Good forArts & culture lovers
Louisiana's third-largest public university began in 1925 as a two-room junior college in Hammond High School with 40 students and a faculty of five. McGehee Hall — built in 1935 with Depression-era bond funds, named for a physician who co-founded the institution — is a sturdy example of Depression Gothic architecture and the oldest building on campus, NRHP-listed. The flanking Science Building and former library (now Clark Hall) were designed by the prominent New Orleans firm Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth. SLU's first Distinguished Alumnus Award, in 1969, went to jazz pianist Bill Evans. The university now enrolls nearly 15,000 students.
Quick facts
- ·McGehee Hall at Southeastern Louisiana University opened in 1935 as the campus's Depression-era centerpiece.
- ·SLU itself was founded in 1925 as Hammond Junior College.
- ·The Collegiate Gothic building was funded through Public Works Administration construction programs.
- ·It originally housed the entire university — classrooms, library, and administration under one roof.
- ·Visitor tip: pair a campus walk with lunch on downtown Hammond's Railroad Avenue a few blocks west.
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Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.