Baseball Yearbook
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
History of LSU 1860s - 1920s • The Huey P. Long Fieldhouse, named in honor of the former Louisiana Govenor • The institution opened as the Louisiana INTRO and U.S. Senator, was constructed in 1932 State Seminary of Learning near Pineville, and served as the campus' first student 1860 THIS IS LSU La., on January 2, and subsequently union. The Long Fieldhouse contained 1861 closed June 30, , because of the Civil administrative offices and an outdoor pool PREVIEW War. It reopened on April 1, 1862, but was that was the world's largest at the time. 1863 TIGERS again closed on April 23, , due to the • In 1937, two new athletic venues were com- invasion of the Red River Valley by the fed- pleted and expanded. The John M. Parker COACHES eral army. Coliseum opened and served as a multipur- • The seminary reopened October 2, 1865, but pose arena mostly for livestock shows and REVIEW was destroyed by fire on October 15, 1869.The rodeos. It was also used for commence- ments and convocations and served as HISTORY seminary moved to Baton Rouge, reopening on November 1, 1869, where it has since home of the LSU basketball team. Alex Box RECORDS remained. In 1870, the name of the institution Stadium also served as the football practice was changed to Louisiana State University. field. Tiger Stadium received its second LSU ¨ • The Louisiana State Agricultural & expansion, adding a north endzone and bringing the capacity to 46,000. MEDIA Mechanical College was established in New Orleans in 1874. The two institutions • Huey P. Long and Castro Carazo teamed up to co-author notable songs, including were merged on Jan. 2, 1877, and began "Touchdown for LSU." During his tenure at their first joint session on Oct. 5, 1877. LSU, Carazo compiled one of the most com- • In 1886, the federal garrison grounds (now plete university band libraries in America. the site of the state capitol) were formally declared the domicile of the University. 1940s Land for the present campus was pur- • The ROTC program, mandatory until 1969, chased in 1918, and construction began in carries on what is perhaps the universities’ 1922. oldest tradition. The military heritage that 1893 • On Nov. 25, , LSU played its first foot- has been part of the institution since its ball game, and three years later LSU adopt- beginning has given LSU the nickname, ed the tiger as the official mascot. “Ole War Skule.”In WWII, only Texas A&M 1920s and the military academeis of Annapolis and West Point were equal to the Ole War Skule • With the support of Governor John M. in providing officers to the armed forces. Parker and the approval of a severance tax • In 1943, the LSU Band invited its first coed 1921 during the constitutional convention of , member. the construction of the new campus, known today as Louisiana State University 1950s Agricultural and Mechanical College, began. • In 1950 LSU enrolled its first African 1925 • The Gym-Armory was built in west of American student into its graduate pro- the academic quadrangle for the purpose of gram. Throughout the 1950s, air condition- housing the LSU basketball team and other ing slowly began to be phased into admin- indoor sporting events. Tiger Stadium was istration and classroom buildings through- 1924 completed in and on Thanksgiving Day out the campus. of that year,Tulane and LSU played the first • A.P. Tureaud, Jr., enrolled, but resigned 1928 game on the new campus. In , upward before the end of the fall term in 1953, while expansion added 10,000 seats to the Brown vs. The Board of Education of 12,000-seat stadium. Topeka, Kansas, struck down racial segre- • The formal dedication of the new campus gation in public schools a year later. 1926 took place on Friday, April 30, .The date • Tiger Stadium was expanded in 1957 with was chosen because on April 30, 1803 the the south endzone providing the final piece United States Congress signed the to completely enclose the stadium. The Louisiana Purchase documents. enclosure provided not only additional seating but also men's dormitories. 1930s Stadium capacity was now 67,720. • During this time many of LSU's live oaks • The LSU Tiger Football team won the 1958 and magnolias were planted by landscape National Championship, defeating artist Steele Burden for what has become a Clemson, 7-0, in the Sugar Bowl and finish- symbolic part of the great legacy at LSU. ing with an 11-0 season. The Tigers then The live oak trees on LSU's campus have earned the school’s second national title in been valued at more than $36 million. football in 2004, defeating Oklahoma 21-14 Through the LSU Foundation's "Endow an in the Sugar Bowl. Oak" program, individuals or groups are able to endow live oaks across campus. 1960s • In 1930, the student body adopted the alma • In 1964, a $5.5 million student union was mater that still is in use today. LSU is the built to serve the university in many capac- home of The Southern Review, one of the ities. The three-story facility includes a world's most prestigious literary journals, 1,315 seat theatre, 333 seat movie cinema, 1935 established in by Robert Penn Warren, bowling lanes, game room and pool hall, Cleanth Brooks, Albert Erskine, and post office, cafeteria, and a craft shop, as Charles Pipkin. well as ballrooms and conference rooms for hosting seminars and special events. 168 2005 LSU BASEBALL YEARBOOK History of LSU • Also in 1964, six black students enrolled as • Head Coach Skip Bertman built the LSU undergraduates. baseball program into one of the most • By the end of the decade, rising tensions dominating programs in the country. With INTRO due to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War National Championships coming in 1991, was mounting. The LSU ROTC program 1993, 1996, and 1897, the Tigers would con- THIS IS LSU became a target for protestors, as dissatis- tinue their dynasty into the next century by PREVIEW faction with the war increased.The pressure winning their fifth title in 2000. By the late increased for LSU to either cancel its pro- 1990s’ the LSU Tiger baseball team became TIGERS gram or make it voluntary. In October 1968, known as the "Program of the Decade" by the LSU Faculty Council voted to make the all of college baseball. COACHES ROTC program voluntary, and on May 26, • Speaking of dynasties, LSU Head Track & REVIEW 1969 the LSU Board of Supervisors made it Field Coach Pat Henry managed to reach official. major milestones throughout his tenure at HISTORY 1970s LSU. He has led the Lady Tiger track & field team to 22 National Titles, 12 outdoor and RECORDS • Former professor T. Harry Williams was 10 indoor, including the 2004 indoor title. honored with the Pulitzer Prize for his • Henry’s men’s teams have won five NCAA ¨ LSU 1970 biography of Huey Long in . titles, most recently the 2004 indoor crown. MEDIA • With the growing popularity of collegiate Henry is the only coach in NCAA history to athletics, two new athletic facilities were guide both the men’s and women’s team to built and another was expanded. In 1971, NCAA titles in the same year. Under LSU basketball introduced a state-of-the- Henry's direction, the LSU track & field art 15,000-seat multipurpose arena. The program has attained unparalleled success: Assembly Center would eventually be 27 NCAA titles and 19 SEC crowns. named the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and nicknamed "The PMAC" following the 2000s death of LSU basketball and NBA legend • In 2000, LSU opened its home football sea- 1988 "Pistol" Pete Maravich in . son to a newly expanded Tiger Stadium. • In 1974, Athletics Director Carl Maddox With an additional 11,600 seats due to the expanded the growing LSU athletic com- East Upper Deck addition and 70 Tiger Den pound with the addition of a multipurpose Suites, Tiger Stadium is now the sixth sports and recreational complex that now largest on-campus arena in college football bears his name, the Carl Maddox with a seating capacity of 91,600. Fieldhouse. Tiger Stadium was expanded in • In 2001, the Lod Cook Hotel and 1978 by adding 8,000 seats in a new West Conference Center opened on the LSU Upper Deck to lead the Tiger football pro- campus giving Tiger fans and visitors a full- gram into the next decade with a capacity service hotel on campus. of nearly 80,000 seats. • In 2002, the $15 million renovation to the • In 1978, LSU was named a sea-grant college Gym-Armory to provide the Cox becoming one of only 25 universities Xommunication Academic Center for nationwide to be recognized as both a Student-Athletes was completed, giving land-grant and sea-grant institution. LSU student-athletes one of the nation's 1980s top facilites for learning. • Pat Henry's track and field dynasty contin- • In 1985, the Natatorium was built for the LSU ued into the 21st century as the Tigers cap- Swimming & Diving program as the United tured 27 national titles under Henry from States Sports Festival came to Baton Rouge. 1988-2004. Most recently, LSU became the • James Wharton introduced a new admis- first school to win both the men’s and sions policy that would increase university women’s indoor titles in the season season admission standards. The standards would when both programs captured the crown in require high school students to complete a 2004. As a University, LSU has accounted list of core requirements throughout their for 43 national titles and 105 Southeastern high school careers.