Originally published in The News-Star newspaper, August 27, 2006

Convocation happened this week.

It was the official start of the academic year with all of it promises and hopes ... the first step into the future for the class of 2010. Eric Schlosser, the author of our summer reading program book "Fast Food Nation," encouraged the students to question and work and probe and question and build. The class of 2010 sat in Fant-Ewing Coliseum where its members will again sit to graduate, soaking in his words and seemingly empowered from that moment on to actually question professors, ULM and the world. As we all joined in the traditional march across the bayou that now divides our once small campus, it might be easy to wonder if our founding fathers could have envisioned such a thing.

On the one hand, the vision of T.O. Brown and others could have been for a local college that would prepare local students to move on to the four-year colleges in the surrounding areas - which it did, sending students to LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Tulane and other places. On the other hand, perhaps some had a vision of even greater things. Judge Percy Sandel was born in Monroe in 1873, the son of a family that had been in Louisiana since 1802. He attended law school at Washington and Lee universities and graduated before he was 20. He then returned to practice law in Monroe, served as a district attorney and then as district judge. In addition to his brilliant career in the law, it turns out he was the principal supporter of Superintendent Brown's effort to establish Ouachita Parish Junior College.

There had to be many in those early days who helped Superintendent Brown, but a close reading of the newspapers of the time shows us that Sandel was the one who made the most persuasive speeches to the Kiwanis Club and other civic organizations to put forth Brown's ideas.

In February, 1932 OPJC held its official opening. As described by the Monroe Morning World, there were piano selections, a reading, a one-act play and a speech by Judge Sandel.

President C.C. Colvert introduced Sandel as one of the citizens who had worked faithfully for the establishment of the college. One can imagine that Brown smiled when he thought of all the persuasive speeches that Sandel had made, and how this was a way to thank and honor him.

Remarks by Sandel included the following, "This junior college represents the idea of giving each and every child in the parish an opportunity for at least two years of college education. This college you see here today is only the beginning and I predict that not only will it afford a two years' course but that a full four years' course will have been attained ere many years pass."

In 18 years and after several changes in name, Northeast Louisiana State College proved that prediction true. And ULM proudly stands today.

Have a great day at ULM!

Dr. John Knesel, ULM Professor