Southern University and A&M College

Southern University and A&M College is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the flagship institution of the Southern University System and the largest HBCU in Louisiana. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

History

The institution was founded in 1880 in New Orleans by the Louisiana State Legislature during the post-Reconstruction era under the leadership of State Senator T. T. Allain. Its original purpose was to provide "education for persons of color." The university moved to its current location in Scotlandville in 1914, acquiring land from the former Bellemont Plantation. Key historical developments include its designation as a 1890 land-grant institution and the expansion into the multi-campus Southern University System under the tenure of President Felton G. Clark. The campus was a significant center for the Civil Rights Movement, most notably during the 1972 Baton Rouge boycott and a protest that led to the fatal shooting of students Denver Smith and Leonard Brown by law enforcement.

Academics

The university is organized into several colleges, including the College of Sciences and Engineering, the College of Business, the College of Education, and the Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, including a Juris Doctor through the Southern University Law Center and a Doctor of Pharmacy through its partnership with the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Notable research centers include the NASA-funded Center for Nanomaterials and the Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The university's Louisiana Small Business Development Center provides extensive support to regional entrepreneurs and is part of a national network partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Campus

The main campus spans 964 acres along the bluffs of the Mississippi River in northern Baton Rouge. Historic landmarks include the Southern University Museum of Art and the John B. Cade Library, which houses an extensive archive on the African American experience. The campus features the A.W. Mumford Stadium, the F.G. Clark Activity Center, and residential facilities like Smith-Brown Memorial Union. The campus architecture is a mix of historic and modern buildings, with the nearby Southern University Laboratory School serving as a K-12 feeder institution. The university also operates the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center on several farms across Louisiana.

Athletics

The university's athletic teams, known as the Southern Jaguars, compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The football team plays its home games at A.W. Mumford Stadium and has won multiple SWAC championships, famously competing in the annual Bayou Classic against Grambling State University in the Caesars Superdome. The basketball teams play in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The university's athletic program has produced numerous professional athletes, including Aeneas Williams of the NFL and Avery Johnson of the NBA, and has a strong rivalry with nearby Jackson State University.

Notable alumni

Alumni have achieved prominence in diverse fields such as politics, law, entertainment, and sports. In government, notable figures include Ralph Abraham, a former U.S. Representative, and Cleo Fields, a member of the Louisiana State Senate. Legal professionals include Frederick J. R. Heebe, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. In entertainment, alumni include Lynn Whitfield, an Emmy Award-winning actress, and Jarvis Green, a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. Other distinguished graduates are Leah Chase, the renowned chef of Dooky Chase's Restaurant, and Lionel Ferbos, a celebrated jazz musician from New Orleans.

Category:Southern University and A&M College Category:Universities and colleges in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Category:Historically black universities and colleges in Louisiana Category:Land-grant universities and colleges Category:Educational institutions established in 1880 Category:1880 establishments in Louisiana