New LSU Units Here Hailed as 'Decisive Step Forward'

              Hunter Predicts Rapid Growth
New LSU Units Here Hailed
As 'Decisive Step Forward'
Dr. John A. Hunter, president
of Louisiana State University,
said here yesterday that the
state had "never taken a more
decisive step forward" than in
the creation here of a new
branch campus and a new LSU
School of Medicine.
S p e a k i n g before the noon
luncheon of the Shreveport Ro-tary
Club, in line with its current
series of "Looking Into the
Future," he said that 10 years of
progress "lie just beyond the
horizon," and that a great deal
of the university system's time is
being devoted to the coming
decade.
Dwelling specifically on the
branch campus to open here this
fall, he pointed out that applica-tions
for enrollment in the first
freshman class have reached
upwards of 700 students, and that
officials anticipate an ultimate
enrollment this fall of some 750,
possibly more.
He said the physical plant is
progressing at a satisfactory
pace, with a science building, a
library and a utility plant
scheduled to be completed by
opening day.
"It is not a two-year college,"
he emphasized. "It is a two-year
branch campus of your state
university, a tangible extension
of the academic resources, excel-lence
and prestige that LSU has
developed through 107 years of
service to the people of Louisi-ana."
GROWTH SEEN
Dr. Hunter said it is' highly
conceivable, "in fact, probable,"
that the new campus eventually
will evolve into a four-year,
degree-granting institution.
He said estimates indicate
enrollment will climb to 1,023 in
the fall of 1968, to 1,100 in the fail
of 1969, to 1,230 in 1970, and 1,346
in 1971.
He noted that of the 36 faculty
members so far hired by the
campus, 16, or 45 per cent, hold
doctorates.
"The purpose underlying the
creation of two new state institu-tions
of learning in this parish is
to make certain that the people
of northwest Louisiana — and,
for that matter,, all the citizens
of this state —' can face the
corning decade;- indeed the re-mainder
of this century, secure
in the fact that they,.-have kept
sace educationally," said Dr.
Hunter.
He pointed out that last year
more than $45 billion was spent
in the United States for educa-tion,
that more than 60 million
students were enrolled in school
from the e l e m e n t a r y level
through the graduate school, and
that almost 2 million men and
women were engaged in teachint
and school administration.
"In short, approximately one
of every three people in America
last year was directly involved in
formal education," he noted.
He said that "in these exceed-ingly
complex times," steeped in
science and technology, hard
work alone, is not enough.
Education is the answer, he
said, "such as that which will be
symbolized by the two new
campuses in this area."
Dr. Hunter noted that propos-als
for federal funds for the
medical school are being pre-pared,
adding that university
officials hoped for a first class of
about 40 to open in temporary
facilities here in 1969, as perma-nent
facilities won't be complet-ed
until 1972 or 1973.
He said the freshman class at
the LSU Medical School in New
Orleans numbers 140, "and we
hope to eventually take about the
same number here."
SPIRALING COSTS
The need for individual and
corporate gifts to higher educa-tion
has been prompted by "the
ever-spiraling cost of higher
education" and swiftly rising
enrollments, he said.
"Here in Louisiana, LSU has a
longstanding mandate to shoul-der
a major part of this burden
of added enrollments," he noted.
"Today the university shoulders
some 30 per cent of the college
population in Louisiana, or three
times that of the state's next
largest educational institute.
"While some universities are
beginning to close the door to
many worthy and deserving
students by limiting enrollments
and substantially raising tuition
costs, LSU is pledged to main-tain
its traditional open door
policy to every Louisiana young-ster
who seeks an education," he
said.
The university head predicted
that within a few short years the
local campuses of the staff
university "will come to be
regarded as something akin to a
modern-day prophecy," ranking
as "conspicious milestones in the
continuing advancement of a
state firmly committed to prog-ress."
Dr. Hunter also said yesterday
that salaries of faculty members
must continue to increase as
there is fierce c o m p e t i t i o n
throughout the nation "for top
minds."