Patricia A. Threatt, Editor
Mary Jane Bloomquist, Jade Francis, Jennifer Garner, Miguele Guillory, and Jim Spears, Contributors
Last updated: August 24, 2009

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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 Sahlmann, Fred. Fred Sahlmann taught piano, organ, harpsichord, and music theory at McNeese. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Sahlmann learned to play the piano at age five and performed in his first solo recital at age ten. Sahlmann received his Bachelor of Arts degree with performance certificates in both piano and organ and his Bachelor of Music degree from Elon University, his Master of Music degree from Teacher’s College of Columbia University and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree and a performer’s certificate in piano from the Eastman School of Music. In addition, he received a Fulbright Grant to study music at the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria.

Sahlmann joined the faculty of McNeese in 1963. He was president of both the Lake Charles Symphony Board and the Louisiana Music Teachers Association. He has performed solo recitals at McNeese and with the Lake Charles and Rapides symphony orchestras. He has also performed in community concert series in Charleston, S.C., and Baton Rouge; a summer series in Shreveport; and with symphony orchestras in Roanoke, Virginia, and Marshall and Tyler, Texas. He also has appeared in recitals at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C., and in the Carl Fischer Hall in New York City. He is an original member of the chamber ensemble Pastiche, which was formed in 1995 on the McNeese campus and performs extensively in formal concert venues and in educational outreach formats on a national level. McNeese honored Sahlmann with professor emeritus status in 2006.

Sallier, Caroline LeBleu.  Caroline LeBleu Sallier was the wife of Charles Sallier, the namesake of Lake Charles.  The Salliers lived near the present-day site of the Sallier Oak and the Imperial Calcasieu Museum.  Caroline LeBleu Sallier was the daughter of Martin LeBleu, one of the first local settlers.  McNeese named Sallier Hall in her honor.

School colors [see Colors].

School songs [see Songs].

Sabatier, Ada M. Sabatier was born in Iota, Louisiana. She obtained her bachelor's degree at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and her master's degree at Louisiana State University.  She did graduate work at the University of Colorado, Columbia University, and Tulane University. Before joining the original faculty of Lake Charles Junior College in 1939, Sabatier taught at the Eunice, Crowley, and Thibodaux High Schools. At McNeese, Sabatier taught history and served as the counselor to women. In 1942, the United States Navy called her to active duty in World War II. She served as a lieutenant in the WAVE Officer Corps during the war and in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1949. After the War, Sabatier returned to McNeese and taught until 1968. She died in 1989 in New Orleans.

See, Edward. See was the band director from 1948 to 1951.

Sestak, Thomas Joseph. Sestak was born on March 9, 1936 in Gonzales, Texas. He played football at McNeese 1957-1962. In 1962, the Buffalo Bills drafted Sestak where he played defense until the end of the 1967 season. Sestak played in three All-American Football League teams and in consecutive American Football League championships in 1964 and 1965. In 1970, Sestak was named to the All-Time All-AFL Team. Sestak died April 3, 1987 in Buffalo, NY.

Shearman, Thomas Broadus. Shearman was born in Mt. Olympia, Washington in 1893. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in1914. In 1943, he purchased the Lake Charles American Press. The Shearman family continues to publish the American Press today. In 1991, McNeese renamed the Fine Arts building in honor of Flora I. and Thomas B. Shearman, Sr.

Smith, A.D. Smith was a president of the State Board of Education. McNeese named Smith Hall after him.

Smith, James Monroe. Monroe was President of Louisiana State University and was instrumental in supporting local efforts to establish Lake Charles Junior College.

Smith, Norman (1921-1998). Smith was the McNeese band director 1954-1964. Smith was born in Missouri. During World War II, Smith was a B-17 pilot. After the war, Smith received a master's in Music Education from Southwest Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1950 and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1968. Smith retired from McNeese in 1978 as Professor Emeritus.

Songs [see also "Jolie Blonde"].  In the early 1950s, McNeese's fight song was a popular radio beer commercial song called "Hellow Mellow Jax."  In the 1960s, Band Director Kelly Love used "On McNeese" as the official fight song and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" after touchdowns.  Although the Band had played "Jolie Blonde" at many football games since 1951, it was not the official fight song until 1970. In 1950, Kenneth Gaburo of the Music Department presented his new composition, the McNeese Alma Mater. Lyrics and sound files for McNeese songs available here:  http://www.mcneese.edu/songs/songs.htm .

Southwest Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association. This association worked with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the federal government to establish Lake Charles Junior College because the Association wanted an exhibit area for livestock shows and rodeos.

Spring Court. The elected members of Spring Court are recognized for their academic achievements with Mr. & Ms. McNeese honored as student representatives of McNeese State University.  In 1998 the "Miss McNeese LaBelle" became known as the "Spring Court Queen." [also see Mr. McNeese and Miss LaBelle].

Spring Court Queen/Miss McNeese/Ms. McNeese:

Squires, Ralph Anthony, Jr. Dr. Squires was the Dean of Fine Arts from 1956 until his death from Hodgkin’s Disease in April 1962 at the age of 56. Squires was born in Morgan City, Louisiana on February 18, 1906 and attended Morgan City High School, the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and Chicago Musical College.  Squires studied piano in New Orleans, Paris, Boston, and Chicago and taught music at Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa and at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Squires served with the U.S. Army field artillery of the Tenth Mountain Division in Italy during World War II.  In 1960, Squires was a piano soloist for the Lake Charles Civic Symphony’s performance of George Marshall’s “An Irish Overture.”  After Squires' death in 1962, McNeese named Ralph Squires Recital Auditorium in the Shearman Fine Arts Center in his honor. 

Stream, William Gray.  Stream was a McNeese student who died in an airplane crash in New York City.  McNeese alumni and Matilda Gray Stream, William's mother, donated funds to build the William Gray Stream Memorial Alumni Center.

Student Body Presidents.

Student Government Association (SGA).  The McNeese SGA is one of the largest organizations on campus.  The SGA serves as a governing and decision-making body for the students and speaks on behalf of the students to the McNeese Administration as well as to the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents.  The SGA consists of three independent branches:  the executive, judicial, and legislative.  The executive branch serves as the administrative body of the SGA. The student body elects the president, vice-president, and treasurer on a ticket system.  These elected officials hire a staff of students to assist in drafting policies, planning events, and keeping the SGA running smoothly.  The executive branch also serves as a liaison between the students and the administration by voicing student concerns and issues regarding University policies and programs.  The SGA President represents the students at the state level by serving on the Council of Student Body Presidents and the Student Advisory Council for the UL System. The judicial branch of the SGA consists of nine justices appointed by the SGA President to a Supreme Court, which interprets the constitution and hears appeals and grievances brought on by students related to the constitution. The legislative branch is a unicameral Senate, composed of senators representing student organizations and colleges. The Senate authors and enacts legislation on behalf of the students, confirms executive personnel and presidential appointments to the Supreme Court, and appropriates monies to student organizations.

Student Union Board (SUB).  The McNeese Student Union Board contributes to the social, spiritual, recreational, cultural, and educational development of the McNeese community through programs such as "oozeball," step shows, and holiday parties.

MSU Encyclopedia Index

Technology Advancement Student Committee (TASC). Dr. Robert Hebert, McNeese President, formed a technology task force to review the technology needs of the McNeese campus. The task force assembled their findings into a report and presented it to the Student Government Association Senate in the Fall of 1997. The Senate formed a Student Technology Committee to review the technology proposal. The Committee formulated an additional proposal which the students and the university approved. McNeese would now assess students $5 per credit hour (capped at 20 hours) and put the funds in a restricted account used solely for improving student technology areas. The TASC committee regulates and recommends expenditures of the Student Assessment Technology funds.

Timeline. Click here for a short timeline of McNeese History.  For a more detailed history, see Dr. Joe Gray Taylor's McNeese State University, 1939-1987 : a chronicle, available in the McNeese Library.

Virtual Tour.  Take a virtual tour of the McNeese campus here.

Ward, Ralph O. Ward was the men's basketball coach from 1952 to 1971.

Watkins, Jabez Bunting (1845-1921).  Watkins was born near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on June 25, 1845.  At 15, Watkins and his family moved to Fairfax County, Virginia.  Although J. B. Watkins did not participate in the Civil War, his home was near enough to the Battles of Bull Run to hear the cannons.  In 1864 Watkins traveled North to attend school at the University of Michigan where he received a law degree.  He also taught school in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Wisconsin.  From 1870 to 1873 Watkins practiced law in Champaign, Illinois.  In August, 1873, Watkins moved to Lawrence, Kansas and became a mortgage broker and investment banker.  In 1883 Watkins moved to Lake Charles and began buying land in Southwest Louisiana.  Watkins established the Watkins Banking Company and organized the forerunner of the Greater Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce.  In 1887, Watkins purchased the American, a New York newspaper used to promote the Southwest Louisiana area to people in the Northern U.S. One of Watkins' promotional campaigns brought a large number of farmers and other settlers from the Midwestern U.S. to Southwest Louisiana.  In 1890 Watkins built 100 miles of railway between Lake Charles and Alexandria and began to develop the area. Watkins brought the first railroad to the area. Watkins moved the American to Lake Charles and made it a bona fide newspaper in competition with the Daily Press. For several years, both the Daily American and the Daily Press provided news to Lake Charles, until 1910 when the two papers merged to become the Lake Charles Daily American Press.  Watkins died in February, 1921 in Lawrence, Kansas.  McNeese named Watkins Hall, a dormitory, in his honor.

Watkins, Sonny. Born in Leesville, Louisiana, Watkins grew up in Lake Charles and attended LaGrange High School where he was a standout basketball player and track performer. He played basketball for coaching legend Ralph O. Ward in the early 1960s, and then served several years as a prep head coach at Sulphur High School and Iota High School. He re-joined McNeese for two seasons and then led Jennings High School to the state playoffs and a 30-3 record.

Watkins was out of coaching for a dozen years, working with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's office, but came back to coach St. Louis High School to three district titles and to the state championship in 1989-90. Watkins was also named the state's Coach of the Year that season. In 1990 he was named Co-Head Coach of the Women's Basketball program at McNeese, and later he became an Assistant Athletic Director and took over the head position in 1997.

During his tenure as the McNeese Athletic Director, the University won 12 conference championships and won the Southland Conference all-sports trophy for 2001-2002. Watkins served on the NCAA 1-AA football selection committee and on the Southland Conference committee for championships and officiating. In 2004 he was recognized as one of the top athletic directors in the nation by the All-American Football Foundation. In June, 2007, Watkins retired from McNeese State University’s athletics program after twenty-six years, ten of which he served as McNeese State University’s Athletic Director.
 

Watkins, Thomas Henry.  Dr. Watkins was a local physician in the early 20th century. Watkins attended Tulane University where he studied medicine.  During school vacations, Watkins interned at Natchez Hospital and after graduation was an intern at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. In 1895, Watkins moved to Lake Charles from Lorman, Mississippi.   Watkins was a successful surgeon and helped young doctors establish themselves in the community either with a loan, referring patients, or inviting them to assist him in surgery.  Watkins helped organize the Gulf National Bank and later became its president.  For 39 years, Watkins was the director of the Calcasieu Savings and Loan.  Watkins was also instrumental in building the First United Methodist Church located on Broad Street.  Watkins died of cancer in 1949 at the age of 77.  In 1967, McNeese named the Infirmary in his honor.

Waybright, David.  Director of the Cowboy Marching Band from 1983 to 1987.  Waybright is a graduate of Marshall University of Huntington, West Virginia where he earned a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degree in trumpet performance.  He earned a doctorate in instrumental conducting at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. 

Welch, Steven. Welch was the head men's basketball coach from 1987 to 1995.

MSU Encyclopedia Index

Zigler, Fred B.  Zigler was a Jeff Davis Parish businessman and philanthropist who established a foundation to give financial aid to college students.  Zigler was born in Mayville, North Dakota on May 27, 1899.  When Zigler was a boy, his family moved to Jennings.  Later, Zigler attended Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois and the Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia.  After completing school in 1915, Zigler returned to Jennings and entered into the G. B. Zigler Company, his father’s oil company.  Zigler became President of the company after his father’s death in 1936.  Zigler died on September 3, 1960. McNeese named Zigler Hall in his honor.

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