. . . "At the time, no one could imagine the magnitude of this program, the impact that it could have on the institutions," said Ray Authement, president of the University of Louisiana at La., which has 17 endowed chairs and 146 professorships -- and donations in hand for more. "It has made a tremendous difference in our teaching efforts and in our economic development efforts."

Such pride isn't misplaced, national observers say. While many states devise incentives for endowed posts, Louisiana is a leader in that realm, said John Lippincott, president of the Council for the Advancement of Support for Education, based in Washington, D.C. Ensuring year-to-year support by using earnings from a large trust fund was visionary, he added.

"The state is very wise to have made that investment," he said. . . .

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