UL Desegregation, 1954

[CajunFun]

_ It's of secondary importance within the context of this forum. _

Actually, I put you guys on the spot.

It's of secondary importance to people who visit sports forums.

As it is almost everywhere, but particularly in Louisiana. Ah well...

[shof]

_ So people here feel that academics is of 'secondary' importance in a university?

Or is it just of secondary importance to them? _

Probably just that you are getting lots of views from people who are on RP at the time; hence they are going there for the football news. Just a guess tho.

[CajunFun]

And my guess at the deseg story: Most people avoid anything involving race because it's a touchy subject that makes people uncomfortable. Sports forums are an escape from reality, therefore most people here would probably steer clear. _

I thought about what you guys said here... Some of you may not be aware of it, but without this desegregation story, many of you might not be on this board. Many of you would have gone to school elsewhere, and UL athletics would not be of as much interest as it is.

The 1954 academic desegregation led to the athletic desegregation of the 1960's. In the early 1970's, there were only three historically white southern schools who were allowing blacks on their teams: Florida State; Houston; and little ol' SLI/UL.

All three of us had powerhouse basketball teams.

UL basketball, of course, finished in the Top 10 nationally-- yes, in the major college polls, along with UCLA, UNC, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, -- in both 1972 and 1973. I own a Sports Illustrated featuring 5 schools on the cover, one of them being USL.
1972
1973

All of this happens because we had talent that very few other schools had-- black talent. And that happens because we had desegregated back in 1954, long before the rest of the South.

Without the success of that basketball team, UL does not build its athletics as well as we have; we probably don't become charter members of 1A. And we do not grow our campus as much as we have.

In addition, there is not a one of you who would deny any of our black athletes their place on our teams, nor any of our black students or faculty their place on this campus. You are all aware that, if not for the contribution of black athletes, UL's teams would be at the national bottom for most of our sports.

The newest installment is up: http://ultoday.com/node/889

This one is interesting because it highlights the contributions of President Fletcher, Wisdom Chapel (actually Monseigneur Sigur, although he's not mentioned in this section) and Joe Riehl, for whom the Burdin-Riehl campus of Lafayette General is named.