A Brief History of the Seminary and the Original Campus
Old LSU Site
— Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy —
1860
The Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, the predecessor of the Louisiana State University, opened at this site in January 1860 with Colonel William Techmseh Sherman as its first superintendent, five faculty members, and 19 young male students.
1861
The Civil War divided the nation, and Louisiana seceded from the Union less than 18 months after the seminary opened. At that point, Sherman resigned from his post and returned to the Union forces, while many faculty and students joined the Confederacy.
1863
The seminary struggled to remain open during the war, but the invasion of the Red River Valley in April 1863 forced the school to suspend activities.
1865
After the war ended, the Seminary reopened with David F. Boyd, one of the original faculty members, as superintendent.
1869
The Seminary held its first, and only, commencement exercise at this location. Then on October 15, a fire destroyed the building, and the Seminary was relocated to Baton Rouge, where it shared facilities with the State Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind. The move was intended to be temporary, but the institution would eventually call Baton Rouge home.
1870
The Seminary is renamed Louisiana State University.
Topics. This
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Location. 31° 21.474′ N, 92° 26.193′ W. Marker is in Pineville, Louisiana, in Rapides Parish. Marker is on Shreveport Highway (U.S. 71) south of Rigolette Road (State Road 1203), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2500 Shreveport Highway, Pineville LA 71360, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy (within shouting distance of this marker); This Stone Was A Part Of The 1st LA. Seminary (within shouting distance of this marker); The Seminary Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Superintendent William T. Sherman (within shouting distance of this marker); Campus Life (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Leadership (within shouting distance of this marker); Fallen Federal Firefighters/ Oklahoma City Bombing Victims Memorial Grove (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); First United Methodist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pineville.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 16, 2017. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 16, 2017.
