's Association wanted an arena for rodeos, and the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury wanted to establish a college.
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury began by donating 86 acres for the campus, an area previously used as the parish's Poor Farm, a working farm for the impoverished and mentally ill during the Great Depression. LSU constructed a building to house classrooms and administrative offices, now known as Kaufman Hall, and an arena to host rodeo events, now called the Ralph O. Ward Memorial Gym. McNeese then built its third building, now called the Francis G. Bulber Auditorium.
On July 6, 1938, Governor Richard Leche signed Act No. 267, establishing Lake Charles Junior College, a division of the Louisiana State University System. One hundred forty students and 13 faculty members walked through the halls of Lake Charles Junior College for the first time on its opening day, Sept. 11, 1939. Students' tuition and fees were $12.50 per semester.
As the school progressed through the years, so did its name change. In the fall of 1940, the school was renamed John McNeese Junior College in honor of a pioneer in education in Southwest Louisiana. On July 17, 1950, McNeese became a four-year institution under the Louisiana Board of Education and was renamed McNeese State College. McNeese received its national accreditation in 1954 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and began to offer courses for master's degrees in 1960. The college achieved university status when the 1970 Louisiana Legislature renamed the school McNeese State University via Act 138 and incorporated it into the University of Louisiana System.
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