By Staff, Baptist Message
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana College honored its long-standing relationship with the city of Alexandria during the annual Founders Day celebration Oct. 29 by unveiling a historical marker in front of the building that bears the community’s name.
During a special ceremony, Alexandria Mayor Jeff Hall and Chief of Staff Susan Broussard joined school leaders at Alexandria Hall, a building that houses administrative and staff offices and several academic departments.
When it was constructed in 1920, the cities of Alexandria and Pineville jointly contributed $100,000 of the $325,000 needed to complete the project.
“I think it’s important for us to always be mindful of the history, as well as people who have come before us,” LC President Rick Brewer said. “And that we stand on the shoulders, in a sense, of those who have come before us, who have paid the price, who have sacrificed.”
Hall added that the college’s presence has made central Louisiana a better place to live and work.
He referenced a 2018 study by the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU), which recorded that LC generated more than $35 million in goods and services, $13 million in new household income and supported more than 350 private sector jobs in the Alexandria and Pineville metropolitan area.
“At the time (of Alexandria Hall’s founding), LC President Claybrook Cottingham, noted the school wasn’t asking for charity or a handout. He called it an investment in Alexandria’s future. He was right,” Hall said. “The result was an ongoing economic impact.”
Susan Broussard, a 1992 alumna of LC, recalled the impact the college had on her life as a student and in her career. A commuter from the small town of Effie, Broussard experienced a broadening of her world geographically, as well as eternally through the exponential growth of her faith.
Quoting F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, Broussard cited how LC’s liberal arts education provided her the necessary ability to be successful in her personal and professional life.
“The idea that we can hold two opposing thoughts in mind at the same time and still function is the innate ability to have critical thinking skills,” Broussard said. “And with that ability, then you can bring value to whatever job you have.”
Alena Noakes of Wildcats Media contributed to this report
