University History
Southern University at Shreveport Louisiana was established by Act 42 in 1964 by the Louisiana Legislature to serve the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Its basic emphasis was to provide the first two years of typical college and university coursework. Then Governor John H. McKeithen signed the Act on June 27, 1964, and the institution officially opened its doors for instruction on September 19, 1967.
On October 28, 1974, the Louisiana Coordinating Council for Higher Education, currently the Board of Regents, granted to the institution approval to offer six associate degree programs: Business, Office Administration, Natural Sciences, Medical Office Assistant, Social Sciences, and Humanities. Southern University at Shreveport is a comprehensive community college within the Southern University System.
In 1977, the Board of Regents’ Master Plan for Higher Education in Louisiana cited, “Southern University should begin immediately to plan programs and services of the type appropriate to a comprehensive community college in order to contribute to the future economic development of the greater Shreveport area.” Therein, the institution was charged to expand its one and two-year offerings in keeping with the manpower needs of the Shreveport area and to cooperate with nearby vocational-technical schools where possible. The Master Plan defined research activities as “appropriate to further the role of the institution as a comprehensive community college, with lower level undergraduate instruction and public service receiving top priority.”
In 1981, the Federal Justice Department mandated that the Southern University System enter into a Consent Decree that led to several major changes for the institution.
The Consent Decree, in part, involved the acquisition of a satellite campus site, “preferably in an area of the city that was amenable and accessible to the diverse multi-cultures served by the institution.” A downtown location was deemed best, primarily because of the large number of business sites and office workers employed in that area. After conducting assessments of the kinds of educational training needs projected by the downtown employee population, the institution chose to bid on portions of 610 Texas Street in 1987. The Southern University Board of Supervisors, the State Board of Regents, and the Division of Administration approved the bid October 1987. Southern University at Shreveport held its first classes at the downtown site, the Metro Center, in spring of 1988.
Throughout the years, outstanding leadership has guided Southern University at Shreveport. Dr. Walter Austin served as the institution’s first chief executive officer, followed by Dr. Leonard C. Barnes. Upon the recommendation of President G. Leon Netterville to the State Board of Education, Dr. Barnes was appointed to serve as Vice President of the Shreveport Campus in July 1971. The Board of Supervisors for the Southern University System changed the title of Vice President to Chancellor in March 1977. Dr. Barnes continued to serve the University as Chancellor until July of 1987. Dr. Robert H. Smith served as the University’s third executive officer. Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, more than 1,000 students were enrolled during the 1988 spring semester; the largest enrollment in the history of the institution at that time. Dr. Mary L. Wilson was appointed as the Interim Chancellor in June 1993. She was the first woman chief executive of the university. Dr. Jerome G. Greene, Jr. assumed duties as Chancellor in November 1993. Under his tenure, a General Studies degree program was developed, and a groundbreaking ceremony for a new gymnasium and physical education building was held. Mr. S. Albert Gilliam was appointed Interim Chancellor August of 1998. Dr. James C. Brown assumed the role of Chancellor in May 1999, and in October 2000, Dr. Press L. Robinson was appointed Interim Chancellor. In November of 2000, the Southern University Board of Supervisors’ named Dr. Ray L. Belton as Chancellor, effective December of 2000. Upon Dr. Ray L. Belton being named President-Chancellor of the Southern University System/Southern University Baton Rouge, Dr. Rodney A. Ellis was named Chancellor, effective April 2016.
Location of University
The campus of Southern University at Shreveport is located at 3050 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Caddo Parish in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana. The 103-acre campus intersects Martin Luther King Drive and Hilary Huckaby Drive.
