UL Lafayette PresidentsMain MenuSpecial Collections, Edith Garland Dupré Library0d0dc2592d85ffae32e8b7bf0b1e276aa3f654cf
President Fletcher in Presidential Gown
12017-11-28T14:00:07-08:00Special Collections, Edith Garland Dupré Library0d0dc2592d85ffae32e8b7bf0b1e276aa3f654cf267045plain2017-12-07T13:29:48-08:00Special Collections, Edith Garland Dupré Library0d0dc2592d85ffae32e8b7bf0b1e276aa3f654cfDr. Fletcher served as the institution's president for 25 years. It was during his tenure that SLI became the first institution in the Deep South to integrate and enroll African American students. He also started the SLI Foundation, which continues today as the UL Lafayette Foundation. Most importantly, in 1960, Fletcher helped SLI gain university status, and SLI officially changed its name to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL). Dr. Fletcher retired in 1965. Enrollment had grown to over 5,000.
12017-11-28T06:53:00-08:00Fletcher in Grad Uniform2"Joel L. Fletcher." Box N 01a - N 01e, Folder N 01c. Coll 1-N, University Archives Photographs. University Archives and Acadiana Manuscripts Collection, Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA.media/Fletcher_nd_0002.jpgplain2017-11-30T13:53:24-08:00
