Florent Hardy, Jr. – Liberal Arts, 1966; M.A. History, 1969; Social Studies Education, 1972

Florent Hardy, Jr., PhD

BA Liberal Arts, 1966

MA History Liberal Arts, 1969

BA Social Studies Education, 1972

                Although I grew up just a stone’s throw from Lafayette in the small rural town of Cecilia, my move to USL was a giant step for me.  We visited my aunts and cousins in Lafayette almost weekly; however, the move from a small town where everyone knew each other to a city with many unknowns was quite an eye-opener.  My mother was a graduate of SLI, my brother and sister both attended USL, and I followed suit; consequently, my summer experiences during 4 -H Short Course at LSU made me wonder sometime if I had made the right choice.  Now, I feel that I did.  Entering in the summer of 1962 and completing my first baccalaureate requirements in August of 1965 was quite a feat; however, I was determined to complete my studies and move on.

                My very first day at USL could have been an omen, but it was not.  It was a dark, rainy day in June.  I missed my ride. Eight of us were to commute to Lafayette that day; however, I was either forgotten or just plain left behind.  I was fortunate, though since my mother willingly let me use the car for that fateful day.  Arriving just in time to enter the Earl K. Long Gymnasium (Men’s Gym) for a brief orientation, then on to neighboring Billeaud Hall for testing, I was quite disoriented and felt that I may have made a mistake to begin so soon after high school graduation.  Although at first things were a bit confusing, everything eventually worked out and I went about my studies.  I vacillated between education and liberal arts as a major, then finally decided to major in history/political science.  This challenge I completed in three calendar years, which were filled with rich experiences and a full social calendar, all the while making new friends.

                Several memories of my transition from high school academics to the university world are quite indelible.  We were always told in high school that college was so difficult that a “C” was a great achievement; therefore, I subconsciously set my goals for “Cs” and felt quite pleased with my achievements ( typical behavior of the college freshman).  My first course at USL was introductory English.  We were approximately 30 in the class.  There were 2 Bs, 2 Ds and the rest were Cs.  I quickly got the message.  My social experiences were much more exciting.  I, like my older brother, pledged Phi Kappa Theta fraternity which was one of the most rewarding experiences at USL.  Then limited to only Catholics and being located on a campus whose student body was 85%+ Catholic, PKT was the fraternity of choice and a most enriching experience.  I still have contact with my fraternity brothers and we can still recall those exciting and fun times.  PKT donated an English Bulldog named “Gee” as football mascot to the university in the early sixties.  Is it any wonder that I often remark about my attendance at every single home football game while I was at USL?  For someone who was not exactly a football fan, the camaraderie of the student body and that of my fraternity brothers provided all of us with a true sense of belonging and enjoyment.

Scholastically, I enjoyed several of my classes.  Psychology became my chief interest, however late in my course work.  Advanced English with Mrs. Muriel Price was my most rewarding course.  She was the fear of most students and many who took her difficult class during their last semester of course work were forced to repeat her course, thus delaying their graduation.  There were several in my class who met this unfortunate fate.  Brutally frank and quite inflexible, Mrs. Price accepted no excuses for poor work.  I was motivated to overcome all barriers during this difficult course and rose to the challenge, and in so doing, really benefited.

To this day, I feel that Mrs. Price was instrumental in complementing my English background which began during my years at Cecilia High.  Miss Florence Landry was another of my favorites.  She taught French, and since I minored in French, I soon learned to appreciate her love of the French language and culture.  I wasn’t fully cognizant of the value of this experience until I visited France as a guest of the French Ministries of External Affairs and Education.  How lucky I was to have grown up in Acadiana and to have had such an excellent exposure to the French and their rich culture.  My French courses at USL introduced me to the proper writing and speaking of a language which is truly international.

I returned to USL to enroll in the Master of Arts in History program focusing on American History since the Civil War.  This was a major challenge; however, I viewed it as an opportunity.  I was more focused at this stage of my life; I really enjoyed history and felt that it was important for an individual to be familiar with the history of his country.  Through my experiences in the masters program, I began my study of the history of our University.  With the encouragement of my major professor, Dr. Henri C. Dethloff, then head of the Southwestern Archives and upon the completion of a seminar paper focusing on the founding years of then I, I continued my research and published my book A Brief History of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1900 – 1960, which to this date is the only authoritative history of our University.  With this formal educational background, I began my career as an educator.  I enrolled in USL’s College of Education in 1968, the same year that I began my teaching career in St. Martin Parish.  I worked full time as a middle school teacher and completed an additional forty-eight hours to meet the requirements for my third USL degree, a bachelors in Secondary Education.

USL, its rich history and its Cajun/southwest Louisiana roots, means so much to so many.  Little did the late nineteenth century establishment know that the fledgling Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute which began essentially as a high school (requirements then were a sixth grade education and fourteen years of age) would evolve into a respected University providing services and opportunities to so many and for that I will always be grateful.