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Grambling State University

Coordinates: 32°31′31″N 92°42′55″W / 32.5252°N 92.7153°W / 32.5252; -92.7153
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"Grambling" redirects here. For the town, see Grambling, Louisiana.

Grambling State University
Former name
Colored Industrial and Agricultural School
(1901–1905)
North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School
(1905–1928)
Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute
(1928–1946)
Grambling College
(1946–1974)
MottoWhere Everybody Is Somebody
TypePublic historically Black university
Established1901
Parent institution
UL System
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
Endowment$7 million[1]
PresidentMartin Lemelle[2]
ProvostConnie Walton
Students5,232[3]
Location
Grambling
,
Louisiana
,
United States

32°31′31″N 92°42′55″W / 32.5252°N 92.7153°W / 32.5252; -92.7153
CampusRural
NewspaperThe Gramblinite[4]
Colors    Black & Gold
NicknameTigers
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I FCS – SWAC
Websitewww.gram.edu

Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana, United States. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. Grambling State is a member-school of the University of Louisiana System and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Grambling State's athletic teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are known as the Grambling State Tigers. Grambling State is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

History

[edit]
Bust of Charles P. Adams, the founder and first president of Grambling State University

Grambling State University developed from the desire of African-American farmers in rural north Louisiana who wanted to educate other African Americans. In 1896, the North Louisiana Colored Agriculture Relief Association led by Lafayette Richmond was formed to organize and operate a school. After opening a small school west of what is now the town of Grambling, the Association requested assistance from Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Charles P. Adams, sent to aid the group in organizing an industrial school, became its founder and first president.[citation needed]

Under Adams' leadership, the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School opened on November 1, 1901. Four years later, the school moved to its present location and was renamed as the North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School. By 1928, the school was able to offer two-year professional certificates and diplomas after becoming a state junior college. The school was renamed Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute.[citation needed]

In 1936, the program was reorganized to emphasize rural education. It became known as "The Louisiana Plan" or "A Venture in Rural Teacher Education." Professional teaching certificates were awarded when a third year was added in 1936, and the first baccalaureate degree was awarded in 1944 in elementary education. The institution's name was changed to Grambling College in 1946 in honor of a white sawmill owner, P. G. Grambling, who donated a parcel of land for the school. Thereafter, the college prepared secondary teachers and added curricula in sciences, liberal arts and business. With these programs in effect, the school was transformed from a single purpose institution of teacher education into a multi-purpose college.[citation needed]

In 1949, the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Grambling science building is one of twenty-six public structures in Louisiana constructed by the prominent contractor George A. Caldwell.[5] In 1974, the addition of graduate programs in education allowed the college to be granted university status under its present name, Grambling State University.

From 1977 to 2000, the university grew and prospered. Several new academic programs were incorporated. New facilities were added to the 384-acre (1.55 km2) campus, including a business and computer science building, school of nursing, student services building, stadium, stadium support facility, and an intramural sports center.

In May 1999, President Clinton served as the commencement keynote speaker.[6]

State Representative George B. Holstead of Ruston worked to increase state appropriations for Grambling State University during his legislative tenure from 1964 to 1980.[7]

On December 7, 2010, the Grambling State University Historic District, an area comprising 16 buildings dating from 1939 to 1960, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

In 2019, Grambling broke ground for building of the first digital library on a HBCU campus. The $16.6 million project was completed in 2024.[9][10][11][12]

Presidents

[edit]
  1. Charles P. Adams (1901-1936) - first president of the university
  2. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones
  3. Joseph Benjamin Johnson
  4. Harold W. Lundy
  5. Raymond Hicks
  6. Leonard Haynes III
  7. Steve A. Favors
  8. Neari Francois Warner - first female president.[13]
  9. Horace Judson
  10. Frank Pogue
  11. Cynthia S. Warrick
  12. Willie Larkin
  13. Richard J. Gallot, Jr. - first GSU alumnus to serve as president
  14. Martin Lemelle - current president and GSU alumnus[14]

Academics

[edit]
Academic rankings
Master's
Washington Monthly[15]125 of 603
Regional
U.S. News & World Report[16]99 (tie) of 136

Grambling State University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through the following four colleges:[17]

  • College of Art & Sciences
  • College of Business
  • College of Educational and Graduate Studies
  • College of Professional Studies

Grambling State University offers two doctoral degree programs, one in Developmental Education and one in Criminology and Justice Administration.[18]

In 2020, Grambling State University became the first collegiate institution in Louisiana to offer bachelor's degrees in cybersecurity and cloud computing.[19]

Student life

[edit]

Athletics

[edit]
GSU athletics logo
Main article: Grambling State Tigers

The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Currently, the Grambling State University Department of Athletics sponsors Men's Intercollegiate football, along with men's and women's basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, bowling and volleyball.

Grambling State's most notable rivals are their south Louisiana foe Southern, Prairie View A&M, Jackson State, and Alcorn State.

Student body

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As of 2022, approximately 40% of GSU's student body is from outside Louisiana; Texas, California, and Illinois are the three largest feeder states. 65% of the student body is female, 35% is male. 93% of the student body identify as black, 7% identify as non-black.[20]

GSU Tiger Marching Band

[edit]
Main article: GSU Tiger Marching Band
The World Famed Tiger Marching Band performing at the 2019 State Fair Classic

The GSU Tiger Marching Band also known as "The World Famed Tiger Marching Band" is a historic marching band. They are the only HBCU marching band in the nation to perform at two consecutive U.S. presidential inaugurations.[21] "World Famed" was founded in 1926 and serves as one of the premier ambassadors of the university.[22]

Campus media

[edit]
  • The Gramblinite is the university's weekly student newspaper that is consistently awarded for excellent journalism.[23][24]
  • KGRM Tiger Radio 91.5 FM is a 24-hour student-run radio station that provides a variety of music, news, sports and public affairs programming.[25]
  • The GSU-TV Media Center is operated by the Department of Mass Communications to train students interested in broadcasting careers.[26]
[edit]
  • The President's Home at Grambling State is particularly elegant and stately.
    The President's Home at Grambling State is particularly elegant and stately.
  • Favrot Student Building at Grambling State
    Favrot Student Building at Grambling State
  • The Eddie G. Robinson Museum at Grambling State
    The Eddie G. Robinson Museum at Grambling State
  • Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center at Grambling State
    Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center at Grambling State
  • Eddie G. Robinson Stadium at Grambling State
    Eddie G. Robinson Stadium at Grambling State

Notable alumni

[edit]
Main article: List of Grambling State University alumni

Alumni of Grambling State include numerous MLB, NBA and NFL players, public officials, lawyers, doctors, scholars, journalists, business professionals, and artists.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Grambling Audit" (PDF). LLA Default Homepage. Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Here's what we know about the new president of HBCU Grambling State University".
  3. ^ Thissel, Raven (September 16, 2019). "Grambling State's Enrollment Reaches a Seven-Year High". Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Grambling State University (thegramblinite) News and Classifieds". www.thegramblinite.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Caldwell, George A." Louisiana Historical Association, A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  6. ^ "Clinton touts importance of family to Grambling seniors - May 23, 1999". www.cnn.com. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Descendants of Lemuel Holstead". freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  8. ^ "Grambling State University Historic District" (PDF). State of Louisiana's Division of Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018. with 16 photos and two maps Archived July 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Digital Library - Grambling State University".
  10. ^ "Grambling State University Breaks Ground on a new Digital Library". September 9, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Grambling State unveils new digital library plans". AP NEWS. February 1, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "NEW DIGITAL LIBRARY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, GRAMBLING, LA – Mathes Brierre Architects".
  13. ^ "Neari Francois Warner, Ph.D. - Executive PhD in Urban Higher Education | Jackson State University".
  14. ^ "ULS Board names Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr. New president of Grambling State University". February 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "2024 Master's Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "2024-2025 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "Grambling State University - Academics". gram.edu.
  18. ^ "Accreditations". Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  19. ^ "Board of Regents Approves Cloud Computing Degree at Grambling State". May 29, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ^ Grambling State University eFact Book (PDF) (15 ed.). 2022.
  21. ^ "Playing for the President, Grambling Marching Band to Return to Washington". diverseeducation.com. January 14, 2013.
  22. ^ "Grambling and Southern clash at Battle of the Bands". WGNO. November 29, 2014.
  23. ^ "Grambling State University - Gramblinite Staffers Win Journalism Awards at Southeast Journalism Conference | News". Gram.edu. March 4, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  24. ^ "Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Fayetteville, Ark. | Society of Professional Journalists | Improving and protecting journalism since 1909". Spj.org. April 14, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  25. ^ "Grambling State University - KGRM". Gram.edu. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  26. ^ "Grambling State University - Campus Media". Gram.edu. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  27. ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. "U.S. Department of State Recognizes Contributions of African-American Fulbright Program Alumni". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
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