09/Apr/2009
LSU’s Proud Military Tradition
Campus Memorials Commemorate The Old War Skule’s Fallen Heroes
By Madeline Casey
LSU is known for superior academics and successful athletic programs, but most don’t realize that the Tigers are also known for excellence in military training. In fact, when LSU first opened its doors in 1860 as a military training institution, General William Tecumseh Sherman was its leader.
Affectionately called “The Ole War Skule,” LSU commemorates its rich military history with four war memorials on the Baton Rouge campus.
Military History
Before there were crowded Saturday nights at Tiger Stadium, LSU was nothing more than a simple school in Pineville, La. It was called the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy.
The military school opened its doors with five professors and 19 cadets led by Superintendent Sherman.
The period just before the Civil War proved a difficult time to establish a school. One year after opening its doors, Louisiana seceded from the Union. Sherman immediately resigned as superintendent and re-joined the U.S. Army.
Although he only served for one year, Sherman is credited with establishing LSU’s strict discipline and strong military traditions, which were influenced by his West Point education. Some even credit Sherman with LSU’s nickname “Ole War Skule.”
Louisiana State University
After years of set backs and a temporary hiatus during the Civil War, the Pineville location closed its doors in 1869 following a destructive fire. In 1877, the school relocated to Baton Rouge and changed its name to Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
Regardless of name and location changes, students and alumni brought traditions from the Ole War Skule to the new campus. Drills took place at dawn and students continued to live in barracks.
The final move to the present campus occurred in 1926, one year before the Memorial Tower dedication.
Memorial Tower
Perhaps the most recognizable of the four memorials is the 175-foot Memorial Tower, at the center of LSU’s campus.
Although it is known to most students and grads as the “Clock Tower,” its given name is the Campanile. It was built as a memorial for Louisianans who died in World War I.
Constructed in 1923 and dedicated in 1926, the Campanile was one of the first structures built on the current LSU campus. Four bronze plaques inside the rotunda of the Clock Tower bear the names of all 1,447 fallen soldiers from the Pelican State.
“The Memorial Tower was a gift to the University. The American Legion of Louisiana raised the money to honor those who fought in World War I,” said Randy Gurie, executive director of Cadets of the Ole War Skule.
The clock tower chimes each quarter hour during the day in remembrance of those who paid the ultimate price for their country.
Memorial Oak Grove
Around this same time, LSU honored veterans with the Memorial Oak Grove in 1926. Thirty live oak trees were planted in remembrance of men and women who gave their lives in service. One tree in particular stands with a haunting memorial at its base, dedicated to those unknown soldiers lost and missing in action.
But the peaceful grove has been littered with a controversial past. In the early 1960s LSU proposed plans for a gathering place called the LSU Student Union. The Union would be build in the middle of this memorial tree area. This didn’t go over well with students or the community.
“People revered that area,” Gurie said. “It was like holy ground.”
The Student Union received approval to build, but only if construction did not damage any live oaks.
These 30 oaks still stand today and add to the signature landscape of LSU. In 1991, author Thomas Gaines rated LSU No.11 on his list of most beautiful U.S. campuses, largely because of the landscaping and stately oaks.
War Memorial
LSU has always sent huge numbers of young men and women to help their country during times of trouble. In World War II alone, LSU sent more than 12,000 soldiers to defend the United States. This surpassed the number of soldiers sent by any military academy.
This tradition continued with the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and the Iraq War.
In the late 1990s, the LSU Alumni Association decided to commemorate these thousands of soldiers with another memorial. The four-foot-tall LSU War Memorial bears the names of all LSU alumni, faculty, staff and students who served in military action from World War II to the present. Former President George Bush showed his gratitude for LSU’s history of service by attending the 1998 dedication ceremony.
One of the hundreds of names listed in reflective granite is Lieutenant Simeon Alexander Box, a famous LSU football and baseball player. He earned a Distinguished Cross award while serving as a tank commander in North Africa during World War II, but his tank was destroyed by a German mine in Tunisia less than two months later. Today, Alex Box Stadium serves as a second memorial to his brave sacrifices.
The LSU War Memorial is located across the street from the Campanile on the Parade Grounds. This large open field was originally used for Cadets rehearsing military drills. Freshmen and sophomores were required to enroll in ROTC until the late 1960’s and often marched around this area twice a week.
Gurie, who earned three degrees from LSU, said, “Cadets used to practice with the military on the Parade Ground every Tuesday and Thursday. We also paraded with the band in the area around Memorial Tower.”
Aircraft Memorial
The fourth war memorial on the LSU campus is the Aircraft Memorial. The T-33 jet, known as the “T-Bird,” was the first jet trainer in the U.S. Air Force from 1948 until 1957. The memorial was dedicated by the Captain Frank S. Hagan Squadron Arnold Air Society in 1966.
In addition to its use as a jet trainer, the aircraft has been used as drone director and target towing. The Air Force retired the last T-Bird in 1988 but the memory lives on at LSU.
“The purpose of the memorial is to commemorate all LSU graduates who lost their lives defending the United States,” said Captain Richard Sanders, assistant professor of aerospace studies at LSU.
It is located outside the Military Science Building on South Stadium Road.
Campus Memorials Commemorate The Old War Skule’s Fallen Heroes
By Madeline Casey
LSU is known for superior academics and successful athletic programs, but most don’t realize that the Tigers are also known for excellence in military training. In fact, when LSU first opened its doors in 1860 as a military training institution, General William Tecumseh Sherman was its leader.
Affectionately called “The Ole War Skule,” LSU commemorates its rich military history with four war memorials on the Baton Rouge campus.
Military History
Before there were crowded Saturday nights at Tiger Stadium, LSU was nothing more than a simple school in Pineville, La. It was called the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy.
The military school opened its doors with five professors and 19 cadets led by Superintendent Sherman.
The period just before the Civil War proved a difficult time to establish a school. One year after opening its doors, Louisiana seceded from the Union. Sherman immediately resigned as superintendent and re-joined the U.S. Army.
Although he only served for one year, Sherman is credited with establishing LSU’s strict discipline and strong military traditions, which were influenced by his West Point education. Some even credit Sherman with LSU’s nickname “Ole War Skule.”
Louisiana State University
After years of set backs and a temporary hiatus during the Civil War, the Pineville location closed its doors in 1869 following a destructive fire. In 1877, the school relocated to Baton Rouge and changed its name to Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
Regardless of name and location changes, students and alumni brought traditions from the Ole War Skule to the new campus. Drills took place at dawn and students continued to live in barracks.
The final move to the present campus occurred in 1926, one year before the Memorial Tower dedication.
Memorial Tower
Perhaps the most recognizable of the four memorials is the 175-foot Memorial Tower, at the center of LSU’s campus.
Although it is known to most students and grads as the “Clock Tower,” its given name is the Campanile. It was built as a memorial for Louisianans who died in World War I.
Constructed in 1923 and dedicated in 1926, the Campanile was one of the first structures built on the current LSU campus. Four bronze plaques inside the rotunda of the Clock Tower bear the names of all 1,447 fallen soldiers from the Pelican State.
“The Memorial Tower was a gift to the University. The American Legion of Louisiana raised the money to honor those who fought in World War I,” said Randy Gurie, executive director of Cadets of the Ole War Skule.
The clock tower chimes each quarter hour during the day in remembrance of those who paid the ultimate price for their country.
Memorial Oak Grove
Around this same time, LSU honored veterans with the Memorial Oak Grove in 1926. Thirty live oak trees were planted in remembrance of men and women who gave their lives in service. One tree in particular stands with a haunting memorial at its base, dedicated to those unknown soldiers lost and missing in action.
But the peaceful grove has been littered with a controversial past. In the early 1960s LSU proposed plans for a gathering place called the LSU Student Union. The Union would be build in the middle of this memorial tree area. This didn’t go over well with students or the community.
“People revered that area,” Gurie said. “It was like holy ground.”
The Student Union received approval to build, but only if construction did not damage any live oaks.
These 30 oaks still stand today and add to the signature landscape of LSU. In 1991, author Thomas Gaines rated LSU No.11 on his list of most beautiful U.S. campuses, largely because of the landscaping and stately oaks.
War Memorial
LSU has always sent huge numbers of young men and women to help their country during times of trouble. In World War II alone, LSU sent more than 12,000 soldiers to defend the United States. This surpassed the number of soldiers sent by any military academy.
This tradition continued with the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and the Iraq War.
In the late 1990s, the LSU Alumni Association decided to commemorate these thousands of soldiers with another memorial. The four-foot-tall LSU War Memorial bears the names of all LSU alumni, faculty, staff and students who served in military action from World War II to the present. Former President George Bush showed his gratitude for LSU’s history of service by attending the 1998 dedication ceremony.
One of the hundreds of names listed in reflective granite is Lieutenant Simeon Alexander Box, a famous LSU football and baseball player. He earned a Distinguished Cross award while serving as a tank commander in North Africa during World War II, but his tank was destroyed by a German mine in Tunisia less than two months later. Today, Alex Box Stadium serves as a second memorial to his brave sacrifices.
The LSU War Memorial is located across the street from the Campanile on the Parade Grounds. This large open field was originally used for Cadets rehearsing military drills. Freshmen and sophomores were required to enroll in ROTC until the late 1960’s and often marched around this area twice a week.
Gurie, who earned three degrees from LSU, said, “Cadets used to practice with the military on the Parade Ground every Tuesday and Thursday. We also paraded with the band in the area around Memorial Tower.”
Aircraft Memorial
The fourth war memorial on the LSU campus is the Aircraft Memorial. The T-33 jet, known as the “T-Bird,” was the first jet trainer in the U.S. Air Force from 1948 until 1957. The memorial was dedicated by the Captain Frank S. Hagan Squadron Arnold Air Society in 1966.
In addition to its use as a jet trainer, the aircraft has been used as drone director and target towing. The Air Force retired the last T-Bird in 1988 but the memory lives on at LSU.
“The purpose of the memorial is to commemorate all LSU graduates who lost their lives defending the United States,” said Captain Richard Sanders, assistant professor of aerospace studies at LSU.
It is located outside the Military Science Building on South Stadium Road.
