Men were scarce on the SLI campus 60 years ago, when most of the young eligibles were off in Europe or the Pacific. Military training programs brought some new male faces to the campus — and, in fact, kept the little college from being forced to close down.

But by March 1946, things were beginning to change. The war formally over, the men were coming home, and the campus was turning back to normal.

“Gone are the days when the coeds at Southwestern Louisiana Institute used to have to vie for the attentions of the few score of male students registered at the college,” The Advertiser reported in March 1946. “According to figures released this morning by Joseph A. Riehl, registrar, there are now two men for each girl registered at the college, but no complaints have been heard from the coeds ... so far.

“With a total registration figure for the 1945-46 academic year of 2,432 students ... 805 are World War II veterans taking work at the college under the provisions of the GI Bill.”


The source of the story

Jim Bradshaw
jbradshaw@theadvertiser.com