Northwestern State University

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Northwestern State University
of Louisiana

Motto	Dedicated to one goal. Yours.
Type	Public
Established	1884
President	Chris Maggio
Students	11,081[1]
Location	Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S. 31°45′00″N 93°05′50″W / 31.750°N 93.0972°W / 31.750; -93.0972Coordinates: 31°45′00″N 93°05′50″W / 31.750°N 93.0972°W / 31.750; -93.0972
Campus	Rural, 916 acres (371 ha)
Colors	Purple & White[2]
Nickname	Demons / Lady Demons
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – Southland
Mascot	Vic the Demon
Website	www.nsula.edu

Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.

The Friedman Student Union Building is named for the late Louisiana State Senator Sylvan Friedman of Natchitoches.

The NSU Business Building

Fournet Hall at NSU is the center of instruction in chemistry and physics.

Culinary Arts Building at NSU

John S. Kyser Hall, named for the NSU president John S. Kyser from 1953-1966, houses a variety of academic programs, including history, mathematics, and journalism.

Williamson Hall houses the NSU engineering program.

NSU Wellness Recreation and Activity Center

The three columns of Northwestern State University

NSU was founded in 1884 as the Louisiana State Normal School. It was the first school in Louisiana to offer degree programs in nursing and business education. NSU, along with numerous other state colleges, gained university status in 1970 during the administration of President Arnold R. Kilpatrick, a Northwestern State alumnus who served from 1966 to 1978. Kilpatrick succeeded the 12-year president, John S. Kyser, a native of El Paso, Illinois.^[3]

NSU was one of the first six colleges to enter into NASA's Joint Venture Program ("JOVE"). Students worked with NASA scientists to help analyze data and do research for the 1996 Space Shuttle Columbia shuttle mission. NSU also hosts the Louisiana Scholars' College, Louisiana's designated honors college in the liberal arts and sciences. The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, a state supported residential high school for sophomores, juniors and seniors, is also located on the campus. It was a brainchild of former State Representative Jimmy D. Long of Natchitoches, who also attended NSU.

NSU offers more than 50 degree programs and complete accreditation of all of its accreditable degree programs.^{[clarification needed]} Fall 2018 total enrollment was 11,081, the largest in the university's 133-year history^[4]. NSU also claims more than 70,000 alumni.

History[edit]

Main entrance to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana

Northwestern State University stands on ground that has been dedicated to learning for well over a hundred years. Prior to the American Civil War, a portion of the present campus was the property of the Bullard family of Natchitoches. As early as 1856, the Bullard mansion was in use as a convent by the Religious Society of the Sacred Heart. The following year a school building was erected at the convent and in 1884 the town and parish of Natchitoches purchased the property. Three of the four great white columns that once supported the east gable of the mansion still stand on "The Hill" and serve as the unofficial symbols of the university. The campus, developed upon rolling hills and high river bottomland, is acknowledged to be one of the most spacious and attractive in the South. The natural beauty of the site drew people to it even in prehistoric times. Long the home of a major Indian tribe for which it was named, the French fortified Natchitoches in 1714 as an outpost of their New World Empire facing Spanish Texas to the west.

In 1884, the Louisiana State Legislature by Act 51 created the Louisiana State Normal School for the preparation of teachers. Shortly thereafter, a freshman member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Leopold Caspari of Natchitoches, offered the convent site as a campus for the school with the anticipated approval of the citizens of Natchitoches. The offer was accepted, and from 1885 to 1918 the Normal School offered two years of study for the training of teachers. Baccalaureate programs were inaugurated, and the Louisiana Constitution of 1921, changed the name of the school to Louisiana State Normal College. The resources and curricula of "Normal" grew steadily to meet the increasingly diverse requirements of Louisiana's expanding population. In 1944, the institution's excellent service in its broader role was accorded formal recognition by Act 326 of the Legislature, which changed its name to Northwestern State College of Louisiana.

Northwestern State maintained and strengthened its long tradition of leadership in public service and academic endeavor and became, in 1954, the first college under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana State Board of Education to offer the master's degree. The Specialist in Education degree was first offered in 1966 and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education degrees were authorized in 1967. On June 18, 1970, Governor John J. McKeithen signed a legislative act that brought the old campus its greatest distinction, changing its title to Northwestern State University of Louisiana. In 1980, the old campus quadrangle where the columns stand was entered into the National Register of Historic Places under the title "Normal Hill Historic District."

Although primarily a regional institution, Northwestern State also offers an opportunity for education at satellite locations, including Leesville, Shreveport, and Alexandria. In addition to academics, these centers are also developing student life programs. The Nursing Education Center, located in Shreveport, provides the educational environment for nursing majors enrolled in clinical courses as well as general education courses. The Center houses departments administering masters, baccalaureate and associate degree programs. The campus includes academic facilities, office space for faculty and staff, a bookstore, and facilities for activities and organizations.^[5]

A. A. Fredericks was president of NSU from 1934 to 1941. He was later a member of the Louisiana State Senate and the private secretary on two occasions to Governor Earl Kemp Long. Fredericks obtained his teaching credentials from Northwestern Normal in 1912. The A. A. Fredericks Auditorium on campus commemorates his memory.

Eugene P. Watson of Natchitoches, for whom the NSU library is named, was head librarian and professor of library science from 1940 until his death in 1964. He founded Alpha Beta Alpha, the national library science fraternity. The group held its first biennial convention on the NSU campus in 1952.

The centennial history of NSU (1884–1984) was published by the NSU Press in 1985 by the historian Marietta LeBreton, who taught forty-five years at the institution, from 1963 until her sudden death in 2009.

The Legend of Isabella[edit]

Isabella was a young French maiden, renowned for her beauty, who once lived in the original Bullard mansion after the Bullards were gone. The young lady had many suitors but preferred the company of a young man from the East, sent to Louisiana on business. They fell in love and were to be married. Shortly before the wedding date arrived, the young man was killed in a duel. Legend has it that the duel concerned a dispute over another woman.

Isabella, overcome by grief and sorrow, became a nun, and the French maiden's beauty wasted away through constant mourning of her intended. Everyone believed she had gone mad from grief and mourning. One stormy night she ended her mourning by plunging a dagger into her heart. Soon after she was found dead in her room, with a bloody handprint on the wall.

Her spirit roamed Bullard mansion until it was torn down. Since then she has roamed various buildings on campus. She lived in East Hall until it was torn down in 1926. This was evidenced by the eyewitness accounts of girls who lived in East Hall. From there, Isabella's spirit moved to the Music Hall and resided there until 1948 then that building was also torn down. Just before the Music Hall was dismantled, a group of young men, dressed in sheets, coaxed Isabella from the doomed building.

From there she wandered aimlessly around campus from building to building (including East Varnado) for almost three years, until, becoming weary, she chose Caldwell Hall as her next residence. Speculation has it that Caldwell was chosen because of its close proximity to the original Bullard dwelling. According to newspaper articles, the official date of the move was January 15, 1949. Reportedly a letter from the ghost was found on the steps of Caldwell along with a few drops of blood.

Isabella's current residence is the Old Women's Gym located on College Avenue beside Varnado Hall. When Caldwell Hall burned in October 1982, a group of 750 students gathered and performed a ceremony on Halloween night that aided Isabella in her transition to her present location.

Vic the Demon[edit]

On November 8, 1922, by proclamation of President V. L. Roy and Coach H. Lee Prather, all athletic teams became known as the Demons. The name was decided upon by a contest open to all students with a grand prize of $10. A committee was appointed by the President to narrow down the names submitted by the student body. The final selection was decided by a vote of the students. The two most popular choices were Braves and Demons. Among other names submitted by students were Sharks, Daredevils, Musketeers, Pelicans, Prather's Ground Hogs, Bloodhounds, Cyclops, and Serpents. The official winners were Aileen Ritter and Truett Scarborough.

On September 22, 1984, the Demon received his official given name by means of another contest sponsored by the Athletic Department. The contest was open to faculty, staff, and students. The objective: to find a name for the Demon. Over 300 entries were submitted to the committee. The grand prize was an all expense paid weekend at the Louisiana State Fair Classic. Ray Carney, an alumnus of the university, was the official winner with "Vic," which is short for "Victory".

Jim Croce[edit]

Singer-songwriter Jim Croce died in a plane crash hours after finishing a 1973 concert on the NSU campus.^[6]

Academics[edit]

Graduate[edit]

In 1954, State Representatives Monnie T. Cheves and Curtis Boozman, along with State Senator Sylvan Friedman, pushed for passage of legislation to permit Northwestern State to confer master of education degrees. The measure, known as House Bill 343, was signed into law by Governor Robert F. Kennon. Originally known as "Normal", Northwestern State University was for many years the only state-supported teacher education institution in the state.^[9]

College of Science, Technology & Business[edit]

• School of Business
• Department of Biological Sciences

Student media[edit]

Newspaper[edit]

Its student-run weekly newspaper, The Current Sauce, was founded in 1914. Its annual student-run yearbook is called The Potpourri.^[10]

Radio and television[edit]

There is also a student-run radio station, The Demon (KNWD 91.7 FM)^[11] and a faculty-administrated and student-operated local television station, NSU22, on which can be found bi-weekly student-produced newscasts.

Magazine[edit]

NSU's literary magazine is called The Argus. It is student-run and published during the spring semester. The magazine content is provided by competitions in various fields of writing and artwork.

Athletics[edit]

The Northwestern State athletic teams go by the Demons, with women's athletic teams generally called the Lady Demons, and its mascot is Vic the Demon. The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and competes in the Southland Conference at the NCAA Division I level. Northwestern State sponsors 12 varsity athletic teams, 5 men's teams and 7 women's teams.^[12]

Greek life[edit]

Sororities[edit]

National Panhellenic Conference affiliates[edit]

• Delta Zeta 1927 (closed 1985)
• Sigma Sigma Sigma 1928
• Alpha Sigma Alpha 1930-1971; 2002-2013 (closed 2013)
• Alpha Gamma Delta 1959 (closed 1963)
• Sigma Kappa 1959 (closed 1995)
• Phi Mu 1968
• Alpha Omicron Pi 1997

National Pan-Hellenic Council affiliates[edit]

• Alpha Kappa Alpha 1973
• Sigma Gamma Rho (Closed 1979. Reinstalled 1990)
• Delta Sigma Theta 1972
• Zeta Phi Beta 1974

Music sororities[edit]

• Tau Beta Sigma 1987

Fraternities[edit]

National Pan-Hellenic Council affiliates[edit]

• Alpha Phi Alpha 1973
• Omega Psi Phi 1972
• Kappa Alpha Psi 1975
• Phi Beta Sigma 1973

North-American Interfraternity Conference affiliates[edit]

• Pi Kappa Phi 1956
• Tau Kappa Epsilon 1957
• Kappa Alpha Order 1963
• Kappa Sigma 1966
• Theta Chi 1973
• Sigma Nu 1997
• Delta Upsilon (closed 2004)
• Sigma Tau Gamma 1929 (closed 1991)
• Pi Kappa Alpha 2014

Music fraternities[edit]

• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia 1942
• Kappa Kappa Psi 1986
• Sigma Alpha Iota 1950^[13]
• Tau Beta Sigma 1987

Academic and professional[edit]

• Alpha Epsilon Delta
• Phi Alpha Delta 2011
• Beta Beta Beta
• Eta Sigma Phi
• Psi Chi

Lady of the Bracelet pageant[edit]

The Lady of the Bracelet pageant (commonly referred to as LOB) is a long-standing competition which scholarships are awarded to female students. The first-place winner of the pageant is awarded the title of "Lady of the Bracelet" for one year.

The program is under the direction of the Director of Student Activities and the Assistant Director of Student Activities of Northwestern State University. Contestants compete in several categories including interview, evening wear, and swimsuit competition. In addition to being bestowed the title of "Lady of the Bracelet" for the following year, the first place contestant receives a full scholarship and goes on to compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant, which can ultimately result in a berth to the Miss America pageant. It is traditionally held on the first Friday in February.

In the early 1920s, the Potpourri, Northwestern State's yearbook, sponsored the first beauty pageant held on the university campus. The contestants were selected from photographs submitted to well-known producers for judgment and were chosen for their charm and beauty. In 1958, Miss Kahne Dipola was crowned the first Miss Lady of the Bracelet and she received a gold bracelet to wear when she represented the university in public. Over the years, the bracelet has been passed down to each holder of the title.

Through the efforts of Mr. Robert W. Wilson, Sr., the Student Union Governing Board purchased the first franchise from the Miss Louisiana Pageant in 1971, enabling Northwestern State's Lady of the Bracelet to enter the state contest. The Student Activities Board, formerly the Student Union Governing Board, has continued the tradition of sponsoring the Lady of the Bracelet Pageant for the enjoyment of the Northwestern State community. The Lady of the Bracelet pageant has gained state recognition for production, scholarship, and quality of contestants.

ROTC[edit]

With an agreement signed between Northwestern State College and the Department of the United States Army, an anti-aircraft field artillery unit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps was established in the fall of 1950. In August 1950, the building to house the ROTC unit was authorized. The new military science program, under President Prather, enrolled its first students in the fall of 1950 with one officer and five enlisted men on the staff. By the end of the 1950-51 academic year 220 men had selected military training and the future of the program looked promising. In 1965, NSC under President Kyser signed an agreement with the department of Army stating that the Military Science Senior ROTC program would be provided with a university secretary, armory, and utilities. The NSU ROTC Department and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana mutually support Cadet Command by identifying quality soldiers with officer potential and in assisting them in transition from active duty under the college ROTC Green to Gold program. The NSU ROTC Demon Battalion has commissioned nearly 1000 Second Lieutenants into the United States Armed Services. Quite a few graduates have become distinguished Army Officers, including several General Officers.

A Hall of Fame was begun in 1983. Portraits and biographies of the Hall of Fame members are on permanent display in the ROTC office foyer. NSU ROTC cadets have been selected to attend specialty schools in Germany and at West Point. Cadets have also participated in ceremonies commemorating the Bataan March in New Mexico, and supporting the Habitat for Humanity and Loggers Conventions. During the past two years, several renovation projects have been completed. The cadets have been able to enjoy a TV lounge, kitchen area and game room to include a billiards, ping pong, and foosball. Notably, five NSU ROTC commissioned officers have been inducted into NSU's highest Hall of Distinction, the Long Purple Line.

Archive[edit]

NSU maintains an archive through the Cammie G. Henry Research Center. Collections cover a diversity of individuals and topics. Materials may be accessed on such figures as Ethma Odum, the pioneering woman television personality at KALB-TV in Alexandria;^[14]James B. Aswell, Kate Chopin, Robert DeBlieux, Caroline Dormon, and the Cane River.^[15]

Notable alumni[edit]

The former "Line Avenue School" now houses part of the Northwestern State University nursing program in Shreveport.

• Tommy G. Armstrong (born 1941), Class of 1967, real estate developer and retired politician in Shreveport
• William B. Atkins (born 1947), member of both houses of the Louisiana legislature from 1980 to 1988 from Catahoula Parish^[16]
• Larry Bagley (born 1949), Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 7; graduate study in education at NSU^[17]
• Julian Edwin Bailes, Sr. (1915-2010), city, district, and appeal court judge from Natchitoches
• Robert W. Bates (born 1941), agent of the United States Secret Service from 1965 to 1976; commercial horticultural nurseryman in Forest Hill in Rapides Parish^[18]
• Thomas "Bud" Brady (1938-2011), Class of 1962, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from La Salle Parish from 1976 to 1988; radio personality, real estate appraiser^[19]
• Henry Burns (born 1947), bakery owner and Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Bossier Parish, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in upper elementary education from Northwestern State.
• Jerry Byrd (1935-2016), Class of 1957, sportswriter for the Shreveport Journal (1957-1991) and Bossier Press-Tribune (1993-2012)^[20]
• Monnie T. Cheves (1902-1988, Class of c. 1923), alumni and NSU education professor, and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960^[21]
• Kenny Ray Cox (born 1957) state representative for Natchitoches, DeSoto, and Red River parishes; retired United States Army lieutenant colonel residing in Mansfield, NSU graduate^[22]
• Ed Cullen (born 1946), journalist with Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, attended three semesters in mid-1960s, left to join United States Navy, graduated in 1972 from Louisiana State University
• Robert C. Culpepper (Class of 1896, 1873-1950), educator, lawyer, politician; state senator for Jackson and Ouachita parishes from 1908 to 1912 and judge in Alexandria from 1924 to 1942^[23]
• Charles Milton Cunningham (1877-1936), educator, attorney, publisher of The Natchitoches Times, and member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1915 to 1922^[24]
• William Tharp Cunningham, judge of the 11th Judicial District in Natchitoches and Red River parishes, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Natchitoches Parish from 1908 to 1912^[25]
• Israel "Bo" Curtis (1932-2012), was an African-American Democrat member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Alexandria from 1992 to 2008 and the Rapides Parish School Board from 1976 to 1992; received master's degree in education from NSU^[26]
• Jackson B. Davis (born 1918), former state senator from Shreveport; attended NSU from 1934 to 1935^[27]
• Robert DeBlieux (1933-2010), was an historical preservationist who developed the Natchitoches Historic District and served as mayor from 1976–1980
• Virginia deGravelles, Louisiana Republican national committeewoman from 1964–1968, began her studies at Northwestern State in 1931 but graduated from Louisiana State University.
• Joe Delaney, NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and 1981 Rookie of the Year, who died in 1983 attempting to rescue three children from drowning.
• Historian Henry C. Dethloff, author of more than two dozen books on American business, the space program, agriculture, petroleum drilling, and the history of Texas A&M University obtained his Master of Arts degree from Northwestern State in 1960.
• Herbert B. Dixon, African-American Democrat member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Alexandria from 2008 to 2014; member of the Rapides Parish School Board from 1992 to 2008; received master's degree from NSU^[28]
• William J. "Bill" Dodd, former Louisiana Lieutenant Governor and Education Superintendent, graduated from then Louisiana Normal in 1934, the year that A.A. Fredericks became the president.
• Everett Doerge (1935-1998) and his wife, Jean McGlothlin Doerge, graduated from NSU. Each has served as a state representative from Webster Parish and were formerly on the faculty of Minden High School.
• Lindsey Evans, model, known for being in the music video Blurred Lines^[29]
• James R. Fannin, Louisiana state representative from Jackson, Bienville, Ouachita, and Winn parishes, began his studies at NSU in agriculture education but graduated in that same field from Louisiana Tech University.
• Dan Flores, Natchitoches native and an historian of the American West, received his Master of Arts degree from NSU prior to 1980.
• Paul Lee Foshee, Sr., retired crop duster, served in both houses of the Louisiana legislature, the House from 1960–1964 and the state Senate from 1972–1976.
• John B. Fournet, Speaker of the Louisiana House during the Huey Pierce Long, Jr., impeachment case of 1929 and later lieutenant governor and associate and Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, received his teaching degree from Northwestern State in 1915.
• H. M. "Mutt" Fowler, a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Coushatta, dropped out of NSU in March 1941 to enter the United States Army.^[30]
• Jerry Marston Fowler, nephew of H. M. Fowler and Louisiana commissioner of elections from 1980 to 2000, also attended NSU and was a Demons football player.
• A.A. Fredericks, former NSU president and a state senator, procured his teaching credentials from NSU in 1912. The A.A. Fredericks Auditorium is named in his honor.
• NSU alumnus Dennis Freeman (1940-2007) served as mayor of nearby Logansport from 1984 until his death. He was credited with securing a new bridge over the Sabine River to connect Louisiana and Texas
• P. Elmo Futrell, Jr. (1916-1993), former mayor of Pineville, Louisiana^[31]
• Gordon Gunter (1909-1998), B.A. in Zoology 1929, influential fisheries scientist who pioneered the study of fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico
• Robert Harling (born 1960), movie screenwriter, producer and director.^[32][33]
• Lance Harris (born 1961), Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Rapides Parish since 2012, attended NSU, dates unavailable^[34]
• T.H. Harris, the Louisiana state education superintendent from 1908–1940, studied at NSU but received his bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
• Cleone Hodges, professor of health and physical education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, obtained teacher education at NSU^[35]
• Donald G. Kelly, former State Senator, NSU alumnus. He then procured his law degree from LSU.
• Bobby Hebert, current New Orleans radio personality and former NFL Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.
• Donald Gray Horton (1945-2013), Demons football player and long-term president of the NSU Athletic Association, practiced law in Coushatta, half-owner of The Famous Natchitoches Louisiana Meat Pie Company^[36]
• Carolyn Huntoon, scientist with NASA and the first woman director of the Johnson Space Center, received her undergraduate degree from NSU in 1962^[37]
• Theodore "Ted" Jones, Louisiana lawyer, lobbyist, and political appointee graduated from NSU in 1960 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He is an inductee of the NSU "Long Purple Line of Distinguished Alumni".^[38]
• Guy A. J. LaBoa, Lieutenant General in the United States Army who commander the 4th Infantry Division and First United States Army^[39]
• Malcolm Lafargue, U.S. attorney in Shreveport during the 1940s; defeated U.S. Senate candidate in 1950^[40]
• Gerald Long, rare Republican member of the Long political dynasty.
• U.S. Representative and State Senator Speedy O. Long graduated with his bachelor's degree in history from NSU in 1951. He later procured his law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Mr. Long was inducted posthumously into Northwestern State University's "Long Purple Line" on October 24, 2008. Northwestern State University established The Long Purple Line in 1990 to provide recognition and appreciation to former N.S.U. students whose career accomplishments or service to their fellow man have enhanced the reputation of the university.
• John McConathy (1930-2016), NSU basketball player, professional basketball player, superintendent for the Bossier Parish School Board; son Mike McConathy, a Louisiana Tech graduate, has been the NSU basketball coach since 1999.
• Billy McCormack, Southern Baptist pastor in Shreveport, and one of four national directors of the Christian Coalition of America, received bachelor's and master's degrees from NSU.^[41]
• Garnie W. McGinty, Louisiana historian graduated from NSU and served as NSU president on a one-year interim basis. Most of his career was at Louisiana Tech University.
• Kellen McGregor, from the metal-core band Memphis May Fire, was also in the Northwestern State Marching band.
• Joe McPherson, Louisiana State Senator, represented Rapides Parish from 1984–1996 and again since 2000, graduated from NSU.
• Harry Middleton, famed outdoor writer.
• Newt V. Mills, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 5th congressional district from 1937 to 1943, studied professional education at NSU and taught in Morehouse Parish from 1921 to 1932.
• Randy Moffett, president of the University of Louisiana System (ULS) and formerly president of Southeastern Louisiana University received his master's degree from Northwestern State University of Louisiana.^[42]
• Sammy Joe Odom (1941-2001), football star at NSU in 1962 and 1963, later played with the Houston Oilers. At the time of his death, he was the administrator of the De Soto Parish Police Jury. He was among the 100 Top Football Players at NSU, as announced in July 2007 as part of the centennial celebration of the football team.
• Ed Orgeron played football at Northwestern State University after transferring from Louisiana State University in 1978. He later went on to be on coaching staffs at Northwestern State University, McNeese State University, University of Arkansas, University of Miami, Nicholls State University, Syracuse University, The University of Southern California, The University of Mississippi, the New Orleans Saints, and the Tennessee Volunteers. He is currently the head coach for the Louisiana State University football team.
• Mary Evelyn Parker (Class of 1941, 1920-2015), state treasurer from 1968 to 1987^[43]
• Morgan D. Peoples, Louisiana historian who co-authored with Michal Kurtz a definitive study of Governor Earl Kemp Long, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from NSU, and later taught for twenty years at Louisiana Tech University.
• John S. Pickett, Jr. (Class of 1942, 1920-2014), member of the Sabine Parish School Board 1960 to 1968, state representative 1968 to 1972, and state court judge in Many from 1972 to 1990^[44]
• Terry Reeves, district attorney for Winn Parish (1991-2005)^[45]
• Joe R. Salter, former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Sabine Parish and current lobbyist for the state Department of Education, graduated from NSU in 1965 and later procured a master's degree from the institution.
• Joe Sampite (1931-2012) graduated in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in business education. He was the mayor of Natchitoches from 1980 to 2000.
• Charles R. Scott, NSU graduate originally from Natchitoches, was a state court judge in Shreveport from 1982 to 2007 and the Caddo Parish district attorney from 2009 until his death in office on April 22, 2015.^[46]
• W. Ray Scott, another NSU graduate, served as mayor of Natchitoches from 1960–1976 and worked to procure university status and expanded facilities for the institution.
• Eddy Shell (1937-2008), founding faculty member of Bossier Parish Community College and served on the Bossier Parish Police Jury from 1992 until his death of cancer. He pursued graduate studies at Northwestern State.
• Jane H. Smith is the first woman to have served as a principal, school superintendent, and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Bossier Parish. A Sabine Parish native, she received bachelor's and master's degrees in education from NSU.
• Kenneth Michael "Mike" Smith, former state senator (1996-2008) graduated from NSU in agribusiness in 1970. He is co-owner of P.K. Smith Motors in Winnfield.^[47]
• Victor T. "Vic" Stelly (born 1941), former Republican state representative from Calcasieu Parish and author of the Stelly Plan, received his Bachelor of Science in education from NSU in 1962.^[48]
• Raymond Strother, regional and national political consultant, attended NSU from 1958 to 1960^[49]
• Thomas Taylor Townsend, state representative from Natchitoches Parish from 2000–2008, received a Bachelor of Science degree from NSU.
• Ollie Tyler (Graduate studies), mayor of Shreveport; former interim state superintendent of education, former Caddo Parish school superintendent^[50]
• William Stewart Walker, United States Army officer during World War II and a Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 1964. He also taught military science at Northwestern State during the early 1960s.
• Darryl Willis (1991), BP vice president in charge of claims in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill who is featured in many BP commercials.
• Ernest Wooton (born 1941), state representative from Belle Chasse and an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010, attended NSU.
• Successful athletic alumni are Terrence McGee, David Pittman, Craig Nall, Gary Reasons, Kenta Bell, Bobby Hebert, Jackie Smith, Brian Lawrence and Dennis Duncan.

Notable faculty and administrators[edit]

• James B. Aswell, president of NSU from 1908-1911, was the U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 8th congressional district (since defunct) from 1913 until his death in office in 1931.
• Thomas Duckett Boyd (1854-1932), president of NSU from 1888 to 1896; president of Louisiana State University from 1896 to 1926, professor of English and history
• John Ardis Cawthon (1907-1984), education professor and regional historian, taught at NSU from 1940-1942 before entering the United States Army, later at Louisiana Tech University from 1954–1972
• Henry E. Chambers (1860-1929), historian and educator was affiliated with the education department at NSU from 1900-1902.^[51]
• Medford Bryan Evans (1907-1989), English professor and conservative activist, at NSU from 1955–1959
• Julie Kane (born 1952), poet
• J.E. Keeny (1860-1939), on NSU faculty from 1900-1904; later president of Louisiana Tech University^[52]
• John S. Kyser (1900-1975), historian and geographer, NSU president from 1954-1966
• Marietta LeBreton (1936-2009), Louisiana historian
• Jay Luneau (born 1962), Alexandria lawyer and state senator; adjunct professor at NSU^[53]
• James L. McCorkle, Jr. (born 1935), agricultural historian at NSU (1966–2003)
• Donald Rawson (1925-2014), historian of the 19th century United States; professor (1960-1980) and Dean of the Graduate School at NSU (1980–1984)^[54]
• Ralph L. Ropp, professor of speech and head of the forensics department, 1923-1949; president of Louisiana Tech University from 1949 to 1962
• James Monroe Smith (1888-1949), later president of Louisiana State University during the "Louisiana Hayride" scandals of 1939, taught at NSU in the summer of 1917.^[55]
• Dale Thorn (1943-2014), former NSU vice president for academic affairs; earlier press secretary to Governor Edwin Edwards^[56]
• George T. Walker (1913-2011), dean of applied arts and sciences and dean of administration in the 1950s; president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, 1958 to 1976^[57]
• Randall J. Webb (1943-2015), president of NSU, 1996 to 2014; former mathematics professor and dean of instruction and graduate studies; NSU graduate in mathematics, 1965 and 1966^[58]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Northwestern State University.

• Official website
• Northwestern University The large research University situated in Evanston, Illinois and commonly referred to as "Northwestern." Unaffiliated with Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana