38 Facts About LSU

1.

LSU is the flagship school of the state of Louisiana, as well as the flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System, and is the most comprehensive university in Louisiana.

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2.

LSU is noted for its extensive research facilities, operating some 800 sponsored research projects funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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3.

LSU is one of eight universities in the United States with dental, law, veterinary, medical, and Master of Business Administration programs.

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4.

LSU's athletics department fields teams in 21 varsity sports, and is a member of the NCAA and the SEC.

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5.

The original location of the Old LSU Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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6.

LSU was admitted into a program to pursue a master's degree.

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7.

The following year, 1906, LSU admitted sixteen female students to its freshman class as part of an experimental program.

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8.

In 1928, LSU was a small-time country school that generated little interest or attention in the state.

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9.

LSU was hit by scandal in 1939 when James Monroe Smith, appointed by Huey Long as president of LSU, was charged with embezzling a half-million dollars.

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10.

LSU's case was ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court.

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11.

In 1978, LSU was named a sea-grant college, the 13th university in the nation to be so designated.

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12.

Around 3,000 LSU students volunteered during the months after Katrina, assisting with the administration of medical treatment to some 5,000 evacuees and screening another 45,000 for various diseases.

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13.

In fall 2020, LSU broke its record for the most diverse and largest freshman class in history.

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14.

Additionally, LSU reached its all-time highest enrollment at 34,290 undergraduate and graduate students.

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15.

LSU hired Husch Blackwell LLP to review policies in response to the report, which released a 262-page report in March 2021 confirming the USA Today story, adding the problems within LSU went far beyond the allegations detailed in the investigation, with many of the problems being widespread across the university.

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16.

In July 2022, it was announced that trial date for Lewis' lawsuit was scheduled for May 22,2023, while the joint lawsuit filed by the LSU students had a trial date scheduled for June 26,2023.

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17.

Olmsted Brothers Firm of Brookline, Massachusetts, designed the current campus around 1921 when LSU was planning to move its campus from downtown Baton Rouge.

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18.

Nine LSU buildings, including the library and the academic buildings for dairying and physics, were constructed by George A Caldwell, a native of Abbeville.

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19.

Fifty-seven resources on the LSU campus were listed in the 95 acres Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge historic district on the National Register of Historic Places on September 15,1988.

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20.

LSU is ranked as the 192nd best overall university in the nation by Forbes magazine in 2019.

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21.

The LSU Libraries belong to the Association of Research Libraries, which includes the top 113 academic libraries in the US and Canada; the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries ; LYRASIS, which is a merger of the Southeastern Library Network SOLINET with PALINET; and the Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium.

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22.

LSU was among the founding members of the Louisiana Online University Information System network which provides access to most academic library catalogs in the state.

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23.

LSU donated funds for an annual lecture titled, The LSU Libraries Schwing Lecture Series, which began in 1965.

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24.

LSU has an active Society of American Archivists student chapter.

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25.

LSU SG is headed by the student body president and the student body vice president, elected to office during the spring semester of each academic year.

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26.

KLSU is an FCC-licensed non-commercial educational college radio station, public broadcasting with 5,000 watts of power at 91.

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27.

Radio on the LSU campus began in 1915 when Dr David Guthrie, a physics professor, patched together a radio transmitter from spare parts.

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28.

LSU fields teams in 21 varsity sports, and is a member of the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference.

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29.

LSU has won 50 team national championships, 45 of which were bestowed by the NCAA, tying for sixth all-time in total NCAA team national championships.

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30.

LSU Athletics is represented by its mascot, a live Bengal tiger named Mike the Tiger.

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31.

LSU is only one of two institutions of higher education in the United States to have a live tiger as their mascot; the other is the University of Memphis.

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32.

LSU was introduced to fans at the home game against Florida on October 6,2007.

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33.

In 2017, LSU officially introduced Mike VII, formerly named "Harvey".

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34.

Contrary to popular belief, the song "Hey Fightin' Tigers" is not LSU's fight song it is a staple at pep rallies and is often sung by fans before games and after wins.

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35.

LSU athletes have gone on to recognition for their prominence in their respective sports.

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36.

Shaquille O'Neal played basketball for LSU and received many honors, including being named twice as a first-team Men's Basketball All-American and twice as the SEC Player Of The Year.

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37.

Billy Cannon played Halfback for LSU and was the first LSU player to win the Heisman Trophy, the second being Joe Burrow.

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38.

LSU alumni have been active on both the national and international stage in the fields of politics, academia, and the arts.

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