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Southern University
Motto:	A People’s Institution Serving the State, the Nation, and the World
Established	1880
Type:	Public Coeducational
Chancellor:	Edward Jackson
President:	Ralph Slaughter
Staff:	1,465[1]
Undergraduates:	8,964
Postgraduates:	1,400
Location	Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Campus:	Urban
Sports teams:	Jaguars
Colors:	Blue & Gold
Mascot:	Lacumba the Jaguar
Website:	www.subr.edu

For other Southern University campuses, see Southern University System.

Southern University and A&M College is one of the best-known historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Southern is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The concept of Southern University was put forth by P. B. S. Pinchback, T. T. Allain, and Henry Demas as an institution "for the education of persons of color" at the 1879 Louisiana State Constitutional Convention. In April 1880, the Louisiana General Assembly chartered Southern University, originally located in New Orleans. Southern opened its doors on 1881-03-07 with twelve students. One of the original locations of the early campus was the former Israel Sinai Temple Synagogue on Calliope Street, between St. Charles and Camp streets in New Orleans. Southern became a land grant school in 1890, and an Agricultural and Mechanical department was established. Because of continued growth and a lack of land for expansion, the university relocated to what was then Scotlandville, along Scott's Bluff facing the Mississippi River in 1914.

Contents 1 The "New" Southern University 2 The Presidents of Southern University 2.1 Early Southern University 2.2 Modern Southern University 3 Colleges within the University 4 Athletics 5 Notable alumni 5.1 Sports figures 5.2 Entertainers 5.3 Politicians 5.4 Military commanders 6 Notes 7 External links

The new president and first president of what is now known as Southern University at Baton Rouge was Dr. Joseph Samuel Clark. Clark, an outstanding citizen in the Baton Rouge African American community, presided over Baton Rouge College and the Louisiana Colored Teachers Association. The Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1921 authorized the reorganization and expansion of Southern University; and Legislative Act 100 of 1922 provided that the institution be reorganized under the control of the State Board of Education. Clark presided over Southern University during a transitionary period for the institution. The student enrollment grew from forty-seven students to 500 students and many of the school's early buildings were built during this time. Clark presided until his retirement in 1938, at which time the position was given to his son, Dr. Felton Grandison Clark, a renowned speaker and gentleman. Under his tenure, the university underwent tremendous growth. About 33 of 114 current buildings were erected in his 30 years at the university. The student enrollment grew from 500 to nearly 10,000 students and between him and his father, the treasury grew from $14,000 to $10,000,000. Due to the reluctance of LSU Law School to admit African Americans into its law program, a special Louisiana Convention allowed a law program to come to Southern University in 1947. The university was one of the first historically black colleges to receive a visit from a First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1943. Also during Clark's tenure, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) (1956) and Southern University at Shreveport/Bossier City (SUSLA) (1964) were founded. They were later incorporated into the Southern University System in 1974.

In 1969, the university saw a changing of the guard, when Clark retired and Dr. Leon G. Netterville took over the reins of leadership. On November 16, 1972, two students involved with "Students United", a student protest group on the campus, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, were shot and killed outside the Old Auditorium (now the Southern University Museum of Art). The murder, apparently committed by a patrolman, has never been solved. Nevertheless, the institution continued to grow and in 1974 a special session in the Louisiana Legislature established the Southern University System. The Southern University System consists of Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, (SUBR); Southern University, New Orleans (SUNO); Southern University, Shreveport (SUSLA is a two-year, commuter college) Southern University Law Center and The Southern University Agricultural Center.

Southern University and its northern Louisiana rival, Grambling State University, participate in the Bayou Classic Football Game and other festivities (pageant, job fairs, street festival, concerts, Greek/Step Show and Battle Of The Bands) annually on the Thanksgiving Day weekend in New Orleans. The Classic is considered the "Grandfather" of all the college football classics that have spawned in recent years. The game attracts upwards of over 400,000 alumni, students, fans and other revelers to New Orleans each year and has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to New Orleans' economy since its inception in 1974. It is believed to be the largest gathering of African-Americans annually in the US. Due to Hurricane Katrina and subsequent damage to the Superdome in 2005, the game was moved to Houston, Texas, but it returned to New Orleans in 2006. It is the only historically black college or Division I-AA football game that is televised on a major network. NBC has carried the game live for over 15 years and each year it has become the highest rated college football telecast among African-Americans for the network. In addition, sports broadcaster ESPN chose the 2005 Bayou Classic as its highly sought-after locale for its most popular presentation, College GameDay with Lee Corso. It is the only time in the show's twenty-year history that it was broadcast from a game involving teams from two historically black universities or Division I-AA schools.

The widely acclaimed Southern University marching band is widely recognized as one of the top bands in the world. In addition to being featured in television commercials, the "Human Jukebox" has been invited to participate in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, Presidential Inauguration ceremonies and several Super Bowl halftime presentations. USA Today newspaper once named the band the number one marching band in the United States. For many years, the band was one of the few in the U.S. that had no female members but that has changed in recent years; currently there are over 20 female members.

The first season of the reality television series College Hill on BET premiered in 2004 with the Southern University campus as its locale.

The university is currently in the midst of a major campus facelift with the recent completion of several new dormitories, on campus apartments, renovation of on-campus A.W. Mumford Stadium and plans for construction of other infrastructure.

• A.R. Gourrier, 1881
• George Fayerweather, 1881-2
• Rev. C.H. Thompson, 1882-3
• Rev. J.H. Harrisond, 1883-
• George W. Bathwell, 1886-7
• H.A. Hill, 1887-1899

• Dr. Joseph S. Clark, 1914-1938
• Dr. Felton G. Clark, 1938-1969
• Dr. George L. Netterville, 1969-1974
• Dr. Jesse N. Stone 1974-1985
• Dr. Joffre T. Whisenton, 1985-1988
• Dr. Dolores Spikes, 1988-1996 (First female head of any college system in the U.S.)
• Dr. Leon Tarver II, 1997-2005
• Dr. Edward Jackson, (interim) 2005-2006
• Dr. Ralph Slaughter 2006-

• Honors College
• University College
• College of Agriculture, Family, and Consumer Sciences
• College of Arts and Humanities
• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Sciences
• School of Architecture
• School of Nursing
• The Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs

All Southern University programs are accredited and also are monitored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Southern University Jaguars. (Discuss)

Southern's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) which is a part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Southern University's colors are columbia blue and gold and their mascot is the Jaguar.

Every Thanksgiving weekend, Southern plays its archrival Grambling Tigers in the annual Bayou Classic at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans; the game is telecast on NBC. Due to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 game was moved to Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

In 1993, the unheralded Southern University men's basketball team added lore to the NCAA Tournament by defeating fourth-seeded Georgia Tech 93-78 in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. In the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Jaguars battled Duke University in a closely contested game until Duke finally pulled away in the second half, eventually winning 70-54. In his first season at SU, head coach Rob Spivery was named 2005-06 SWAC Coach of the Year after winning both the SWAC regular season and tournament titles.

The 2005-2006 women's basketball team also claimed a share of the SWAC regular season title and won the SWAC women's basketball tournament. This was Coach Sandy Pugh's third appearance in the NCAA tournament with the university.

Avery Johnson, former NBA star who won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs, is a 1988 graduate of Southern. Johnson is currently head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2006.

The university's baseball team is a perennial power in the SWAC and has won more regular season championships than any other SWAC member. Southern standout Rickie Weeks was the first college player selected in the 2003 MLB draft when the Milwaukee Brewers made him their No. 1 pick, the highest a second baseman has ever been drafted in MLB Draft history. Weeks went from obscurity coming out of high school in Florida to win the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy, and Baseball America College Player of the Year honors as the nation's top collegiate player during the 2003 season.

Often accompanying the S.U. athletic teams is The legendary Southern University Human Jukebox, one of the top marching bands in the nation, with a rich tradition of entertaining millions of fans every year with their precision drills and powerful sound. The Human Jukebox has performed at several Super Bowls, Yankee Stadium, foreign countries, Bowl games, Presidential Inaugurations, Radio City Music Hall, and television commercials and music videos, just to name a few.

• Mel Blount, played with the Pittsburgh Steelers and President of the NFL Players Association.
• Lou Brock, record-setting base-stealing outfielder with the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Harold Carmichael, NFL player, four-time Pro-Bowler, played 14 years for Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
• Willie Davenport, two-time gold medalist of U.S. Olympic Track Team.
• Trenidad Hubbard, former Major League Baseball outfielder.
• Avery Johnson, current NBA head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, 2006 NBA Coach Of The Year.
• Tyrone Jones, former All-star and MVP CFL linebacker and Grey Cup champion.
• Robert "Butterbean" Love, aka Bob Love, former NBA All-Star, played for Chicago Bulls. 2nd Leading scorer in Bulls history behind superstar Michael Jordan.
• Rodney Milburn, Track and Field gold medalist at 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
• Bobby Phills, NBA basketball player with the Charlotte Hornets.
• Isiah Robertson, Six time Pro-Bowler in the NFL, played for St.Louis Rams.
• Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers 2nd baseman.
• Aeneas Williams, Pro Bowl cornerback who played for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams.
• Godwin Turk, NFL linebacker with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos.

• Alvin Batiste, Renowned Jazz artist and educator.
• Maurice Brown, Noted Jazz artist.
• Lavell Crump, a.k.a David Banner, music recording artist.
• Thaddeus Ford, Jazz Musician.
• Randy Jackson, musician, record producer, and American Idol judge.
• Branford Marsalis, Jazz saxophonist.
• Terysa Singleton, Miss Black Louisiana USA 2006 - 2007.

• Cleo Fields, Representative, U.S. Congress.
• Melvin "Kip" Holden, First African-American mayor of Baton Rouge.
• William J. Jefferson, Representative, U.S. Congress.

• Retired Brigadier General Sherian Grace Cadoria, First Black Female General in U.S. Army.
• Lt. Gen Russel L. Honoré, commander of the efforts to revitalize the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

• Southern University and A&M College official site
• Southern University System official site
• Southern University official athletics web site

v • d • e Public colleges and universities in Louisiana
Research universities	Louisiana State University • Louisiana Tech University • University of Louisiana at Lafayette • University of New Orleans
Comprehensive universities	Grambling State University • Louisiana State University at Alexandria • Louisiana State University in Shreveport • McNeese State University • Nicholls State University • Northwestern State University • Southeastern Louisiana University • Southern University • Southern University at New Orleans • University of Louisiana at Monroe
Specialized centers	LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans • LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport • LSU Law Center • Southern Law Center
Community and technical colleges	Baton Rouge Community College • Bossier Parish Community College • Delgado Community College • L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College • Louisiana Delta Community College • Louisiana State University at Eunice • Louisiana Technical College • Nunez Community College • River Parishes Community College • South Louisiana Community College • Southern University at Shreveport • Sowela Technical Community College

v • d • e Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Alabama A&M  • Alabama State  • Albany State  • Alcorn State  • Allen  • Arkansas Baptist  • Arkansas, Pine Bluff  • Benedict  • Bennett  • Bethune-Cookman  • Bishop  • Bluefield State  • Bowie State  • Central State  • Cheyney  • Claflin  • Clark Atlanta  • Coahoma CC  • Concordia, Selma  • Coppin State  • Delaware State  • Denmark Technical  • Dillard  • Edward Waters  • Elizabeth City State  • Fayetteville State  • Fisk  • Florida A&M  • Florida Memorial  • Fort Valley State  • Gadsen State CC  • Grambling State  • Hampton  • Harris-Stowe  • Hinds CC (Utica campus)  • Howard  • Huston-Tillotson  • Interdenominational Theological Center  • Jackson State  • Jarvis Christian  • Johnson C. Smith  • Kentucky State  • Knoxville  • Lane  • Langston  • LeMoyne-Owen  • Lewis College of Business  • Lincoln, Missouri  • Lincoln, Pennsylvania  • Livingstone  • Maryland, Eastern Shore  • Medgar Evers  • Meharry Medical College  • Miles  • Mississippi Valley State  • Morehouse  • Morehouse School of Medicine  • Morgan State  • Morris Brown  • Morris  • Mount Hermon Female Seminary  • Norfolk State  • N.C. A&T  • N.C. Central  • Oakwood  • Paine  • Paul Quinn  • Philander Smith  • Prairie View A&M  • Rust  • Saint Paul's  • Savannah State  • Selma  • Shaw  • Shelton State CC  • South Carolina State  • Southern  • Southern (New Orleans)  • Southern (Shreveport)  • Southwestern Christian  • Spelman  • St. Augustine's  • Stillman  • Storer  • Straight  • Talladega  • Tennessee State  • Texas College  • Texas Southern  • Tougaloo  • Tuskegee  • UDC  • UVI  • Virginia State  • Virginia Union  • Virginia, Lynchburg  • Voorhees  • West Virginia State  • Wilberforce  • Wiley  • Winston-Salem State  • Xavier (Louisiana)

v • d • e Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Alabama A&M • Alabama State • Alcorn State • Arkansas – Pine Bluff • Grambling State • Jackson State • Mississippi Valley State • Prairie View A&M • Southern • Texas Southern

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