McNeese State University is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the county seat, parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles (Louisiana), Lake Char ...

. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. McNeese is part of the

University of Louisiana System The University of Louisiana System (UL System) is a public university system in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It enrolls more students than the other three public university systems in the state; as of October 2023, it claims more than 91,500 st ...

and is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

as a Master's University. The selective admissions university consists of six colleges and the Doré School of Graduate Studies. McNeese is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

History

McNeese State University was founded in 1939 as a division of

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

and was originally called Lake Charles Junior College. It offered only the first two years of higher education. McNeese opened its doors on an tract donated by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the parish governing board. There were two original buildings: the former Administration Building (Kaufman Hall) and the McNeese Arena (Ralph O. Ward Memorial Gym). The auditorium, now Francis G. Bulber Auditorium, was completed in 1940 as the third building on the campus. These three buildings are still in use today. The name became John McNeese Junior College in 1940 by resolution of the University Board of Supervisors in honor of Imperial Calcasieu Parish's first superintendent of schools. In 1950, the college became an autonomous four-year institution as McNeese State College. The bill was advanced by

State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

Gilbert Franklin Hennigan of DeRidder in neighboring

Beauregard Parish Beauregard Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,549. The parish seat and most populous municipality is DeRidder. The parish was formed on January 1, 1913. Beauregard Paris ...

. It was separated from

and renamed McNeese State College. Its administration was transferred to the Louisiana State Board of Education. In 1960, legislators authorized McNeese to offer curricula leading to the master's degree; in 1966, the degree of

Educational Specialist The Education Specialist, also referred to as Educational Specialist or Specialist in Education (Ed.S., EdS or S.Ed.), is a specialist degree in education which is an advanced professional degree in the U.S. that is designed to provide knowledge ...

was first offered. In 1970, its name changed to McNeese State University. McNeese was first accredited in 1954 by the

Leadership

*Joseph T. Farrar (1939–1940) *William B. Hatcher (1940–1941) *Rodney Cline (1941–1944) * Lether Frazar (1944–1955) Retired in 1955, became

lieutenant governor of Louisiana The lieutenant governor of Louisiana (; ) is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current lieutenant governor is Billy Nungesser, a Republican. The lieutenant governor is also the commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Cultur ...

thereafter. *Wayne N. Cusic (1955–1969) Retired in 1969. *Thomas S. Leary (1969–1980) Resigned from presidency. *Jack Doland (1980–1987) Resigned in order to run for state office. *Robert Hébert (1987–2010) *Philip C. Williams (2010–2017) *Daryl Burckel (2017–2024) *Wade Rousse (2024–present)

Campus

McNeese State University consists of 79 buildings over approximately 1,560 acres. The 121-acre main campus, dotted with live oak trees and azaleas, features approximately 51 buildings including the three original structures – Kaufman Hall, Ralph O. Ward Memorial Gym (the Arena), and Francis G. Bulber Auditorium. Bulber Auditorium, a striking example of Art Deco architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Campus features include the McNeese Farm, a Athletic campus, and nearly of donated farm property used for research, farming, and ranching. The newest addition to the campus is the 145,000 square foot Legacy Center, which houses the academic classes, faculty offices, and training facilities for the Department of Health and Human Performance (effective June 1, 2024, the department will be renamed as the H.C. Drew School of Kinesiology), in addition to being home to the men's and women's basketball and volleyball programs. The basketball arena features the Joe Dumars Court, named in honor of McNeese's most accomplished basketball player to date. The basketball arena seats 4,242 and the volleyball court has seating for 500. Jack V. Doland Field House is named after a former McNeese head football coach, athletic director and university president. The 53,838 square foot facility, which houses the ticket office and features a digital and interactive Hall of Fame room and a club level with an indoor club room and outside seating, also includes team meeting rooms and coaches offices. The campus features four significant sculptures, including "An Honest Day's Work" by sculptor Fred Fellows located at Entrance Plaza, a commemorative statue of John McNeese by sculptor Janie Stine LaCroix located near Smith Hall, "The Cowboy" created by legendary western painter and sculptor Buck McCain located inside Jack V. Doland Field House and the iconic replica of the famous Frederic Remington sculpture, “The Bronco Buster,” located in front of the Field House. The McNeese State Recreational Sports Complex includes two weight rooms, basketball courts, tennis courts, an indoor track, and an

Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool is a swimming pool which conforms to the regulations for length, breadth, and depth made by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) for swimming at the Summer Olympics and the swimming events at the World Aquatics Champions ...

Academics

McNeese State University offers 50 degree programs in its six colleges and the graduate school, including 33 undergraduate, 16 graduate, and 1 doctoral degree programs. Contraband2

*The College of Agricultural Sciences *The College of Business *The Burton College of Education *The College of Liberal Arts *The College of Nursing and Health Professions *The College of Science, Engineering, and Math *The Doré School of Graduate Studies McNeese was the first university in the State of Louisiana to offer a concentration in forensic chemistry, and one of the first schools in the nation to offer a concentration in terrorism, preparedness and security. The College of Nursing and Health Professions is housed in the Juliet Hardtner Hall, named for a McNeese donor and daughter of the Louisiana timber magnate and conservationist, Henry E. Hardtner of La Salle Parish. In the fall of 2021, the college began offering the first Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in advanced practice psychiatric mental health nursing in the state. The Department of English and Foreign Languages, in conjunction with the local chapter of

Sigma Tau Delta Sigma Tau Delta () is a US-based, international honor society for students of English at four-year colleges and universities who are within the top 30% of their class and have a 3.5 GPA or higher. It presently has over 770 chapters in the Unite ...

, publishes ''The Arena'', which is an annual collection of art, essays, fiction, and poetry by students, regardless of major. Fifteen members of faculty have received

Fulbright Award The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

s. Faculty members in the Departments of Engineering, Performing Arts, Social Sciences and English and Foreign Languages have taught in Rwanda, Romania, Greece, Korea, and Wales, among other countries. In the Department of English and Foreign Languages alone, four faculty members have received Fulbrights. The College of Business is accredited by the

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is an American professional and accreditation organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to busines ...

. The Engineering departments housed in the College of Science, Engineering, and Math offers a multi-discipline curriculum to all students with majors in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. That is, students in these individual disciplines are taught by faculty of other disciplines in certain classes. In addition to the degree of Bachelor of Science in engineering, the departments also offer the

Master of Engineering A Master of Engineering (abbreviated MEng, ME, M.E. or M.Eng.) is a Professional degree, professional master's degree in the field of engineering. International variations Australia In Australia, the Master of Engineering degree is a research ...

degree in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering and engineering management. The college is closely linked to the nearby petrochemical industries and refineries through the Industrial Advisory Board and Lake Area Industry Alliance/McNeese Engineering Partnership. Many students participate in internships with the related industries. The Institute for Industry-Education Collaboration is a continuing education program that offers a wide range of in-person and online professional development programs. The program is also a training provider for Louisiana's Incumbent Worker Training program and offers facilities and equipment for customized industry training. File:Bulber Auditorium.jpg, Bulber Auditorium is on the National Register of Historic Places File:Drew Hall2.jpg, Drew Hall, housing the College of Engineering File:Burtonbusiness2.jpg, Burton Business Center File:Oldfrasch2.jpg, Frasch Hall is home to the Department of Biology and Health Sciences. File:Gayle Hall2.jpg, Gayle Hall houses the Harold and Pearl Dripps Department of Agricultural Sciences. File:Frasch Hall.jpg, Frasch Hall Annex File:Fraser library2.jpg, Entrance to Frazar Memorial Library File:Farrar hall2.jpg, Farrar Hall and Memorial Gymnasium from the quadrangle File:Hardtner2.jpg, Hardtner Hall File:Office of Student Housing2.jpg, Office of Student Housing File:Kirkman.jpg, Kirkman Hall

Athletics

McNeese's colors are

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

and

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. The men's sports teams are known as the Cowboys, while the women's athletic teams are the Cowgirls. McNeese State sports teams participate in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

(

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (F ...

for

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

) in the

Southland Conference The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...

Football

The football team plays at Louis Bonnette Field at

Cowboy Stadium Cowboy Stadium is a 17,610-seat multi-purpose stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It is home to the McNeese Cowboys football team, and is affectionately referred to as "The Hole". It was transformed for the 2008 season to artificial turf. The ...

, which seats 17,000 fans. It is also known as "The Hole" or lately as "the lil' House" and is located near campus. The team played in the inaugural

Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bow ...

game in 1976, a 20–16 victory over Tulsa. They went on to make two more appearances in 1979 and 1980. The Cowboys football team has more recently played in two Division I-AA Finals, in 1997 and 2002.

Basketball

The Cowboys basketball and volleyball teams both moved into the venue now known as The Legacy Center in 2018. This gave the basketball teams their first on-campus facility since leaving the Ralph O. Ward arena. In

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

, the Cowboys won the NAIA Division I Men's Tournament. It was the only appearance the Cowboys made in the NAIA tournament. McNeese State defeated Texas Southern 60 to 55. The men's basketball team has made four appearances in the

NCAA men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...

, most recently in 2025, and the team has qualified for the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

three times, the most recent invitation being in 2011. The school's most famous basketball alumnus is

Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...

, who was a first-round draft pick (18th overall) of the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

in 1985 and went on to have a

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

career with them. The women's basketball team earned its invitation to the "Big Dance" in 2011, by sweeping the Southland Conference Tournament. In 2011, both the men's and women's basketball teams claimed Southland Conference titles in their respective divisions, marking the first time in the 25-year history of the Southland Conference that the men's and women's teams from the same university have won regular-season titles in the same year.

Baseball

The baseball team plays games at Cowboy Diamond. The Cowboys' baseball teams have made several appearances in the

NCAA Division I Baseball Championship The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team College World Series, Men's College World Series (MCWS) at Charles Schwa ...

, most recently in 2000, 2003, and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

Soccer

The McNeese Cowgirls soccer team plays their games at Cowgirl Field. The soccer program began in 1996, and has since claimed 1 regular season Southland Conference Championship in 2007 and 1 Southland Conference tournament Championships in 13 tournament appearances. In 2015, the Cowgirl Soccer Team named Drew Fitzgerald just the second Head Coach in program history, following Scooter Savoie who had been at the helm since the founding of the program in 1996. Fitzgerald, who had previously served as the team's associate head coach, made an immediate impact in the program, leading the Cowgirls to a 9–10–1 record and taking the sixth place seed in their 13th Southland Conference tournament appearance and their first appearance in the second round of the tournament since the 2008 season. The last and only time the Cowgirl Soccer team was able to capture the Southland Conference tournament title and earn a bid to the NCAA Championship tournament was in 2006, when the team suffered a 2-0 first round loss to

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

Student life

The McNeese State University newspaper is ''The Contraband'', a weekly publication which has existed since 1939. The university's student yearbook is ''The Log''. It was first published in 1941.

Greek life

The Greek community of McNeese State University comprises 14 Greek letter organizations.

Notable people

Alumni

* Joe W. Aguillard – President of

Louisiana Christian University Louisiana Christian University (LC) is a Private college, private Baptist university in Pineville, Louisiana. It enrolls 1,100 to 1,200 students. It is affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). Louisiana ...

in Pineville, 2005-2014 * Danny Ardoin – former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

catcher * James Armes – Louisiana

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

for Beauregard and Vernon parishes from 2008 to 2020 *

Zack Bronson Robert Zach Bronson (born January 28, 1974) is a cornerbacks coach at McNeese State and a former professional American football safety in the National Football League. He played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers his entire NFL career f ...

– former safety for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, 1997–2003 *

Ben Broussard Benjamin Isaac Broussard (born September 24, 1976) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He is currently a musician and Leadership Development Coordinator for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball . Broussard was dra ...

– former Major League Baseball first baseman *

Tierre Brown Tierre Brown (born June 3, 1979) is an American basketball player. Career Brown graduated from McNeese State University and began his career with the NBA's Houston Rockets in 2001. He played fifteen games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002-03 N ...

– former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player and MVP of the NBA Development League in 2004 *

James D. Cain Jr. James David Cain Jr. (born November 30, 1964) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Education Cain earned his Bachelor of Arts from McNeese S ...

– Federal Judge for the

United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (in case citations, W.D. La.) is a United States federal court with jurisdiction over approximately two thirds of the state of Louisiana, with courts in Alexandria, Lafayette ...

* Christopher Catrambone – businessman and humanitarian, founder of

Migrant Offshore Aid Station The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) is an international humanitarian non-governmental organization based in Malta that provides aid and assistance to vulnerable communities worldwide. MOAS main focus is responding quickly and efficiently to eme ...

* Michael Ray Charles – contemporary artist * Clay Condrey – former

pitcher; played for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

and the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

* Mike Danahay (B.B.A. c. 1979) – Louisiana state representative for Calcasieu Parish since 2008; sales representative in Lake Charles * Jefferson J. DeBlanc –

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

ace fighter pilot and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient (Ed.D. '73) *

– former National Basketball Association guard for the

and MVP of the 1989 NBA Finals; member of the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

Dan Flavin Dan Flavin (April 1, 1933 – November 29, 1996) was an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures. Early life and career Daniel Nicholas Flavi ...

– Lake Charles

Realtor Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agent ...

and former state representative *

Fabulous Flournoy Fabulous Flournoy (born 31 July 1973) is a former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously the player-coach for the Newcastle ...

– current assistant coach with the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

, former player and head coach for

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team

Newcastle Eagles The Newcastle Eagles are a professional basketball club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in Super League Basketball, the top-tier professional basketball league in Britain for men and women, and the European North Basketball Leag ...

, who competed in the

British Basketball League The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball sports league, league in Great Britain. Since its establishment in 1987 the BBL represented the highest level of basketball competition within the United Kingdom. The orga ...

Ray Fontenot Silton Ray Fontenot (born August 8, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for four seasons between 1983 and 1986. He played for three teams in those four years – the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Minnesot ...

– former

pitcher, 1983–1986; pitched for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

, and

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

* Douglas B. Fournet –

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer and posthumous recipient of the

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Keith Frank Keith Frank (born October 9, 1972) is an American singer, accordion player, and producer. Dubbed the "Zydeco Boss," Frank is one of the most well-known figures in zydeco music, especially in the nouveau zydeco sound, which was influenced by other ...

–

Zydeco Zydeco ( ; ) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by French speaking, Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends African and Caribbean rhythms, blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana ...

musician * Dorothy Sue Hill (Home Economics Education, 1960) – state representative for Allen, Beauregard, and Calcasieu parishes since 2008, rancher in Dry Creek *

Bob Howry Bobby Dean Howry (born August 4, 1973) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. Early life Howry attended, and played baseball at Deer Valley High School in Arizona, then he attended McNeese State University and was drafted b ...

–

pitcher for the

* Adam Johnson – novelist and winner of 2012 Pulitzer Prize * Kerry Joseph – retired quarterback of the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

of the

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

Doug Kershaw Douglas James Kershaw (born January 24, 1936) is an American fiddle player, singer, and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1948, he began his career as part of the duo Rusty and Doug, along with his brother, Rusty Kershaw. He had an exte ...

– Cajun musician, obtained degree in mathematics *

Bobby Kimball Robert Troy Kimball (born March 29, 1947) is an American retired singer best known as longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008. He has also performed as a solo artist and session singer. History ...

– singer and songwriter best known as the original and longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008 * Luke Lawton –

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

fullback/half back for Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Oakland Raiders * Conway LeBleu – attended as junior college student; Lake Charles native; represented Calcasieu and Cameron parishes in the Louisiana House, 1964-1988 *

Demond Mallet Dayon Demond Mallet (born February 22, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at McNeese State University. Mallet spent 17 seasons as a professional player, in multiple European leagues afterwards, ...

– former German

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

basketball allstar (2002, 2004, 2005, 2007) and Championship MVP (2004–5 season); the highest paid professional basketball player in Belgium * Keith Ortego – former American football wide receiver for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

of the NFL; member of the Bears team that won

Super Bowl XX Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...

following the

1985 NFL season The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46–10 at the Louisiana Superdome, in New Orleans (New Orleans Saint ...

* Eric Pete – ''New York Times'' bestselling author * Kavika Pittman – former defensive end and second-round draft pick of the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

in the 1996 NFL Draft * Rupert Richardson –

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

civil rights activist Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

and

civil rights leader Civil rights leaders are influential figures in the promotion and implementation of political freedom and the expansion of personal civil liberties and rights. They work to protect individuals and groups from political repres ...

, served as president of the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

(NAACP) from 1992 to 1995 * B. J. Sams – punt and kick-off returner for the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

, and the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

Tom Sestak Thomas Joseph Sestak (March 9, 1936 – April 3, 1987) was an American football defensive tackle who played for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the McNeese State Cowboys. He was named to t ...

– defensive tackle for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

; in January 1970, Sestak was selected as a member of the All-Time All-AFL Team, and in 2009 as a member of the Bills' 50th Anniversary Team * Taja V. Simpson – television actress * Leonard Smith – former first round draft pick, 17th overall, of the

St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) From 1960 to 1987, the professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals played in St. Louis, Missouri, as the St. Louis Cardinals. The team moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960, and played their first home game ther ...

in the 1983 NFL Draft; played cornerback and safety in the NFL for the Cardinals, 1983–1988 and the

, 1988–1991 *

R. C. Slocum Richard Copeland Slocum (born November 7, 1944) is a former American football player and coach who is currently a special assistant to the president at Texas A&M University. He has also served as interim athletics director at the university from ...

– head football coach at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

, 1989–2002; the coach with the most wins in Texas A&M football history * Vic Stelly – former state representative for Calcasieu Parish and author of the Stelly Plan who also did postgraduate studies at McNeese and served as a college administrator * Dennis Stine – state representative (1987–1988), state commissioner of administration (1988 to 1992), timber businessman; resident of Lake Charles * Tim Stine – state representative (1988–1996), city council member for his native Sulphur, Louisiana; timber businessman * John Thomson – former

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player (

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, Texas Rangers,

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

) File:Adam Johnson Writer Water Meter.JPG, Adam Johnson, novelist and winner of 2012 Pulitzer Prize File:Kerry Joseph.jpg, Kerry Joseph, quarterback of the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

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, Top 50 All-Time NBA Team; member of the

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, the highest paid professional basketball player in Belgium File:Mayor Willie Mount.jpg, Willie Mount, Louisiana State Senator File:Slocum-rc TAMU1.JPG,

, head football coach at

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current assistant coach with the

, former player/head coach in the

Faculty

Ray Authement Ray Paul Authement Sr. (November 19, 1928 – April 5, 2020) was an American academic administrator and the longest-serving university president in the United States. From 1974 to 2008, he was the fifth president of the University of Louisiana a ...

– Professor of Mathematics; the fifth president of the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...

, 1974–2008; the longest serving president of a public university in the United States * Edith Killgore Kirkpatrick –

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

at McNeese, 1955–1958; later member of Louisiana Board of Regents

References

External links

*
McNeese State Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macneese State University Acadiana Lake Charles, Louisiana Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Buildings and structures in Lake Charles, Louisiana Tourist attractions in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Universities and colleges established in 1939 1939 establishments in Louisiana Public universities and colleges in Louisiana