March 9 …

Southern University and A&M College — Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College or Southern University (SU) — is a public Historically Black Land-Grant Institution founded on March 9, 1880 by an act of the Louisiana State Legislature.

Originally established in New Orleans and later relocated in 1914 to Baton Rouge, LA, the university was created to provide higher education opportunities for African Americans during the Reconstruction era. As a land-grant institution, it has long emphasized practical and professional education while serving as a major center for Black intellectual and civic development in the South.

In its early years, Southern focused on training teachers, farmers, and skilled workers, aligning with the goals of the Second Morrill Act. After relocating to its current Baton Rouge campus, the institution expanded significantly in both size and academic scope.

It developed colleges in engineering, business, education, sciences, and the liberal arts, eventually becoming the flagship of the Southern-University-System. During the 20th century, Southern also played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, with students participating in protests and activism, particularly during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Today, Southern offers a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Among its most popular academic programs are nursing, business administration, engineering (particularly electrical and mechanical engineering), criminal justice, and education.

The university is especially noted for producing a high number of African American graduates in STEM fields and nursing. Since its founding, Southern is estimated to have produced over 100,000 graduates, contributing significantly to the professional workforce in Louisiana and across the nation.

The university’s alumni include many influential figures.

• Ernest Morial (1951) — First African American mayor of New Orleans and a leading civil rights advocate.
• Donna Brazile (1981) — olitical strategist and the first Black woman to manage a major U.S. presidential campaign.
• Carolyn L. Robertson Payton (1949) — First African American woman to serve as director of the Peace Corps.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (1931) — President of Grambling State University, who helped shape higher education in Louisiana.

Southern University and A&M College remains a cornerstone of African American higher education. Its legacy reflects a sustained commitment to access, excellence, and public service, and its graduates continue to influence fields ranging from politics and education to science and global development.

Selected Sources:

• Southern University System. Southern University and A&M College Catalog and Institutional History. Baton Rouge, LA: Southern University System, 2023.
• Louisiana. Act No. 87 of 1880. An Act to Establish the Southern University of Louisiana for the Education of Persons of Color. Approved March 9, 1880. In Acts Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana at the Regular Session of 1880. Baton Rouge, LA: State Official Journal, 1880.
• Anderson, James D. “The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860–1935.”. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988.
• Fairclough, Adam. “Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915–1972.” Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1995.
• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): Southern University A&M College.
• Southern University Alumni Federation. “Distinguished Alumni Records.” Baton Rouge, LA: Southern University System, 2022.