Patricia A. Threatt, Editor
Mary Jane Bloomquist, Jade Francis, Jennifer Garner, and Miguele Guillory, Contributors
Last updated: April 02, 2008

The McNeese State University Encyclopedia is a compendium of narrative and descriptive essays about persons, places, events, institutions, and ideas relating to the history of the University. The Encyclopedia is planned as a cumulative and ongoing research and writing project. Contributors to the Encyclopedia gathered information from several sources. Please contact the editor with submissions, errors, or broken links.

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Kaufman, Leopold.  Kaufman was a Lake Charles merchant, civic leader, philanthropist, and founder of the First National Bank.  McNeese named one of its first buildings, Kaufman Hall, in his honor.

Kent Corner Road.  [see Ryan Street]

King, Alvin Olin (1890-1958).  King was born on June 21, 1890 in Leoti, Kansas.  King was a graduate of Lake Charles High School, Parsons Business College, and Tulane Law School.  While serving as a Lake Charles City Attorney, King helped establish McNeese as a four-year college.  King was elected to the State Senate in 1924 and was re-elected in 1928.  In 1930, King was again re-elected to the Senate and served as President Pro-Tempore.  During King's term as President Pro-Tempore of the Louisiana Senate, he succeeded to the office of Lieutenant Governor.  King became Governor when Huey P. Long resigned to take a U.S. Senate seat.  After serving as Governor, King was the President of the Louisiana State Bar Association.  King was also associated with many corporations including King Corporation, Powell Lumber Co., Weber-King Lumber Co., Farmers Land & Canal Co., Lake Charles Office Building Co., and the Farmers Rice Milling Co., to name a few.  King died January 21, 1958 in Lake Charles. Alvin King's son, Voris King, continues to contribute to McNeese.  McNeese named King Hall, a dormitory, after Alvin King.

Kirkman, William Harrison.  Dr. Kirkman was a pioneer physician of the Calcasieu area.  A native of Kirkmansville, Kentucky, Kirkman was a soldier in the Mexican War at the age of 16, after which he studied medicine in New Orleans.  Kirkman came to Lake Charles in 1858 and his practice covered the entire Calcasieu Parish area.  Kirkman was one of the first trained physicians in the area and was able to do true operations, rather than simple amputations.  Kirkman was one of the three men appointed to draft the size of the timbers and to make preliminary plans when Lake Charles considered building a new courthouse in 1872.  Kirkman served as a State Senator a few years later and was president of the first Board of Health of Lake Charles.  Kirkman's early land purchases include the sulphur mines and the Ged Oilfield.  Lake Charles named Kirkman Street in his honor and McNeese named Kirkman Hall after him.

Knapp, Seaman Asahel (1833-1911).  Knapp was born in Schroon Lake, New York in 1833.  Knapp became a teacher after graduating from Union College in 1856.  Knapp later moved to Iowa and worked as a farmer, a Methodist clergyman, and superintendent of the state school for the blind.  Knapp founded the Western State Journal and Farmer in Cedar Rapids in 1872.  Knapp was co-founder of the Iowa Improved Stock Breeders’ Association.  In 1902, Knapp was a teacher at the Iowa State Agricultural College when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appointed him as a special agent for the promotion of agriculture in the South.  The promotion of rice caused rice growing to become a profitable business locally and in other areas of the country.  Knapp also founded the Grange and 4-H clubs.  Knapp died in Washington D.C. in 1911.  McNeese named Knapp Memorial Fountain (in front of Gayle Hall) in his honor.

MSU Encyclopedia Index

LaBelles.  The LaBelle is the campus beauty of McNeese.  During the late 1940s, the Student Government asked various celebrities to pick the McNeese "Beauty." The Student Government would send the celebrity photographs of the candidates to choose from. The yearbook staff sponsored the Miss McNeese Pageant, an evening gown competition with a panel of judges from the community.  In the early 1950s, the yearbook staff changed the name of the competition to "LaBelle."  Eventually, the Student Government Association took over the responsibility of selecting LaBelle.  In the spring of 1975, the SGA moved to affiliate LaBelle with the Miss Louisiana/Miss America Pageant system.  After the 1997 pageant, SGA dropped the event from campus due to discriminatory concerns and better utilization of funds. The title of "Miss McNeese LaBelle" became known as the "Spring Court Queen." The former LaBelles:

Lake Charles Junior College [see also Name changes].  The first name of McNeese State University. The school was created as a result of cooperation between the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the Southwest Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, and the federal government through the Public Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration. Louisiana House Bill No. 313 established "a Junior College division of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College to be located in the Parish of Calcasieu near Lake Charles, Louisiana." Governor Richard Leche signed Act No. 267 creating Lake Charles Junior College on July 6, 1938. To satisfy each of the entities involved in founding the school, LSU built three buildings to start the campus. Kaufman Hall housed classrooms and administration offices, the Arena (now called Ward Memorial Arena) hosted rodeo events, and the Auditorium (now called Bulber Auditorium) provided performance space. The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury donated 86 acres of land for the campus, an area located on an extension of Ryan Street that was previously the parish's Poor Farm - home to local indigents and the mentally ill. The opening session of the college began on September 11, 1939 with 140 students and 13 faculty members. Student fees were $12.50 per semester. Newspaper clippings regarding building dedications:

American Press A [January 18, 1940]
American Press B [January 18, 1940]
Contraband A  [February 23, 1940]
Contraband B  [March 15, 1940]
American Press C [March 29, 1940]
Contraband C [April 19, 1940]

Lang, Lieutenant Colonel Larry H. A native of El Paso, Texas, Lang began his career in music as a trombonist, attending New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where he earned his Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Performance degrees in 1980. He went on to complete a Master of Science degree in Music Education at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, where he was the student Director of the Marching Band and Jazz Ensemble II. In 1982, he accepted a faculty appointment at UNH.

In 1983, Lang accepted the position of Assistant Director of Bands at McNeese where he directed the Symphonic Band, the 200-member "Cowboy" Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble II, and the McNeese Summer Music and Fine Arts Program.

In 1990, Lang entered the United States Air Force and is now the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty.  Lang is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, the National Band Association, the College Band Directors National Association, and is active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States. Colonel Lang's military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was named the Air Force's Outstanding Band Officer in 1998 and 2003. For more information, see http://usafbandofliberty.com/commander.html .

Leary, Thomas Samuel.  Leary was the third president of McNeese.  Leary was born May 8, 1915 in Rochester, New York.  Leary received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in organic chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Leary received a doctorate in chemical engineering from Iowa State University.  Leary started his career at McNeese in 1961 as a professor of engineering.  Leary became the Head of Department of Engineering in the 1965-66 academic year.  Leary was also responsible for the design and layout of the laboratories at Chennault. 

Leche, Richard. (1898-1965). Leche was the Governor of Louisiana who signed the bill to establish Lake Charles Junior College. The bill was signed on July 6, 1938.

Lee, Wallace. Lee was a long-time supervisor of buildings and grounds at McNeese. He started out as an assistant to Robert Alexander.  He was appointed campus custodian by Dean Joseph Farrar in September 1939.  One of his first duties included “cattle-chasing,” where he, mounted on a tractor, would dissuade the cattle who freely roamed the campus from “going to college.”

Library.  [see Frazar, Lether E.]

Lester, Darrell. Lester was born in Lake Charles in 1941 and died in Lafayette in 2006. Lester is a member of the McNeese Hall of Fame and was named McNeese's Most Valuable Player in 1962 and in 1963. He played both fullback and linebacker. After graduating from McNeese, Lester played professionally with the Minnesota Vikings.

Library Directors

Log. The Log is the McNeese student yearbook first published in the Spring of 1940.  The students briefly discontinued the publication from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II. Log Editors:

Logo.  In 1997, the University of Wyoming disputed McNeese's use of the "Bucking Horse and Rider" logo.  McNeese had used some form of the logo since the early 1940s.  In 2001, McNeese debuted a new logo featuring a bucking horse and rider with its front legs up with a large yellow "M" superimposed.

Louisiana Maneuvers. John McNeese Junior College was engaged in military activity during the Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941 when Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, who led the Sixth Army from New Guinea to Luzon, made the Auditorium his headquarters in preparation for war until it was discovered by the enemy. A temporary airstrip was marked off near the auditorium where intense activity took place and McNeese students witnessed army life for two weeks. A well-known participant of these maneuvers was Dwight D. Eisenhower who visited the campus and the Majestic Hotel in downtown Lake Charles.

Love, Kelly.  Love was the Director of the McNeese Band from 1968 to1973.  He was also known as "Brother Love" and he called the McNeese Band "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show." Love studied the trombone with Frank Chrisafulli, Sr. and Tommy Shephard in Chicago.  He received his bachelor's and master's degree in Music from the University of Mississippi.  Love served as instructor of marching band courses at Vandercook School of Music in Chicago.

Lowery, Geraldine. During Lowery’s sophomore year at John McNeese Junior College, she enrolled in an airplane pilot training course. She was one of the only two women to do so. She completed the course by making her first solo flight from Lake Charles to Lafayette.

MSU Encyclopedia Index

Mascot.  The first mascot of McNeese was a palomino pony named "Mac" secured for the student body by the "Rally Ranglers". After Mac's demise, several other ponies took his place.  The basketball team chose the cowboy as the mascot in the mid 1940s due to the popularity of rodeos and that the McNeese campus was formerly a farm. Later, the school mascot was a student dressed in cowboy gear riding a horse.  In 1982, "Rowdy" was born.  The Rowdy costume consists of an over-sized, full-length cowboy with a large hat and exaggerated features.  The costume includes an ice-pack vest and fan in the top of the hat for ventilation. Rowdy was named after Clint Eastwood's character on the "Rawhide" television show.  According to legend, Rowdy was on a cattle drive out west when he stopped in Lake Charles and decided to stay. Rowdy likes to do back-flips, crowd-surf, an ride his trusty ice chest down the hill into the hole at football games.       

McCann, John. McCann was the head football coach from 1983 to 1986.    

McNeese Ambassadors [see Ambassadors]

McNeese Auxiliary Corps (MACs). In the fall of 1942, Dean Cline helped the women students organize a program that  would involve them in the war activities and help meet the needs of the nation. Under the supervision of Major Sanford Brown, commander of the ROTC, and Professor Dolive Benoit, this program included the organization of a drill squad and special classes designed to give basic training for war jobs. The "MACS" was the official name given to the group in December, 1942 which originally represented Military training, Academic training, Cultural training, and Scientific training. The program also included participation in various school projects and community services.

McNeese, John (1843-1913).  John McNeese was born on July 4, 1843 in New York City to Scottish immigrant parents. He lost his parents at a very young age and was reared by relatives near Baltimore, Maryland. McNeese was a pioneer in Southwest Louisiana Education, serving as the first superintendent of schools in Imperial Calcasieu Parish. McNeese named the McNeese Arena, the McNeese Auditorium, the McNeese Memorial Gymnasium, and the McNeese Room (located in Frazar Memorial Library) after John McNeese. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, he moved to Texas seeking a drier climate due to a case of tuberculosis from which he was suffering. Here he was a successful cattle grazer and mercantile businessman.  In 1873, he ended up in Imperial Calcasieu when he decided to end his cattle drive to New Orleans via the Old Spanish Trail at the Sabine and sell his cattle that were starving due to the drought.  McNeese graduated from Tulane University around 1885 in law, but was appointed superintendent of public schools in Calcasieu Parish. He at first supported himself as a professor of penmanship and music and worked his way up establishing a public school system in the Calcasieu area.  He died in 1913 at the age of 70.

John McNeese Junior College [see Name changes].

McNeese, Miss [see LaBelles].

McNeese, Mr. The SGA established the Mr. McNeese title during the 1981-1982 school year. The title is in recognition of an outstanding male student and is announced with the recognition of an outstanding female student crowned as Ms. McNeese, both representative of Spring Court.

MSU Encyclopedia Index

Name changes.  McNeese names through the years: