University of Louisiana at Lafayette history

The first university president was named on January 1900, Edwin Lewis Stephens.

1, 1901, Doctor Edwin Stephens, the university’s first president, planted 18 young trees near the campus entrance.

1902 The first Department of Business began at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, then Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute.

The first class was 100 students enrolled and 8 faculty, and by 1903 the first graduating class was 18 students.

Students attended lectures in classrooms such as this one on the first floor of the Main Building, later renamed Martin Hall, in 1905.

The following year in 1921, the school was renamed Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (SLI).

1926 First Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree awarded in College of Liberal Arts

A physical education class performed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in Cypress Grove on May 26, 1928.

1952 Establishment of College of Commerce

1954 First Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree awarded in College of Commerce

By 1960, the school was renamed University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL).

1973 College of Commerce reorganized to departments of: Accounting, Economics, General Business, Management, Marketing, Office Administration, and Business Communication

In 1974, the College of Sciences was officially formed.

1978 Petroleum Land Management major formed and received accreditation from American Association of Petroleum Landmen (AAPL)

1980 College renamed to College of Business Administration

1981 First student graduates from the Petroleum Land Management program

1992 Hospitality Management program formed in the College of Applied Life Sciences

1994 MBA Health Care Administration degree (February) and Insurance and Risk Management major approved (August)

1996 College achieves AACSB accreditation; Petroleum Land Management major renamed to Professional Land and Resource Management

The school was renamed in 1999, to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette).

Three Guilbeau Center Digital Humanities Fellowships of $2000, to be awarded to one faculty member, one graduate student and undergraduate student of any major, to complete a project using Guilbeau Center resources.

2005 College reaccredited by AACSB and construction of Moody Hall completed

2006 Hospitality Management program acquired from the College of Applied Life Sciences

2010 College reaccredited by AACSB

2011 Accounting program achieves separate AACSB Accounting Accreditation

2012 Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program launched (August)

2013 Hospitality Management program receives accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). Northwestern Mutual Sales and Research Lab opens (May). Master of Science in Accounting program approved (August).

2015 College and Accounting program both reaccredited by AACSB

2018 Hospitality Management “Lunch Club” celebrates 30th anniversary.