GET DAILY REPORT FREE
After more than 140 years of growing and adapting to meet changing needs in Louisiana and beyond, Northwestern State University is continuing its tradition of academic excellence with innovative initiatives that educate and prepare students for success in life, in their careers and as citizens.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: James T. Genovese, President
Phone: 318.357.6011
Address: 175 Sam Sibley Dr. Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497
Website: nsula.edu
Cutting-edge programs that train students in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and in-demand fields like nursing are at the heart of the university, which long ago established itself as a pioneer in education in Louisiana.
Located in Natchitoches in northwest Louisiana, the university sits on the oldest continuously occupied site for higher education in the state. It traces its roots back to 1884, when the state Legislature passed a bill establishing the Louisiana State Normal School, which was dedicated to training teachers.
The school initially enrolled 60 students, setting up shop on the 100-acre site of the former Academy of the Sacred Heart, which closed in 1875. The property previously was owned by Natchitoches founder Louis Juchereau de St. Denis and, later, the Bullard family. The Bullard mansion, completed in 1832 on Chaplin’s Lake, was eventually demolished, and only its columns were left behind. The three remaining columns became—and still are—a symbol of the university.
