Originally published in The News-Star newspaper, February 12, 2006

"On Monday [Feb. 23, 1931] at 11 o'clock, Joe Renwick, President of the Parish School Board moved a spadeful of earth where the southeast corner of the building will rest." According to the Monroe Morning World, T.O. Brown, S.M. Collins (parish engineer), H.H. Land of J.W. Smith and Associates (architects), a representative of Ashton Glassell Co. (builders) and more than 20 workers witnessed the ceremony. Seven months later, Ouachita Parish Junior College welcomed more than 400 students, seven faculty, two janitors and a president.

The building was of a "modernistic" design, fronting 288 feet by 128 feet in depth and costing $263,115. On the first floor were a cafeteria and kitchen, administrative office and four classrooms. The second floor held seven classrooms and the library. On the third floor were five classrooms, laboratories for chemistry and physics and instructors' rooms. All walls and ceilings were plastered and finished in a cream color. The wood trim throughout was oak, as were the floors of all classrooms, offices and laboratories. The corridor floors were terrazzo. The exterior finish was cream-colored brick trimmed with Indiana limestone. In addition to the central building, there was an auditorium with a seating capacity of approximately 1,200 (comparable to the Paramount Theatre of that time) with window drapes and a stage curtain of rich blue velvet trimmed with side bands of silver. The east wing of the building housed the gymnasium with a capacity of 700 in concrete bleachers on each side of a basketball court floored with maple.

Let's imagine for a time some of what this building saw as she watched the comings and goings of those early years. We can see her looking toward DeSiard as more students came for classes than there were chairs to sit in; watching as some students struggled over board sidewalks to classes; watching as buses arrived from outlying parishes; watching and listening to students talking as they sat on the building steps and grass. We can imagine her joy at the actual first days of a college. Looking north, she could see the first football field, athletes at practices and games; Gov. Huey Long attending football games with President and Mrs. C.C. Colvert; and a junior college championship team. We also see her watching students march into the auditorium in 1933 at their first graduation.

We can imagine her seeing a new building go up in 1938 and smiling at a companion, knowing that it was built as a center for students, and in 1939 happier still as her two sister buildings, Fine Arts and Library were built to her west and east. We can see her beaming with pride but yet shedding a tear as a commemorative plaque to those who served in World War II was mounted in her entranceway.

As you visit the campus look at this magnificent building as she continues to watch over us ... look at her majesty and what she represents, wander her halls ... and remember.

Have a great day at ULM!

Dr. John Knesel, ULM Professor

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