Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Louisiana Tech opened as the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana in 1894 during the Second Industrial Revolution. The original mission of the college was for the education of students in the arts and sciences for the purpose of developing an industrial economy in post-Reconstruction Louisiana. Four years later in 1898, the state constitution changed the school's name to Louisiana Industrial Institute. In 1921, the college changed its name to Louisiana Polytechnic Institute to reflect its development as a larger institute of technology. Louisiana Polytechnic Institute became desegregated in the 1960s. It officially changed its name to Louisiana Tech University in 1970 as it satisfied criteria of a research university.

Louisiana Tech enrolled 12,463 students in five academic colleges during the Fall 2018 academic quarter including 1,282 students in the graduate school. In addition to the main campus in Ruston, Louisiana Tech holds classes at the Louisiana Tech University Shreveport Center, Academic Success Center in Bossier City, Barksdale Air Force Base Instructional Site, and on the CenturyLink campus in Monroe.

Louisiana Tech fields 16 varsity NCAA Division I sports teams (7 men's, 9 women's teams) and is a member of Conference USA of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The university is known for its Bulldogs football team and Lady Techsters women's basketball program which won three national championship titles (1981, 1982, 1988) and made 13 Final Four appearances in the program's history.

History

Early years

Ruston College, a forerunner to Louisiana Tech, was established in the middle 1880s by W. C. Friley, a Southern Baptist pastor. This institution lasted for seven years and had annual enrollments of about 250 students. Friley subsequently from 1892 to 1894 served as the first president of Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and from 1909 to 1910, as the second president of Louisiana College in Pineville.

On May 14, 1894, the Lincoln Parish Police Jury held a special session to outline plans to secure a regional industrial school. The police jury (a body similar to a county court or county commission in other states) called upon State Representative George M. Lomax to introduce the proposed legislation during the upcoming session. Representative Lomax, Jackson Parish Representative J. T. M. Hancock, and journalist, lawyer, and future judge John B. Holstead fought for the passage of the bill. On July 6, 1894, the proposed bill was approved as Act No. 68 of the General Assembly of Louisiana. The act established "The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana", an industrial institute created for the education of white children in the arts and sciences.

In 1894, Colonel Arthur T. Prescott was elected as the first president of the college. He moved to Ruston and began overseeing the construction of a two-story main building. The brick building housed eight large classrooms, an auditorium, a chemical laboratory, and two offices. A frame building was also built nearby and was used for the instruction of mechanics. The main building was located on a plot of  that was donated to the school by Francis P. Stubbs. On September 23, 1895, the school started its first session with six faculty members and 202 students.

In May 1897, Harry Howard became the first graduate. Colonel Prescott awarded him with a Bachelor of Industry degree, but there was no formal commencement. The first formal commencement was held in the Ruston Opera House the following May with ten graduates receiving their diplomas.

Article 256 of the 1898 state constitution changed the school's name to Louisiana Industrial Institute. Two years later, the course of study was reorganized into two years of preparatory work and three years of college level courses. Students who were high school graduates were admitted to the seventh quarter (college level) of study without examination. As years went by, courses changed and admissions requirements tightened. From 1917 to 1925, several curricula were organized according to the junior college standards and were offered leading to the Bachelor of Industry degree. In 1919, the Board of Trustees enlarged the curricula and started granting a standard baccalaureate degree. The first of these was granted on June 15, 1921, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

The Constitution adopted June 18, 1921, changed the name of the school in Article XII, Section 9, from Louisiana Industrial Institute to Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, or "Louisiana Tech" for short.

Expansion

The Main Building, also known as Old Main, burned to the ground in December 1936, but the columns that marked the entrance remain in place behind Prescott Memorial Library. By June 1936, construction on a new administration building had begun. On completion in January 1937, it was named Leche Hall in honor of then Governor Richard W. Leche of New Orleans. The building was renamed after the death of former university president, J. E. Keeny, and remains the remodeled Keeny Hall.

Louisiana Polytechnic Institute experienced an infrastructure growth spurt in 1939 and 1940. Seven buildings were designed by architect Edward F. Neild and completed at a cost of $2,054,270. These were Aswell Hall (girls' dormitory), Robinson Hall (men's dormitory for juniors and seniors), Tolliver Hall (880-seat dining hall), Bogard Hall (the Engineering Building), the S.J. Wages Power Plant, Reese Agricultural Hall (located on the South Campus Tech Farm), and the Howard Auditorium & Fine Arts Building.

During World War II, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.

After World War II, old army barracks were used to construct the student union and bookstore. It was known as the "Tonk" because it resembled a honky tonk. The building was replaced 15 years later but its nickname remained.

In 1959, four students were awarded the first master's degrees by the institution.

University era

In 1962, Foster Jay Taylor became the 12th President of the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, having succeeded Ralph L. Ropp. During his twenty-five years at president, Dr. Taylor oversaw the transformation of the former Louisiana Polytechnic Institute into Louisiana Tech University. The university's enrollment grew from about 3,000 students in 1962 to roughly 12,000 students in 1987. The first African-American students at Louisiana Tech, James Earl Potts (a transfer student from the nearby HBCU Grambling State University) and Bertha Bradford-Robinson, were admitted in the spring of 1965.

Most of the modern buildings on the Main Campus were either built or renovated during Taylor's tenure as university president. The main athletic facilities were constructed during the Taylor Era including Joe Aillet Stadium, the Thomas Assembly Center, J.C. Love Field, and the Lady Techster Softball Complex. In addition to the athletic facilities, the 16-story Wyly Tower, Student Bookstore, Nethken Hall (Electrical Engineering building), the University President's House, and the current College of Business Building were built on the Main Campus. In order to house the increasing student body of Louisiana Tech, Dr. Taylor led the construction of Graham, Harper, Kidd, Caruthers, and Neilson residence halls.

Taylor's time as Louisiana Tech president also marked the beginning of Lady Techster athletics. In 1974, Taylor established the Lady Techsters women's basketball program with a $5,000 appropriation. He hired Sonja Hogg, a 28-year-old PE instructor at Ruston High School, as the Lady Techsters' first head coach. Under Coach Hogg and her successor Leon Barmore, the Lady Techsters won three National Championships during the 1980s. In 1980, Dr. Taylor founded the Lady Techster Softball team with Barry Canterbury serving as the team's first head coach. The team made seven straight teams to the NCAA softball tournament and three trips to the Women's College World Series during the 1980s.

The first doctorate was awarded in 1971, a PhD in chemical engineering.

In 1992, Louisiana Tech became a "selective admissions" university. This university has increased their admissions criteria four times since 2000 by raising the minimum overall grade point average, composite ACT score, and class ranking.

Louisiana Tech has earned recognition from the Louisiana Board of Regents for its graduation rate and retention rate. According to a report of the Louisiana Board of Regents published in December 2011, Louisiana Tech has the second-highest graduation rate among the fourteen public universities in the state of Louisiana. The 53.3% 6-year graduation rate is the highest in the University of Louisiana System. Louisiana Tech has a 78.64% retention rate among incoming freshmen who stay with the same school after the first year, the top rate in the University of Louisiana System. The average time-to-degree ratio for Tech's graduates is 4.7 years, the fastest in the UL System.

Louisiana Tech became the first in the world to confer a Bachelor of Science degree in nanosystems engineering when Josh Brown earned his degree in May 2007. Continuing its mission as an engineering pioneer, Louisiana Tech also launched the nation's first cyber engineering BS degree in 2012.

, Louisiana Tech has awarded more than 100,900 degrees.

Campus

The campus of Louisiana Tech University is located in Ruston, Louisiana. The major roads that border or intersect the Tech campus are Tech Drive, California Avenue, Alabama Avenue, and Railroad Avenue. Interstate 20 and U.S. Highways 80 and 167 are located within one mile (1.6 km) of the Main Campus. In addition, a set of railroad tracks operated by Kansas City Southern Railway bisects the campus near Railroad Avenue.

The portion of the Main Campus located west of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include all of the university's major athletic facilities except for J.C. Love Field. The land east of Tech Drive and north of the railroad include the Lambright Intramural Center, J.C. Love Field, and the University Park Apartments. Most of the older residence halls are located near California Avenue and along Tech Drive south of the railroad tracks. The older part of the Main Campus is located south of Railroad Avenue. The Enterprise Campus is located on a  plot of land east of Homer Street and bordering the oldest part of the Main Campus.

In addition to the Main Campus, Louisiana Tech also has  of land located on the South Campus,  of farm land west of the Main Campus,  of forest land in Winn, Natchitoches, and Union Parishes,  of land in Shreveport, a  golf course in Lincoln Parish,  of land for an arboretum west of the Main Campus, and a Flight Operations Center at Ruston Regional Airport.

Main campus

The Main Campus at Louisiana Tech University originated in 1894 as a  plot of land with only two buildings, The Old Main Building and a frame building nearby used by the Department of Mechanics (the forerunner of the College of Engineering and Science). Today, the Main Campus is housed on  of land with 86 buildings including 22 apartment buildings for the University Park Apartments on the north part of the campus. Many of the buildings, especially the older buildings, on the Main Campus are built in the Colonial Revival style. Bogard Hall, Howard Auditorium, Keeny Hall, University Hall (formerly the original Prescott Library), Reese Hall, Robinson Hall, and Tolliver Hall are all included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The oldest existing building on Louisiana Tech's campus is the Ropp Center. The Italian-style, wood-frame house was constructed in 1911 and is named after Ralph L. Ropp, Louisiana Tech's president from 1949 to 1962. The Ropp Center served as the home of seven Louisiana Tech Presidents until a new president's house was built in 1972 on the west side of Tech's campus. The Ropp Center was used by the College of Home Economics for thirteen years until the Office of Special Programs moved into the building in 1985. In 2002, a $1 million renovation was completed to transform the Ropp Center into a faculty and staff club that is used for special events and housing for on-campus guests.

The Quadrangle (the Quad) is the focal point of the oldest part of the Main Campus. The Quad is considered to be one of the most peaceful and beautiful locations at Louisiana Tech. Large oak trees and park benches all around the Quad provide students and visitors a quiet place to study and relax. At the center of the Quad is The Lady of the Mist sculpture and fountain, a landmark for students and alumni alike. The buildings surrounding the Quad are Keeny Hall, Howard Auditorium, the Student Center, the Bookstore, the Wyly Tower of Learning, the current Prescott Memorial Library, and the original Prescott Library now known as University Hall.

Another popular location on the Main Campus is Centennial Plaza. In 1994, Centennial Plaza was constructed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Louisiana Tech's founding. The plaza was funded by a student self-assessed fee and designed specifically for the use and enjoyment of the student body. Centennial Plaza is used for special events throughout the year, such as Christmas in the Plaza, movie events, and student organizational fairs. Centennial Plaza is one of the main gathering points of the students due to the plaza's close proximity to the on-campus restaurants, coffee shops, dining halls, university post office, and offices for Student Life, SGA, and Union Board. At the center of the plaza is the Clock Tower which has the sound and digital capabilities to play the Alma Mater, Fight Song, and any other songs and calls as needed. The Alumni Brick Walkway runs through Centennial Plaza and around the Clock Tower. A large Louisiana Tech seal marks the middle of Centennial Plaza just west of the Clock Tower. Centennial Plaza is enclosed by Tolliver Hall, the Student Center, Howard Auditorium, and Harper Residence Hall.

Louisiana Tech has two main dining halls on Wisteria Drive on the west end of Centennial Plaza. The first dining hall is the Student Center which is home to the cafeteria, a smaller dining hall for eating and socializing, the La Tech Cafe, several small restaurants including Chick-fil-A, and the Tonk. The Student Center is also home to the CEnIT Innovation Lab, several large study areas, and a conference room. One of the three bronze bulldog statues is located on the first floor of the Student Center near the entrance of the Tonk. Students pet the bulldog statue for good luck as they walk by the statue.

The second student center on the Tech campus is Tolliver Hall. Tolliver Hall, named after Tech's first full-time dietitian Irene Tolliver, is located at the west end of Centennial Plaza near the Wisteria Student Center. This two-story building was built in the 1920s as one of three dining halls at Louisiana Tech. The eating area in the second floor remained open until it was shut down in the 1980s. In 2003, nearly $3 million was spent to renovate Tolliver Hall into a modern cyber student center. The second floor now houses a cyber cafe which includes computer stations, a McAlister's Deli restaurant, several smaller restaurants, a large dining area with big-screen televisions, and smaller tables surrounding the floor for dining and studying. The offices of the Louisiana Tech Student Government Association, Union Board, the International Student Office, and multicultural affairs are also housed on the second floor. The first floor is used as the post office for Tech's students, faculty, and administration officials.

In the past decade, Louisiana Tech built new buildings and renovated some of the Main Campus' older buildings. The university erected Davison Hall (home of the university's Professional Aviation program), the Micromanufacturing Building, and the Biomedical Engineering Building on the south end of the Main Campus along Hergot Avenue. Tech tore down the old Hale Hall and constructed a brand-new Hale Hall in the style and design of the predecessor in 2004. On the eastern edge of the campus, the university renovated the building now known as University Hall, redesigned the bookstore interior, and made needed repairs to Keeny Hall and Howard Auditorium. All of the major athletics facilities on the north part of the Main Campus have received major upgrades and renovations in the past five years.

Construction started in early 2011 on a new College of Business building. The  facility serves as the centerpiece of the entrepreneurship and business programs of the College of Business. The building features new classrooms, two auditoriums, computer labs, research centers, meeting rooms, and career and student support centers.
 Louisiana Tech has announced plans to construct a new  College of Engineering and Science building adjacent to Bogard Hall.

The campus also hosts the Idea Place, a science museum; A.E. Phillips Lab School, a K-8 school which is recognized as a "Five Star School" by the Louisiana Department of Education; and the Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy.

South Campus
South Campus is located southwest of the main campus in Ruston and covers nearly . It is home to the School of Agricultural Science and Forestry, Center for Rural Development, Equine Center, John D. Griffin Horticultural Garden, the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) laboratories, and Tech Farm. The Tech Farm Salesroom markets dairy, meat, and plant products produced and processed by Tech Farm to the public. Students enrolled in agriculture or forestry programs attend classes in Reese Hall, the agricultural laboratory, and in Lomax Hall, the forestry and plant science complex which is home to the Louisiana Tech Greenhouses, Horticultural Conservatory, and the Spatial Data Laboratory.

Enterprise Campus

In Fall Quarter 2009, the university broke ground on the new Enterprise Campus which will expand the campus by  upon completion. The Enterprise Campus will be a green building project and will be a research facility available to technology companies and businesses. The Enterprise campus will also try to bridge the Engineering and Business colleges with the addition of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC).

In 2010, Louisiana Tech finished the renovations of the old Visual Arts Building by transforming that building into the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Center. The E&I Center will serve as the central hub for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology's (CEnIT) programs and is located between the College of Business building and Bogard Hall (COES).

Louisiana Tech broke ground on Tech Pointe, the first building on the Enterprise Campus, in 2010. Tech Pointe will house the Cyberspace Research Laboratory as well as high-tech companies and start-up technology companies. The  facility will include access to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI), fiber-optic and Internet networks, advanced computing capabilities, and other information technology supports needed to meet the demands of 24/7 high-tech companies and specialized cyber security research. Tech Pointe is scheduled for completion sometime in 2011.

The university recently unveiled plans to build a new College of Engineering and Science (COES) building. The three-story,  building will provide new active learning class labs; engineering shops; and meeting rooms for classes in math, science, and engineering. The new COES building will provide new learning space for the university's first-year and second-year engineering and science students for the first time since the completion of Bogard Hall in 1940. Upon completion of the new College of Engineering and Science building, Louisiana Tech plans to renovate and improve Bogard Hall.

Barksdale Campus
Since September 1965, Louisiana Tech has offered on-base degree programs through its satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. The university works in conjunction with the Department of the Air Force to provide postsecondary education programs that are designed to meet the needs of Air Force personnel. While the primary focus of the Barksdale campus is to educate Air Force personnel, civilians are permitted to take part in the classes offered at the Barksdale campus if space is available. All courses offered at Tech Barksdale are taught on-base or online. The administrative offices for the Louisiana Tech Barksdale Air Force Program are located in the Base Education Center.

Academics

Student body

As of the Fall 2018 quarter, Louisiana Tech had an enrollment of 12,463 students pursuing degrees in five academic colleges. The student body has members from every Louisiana parish, 43 U.S. states, and 64 foreign countries. Louisiana residents account for 85.0% of the student population, while out-of-state students and international students account for 11.1% and 4.0% of the student body, respectively. The student body at Louisiana Tech is 69.4% white, 13.3% black, 3.8% international students, and 13.5% other or "unknown" ethnicity. The student body consists of 50.2% women and 49.8% men.

The Fall 2016 incoming freshmen class at Louisiana Tech consisted of 2,018 students. This incoming freshmen class had an average 24.7 ACT score, with 31% scoring between 27–36 and 45% scoring between 22 and 26. Of the 2015 freshmen class, 83.0% are Louisiana residents, 16.3% are out-of-state students, and 0.7% are international students. Louisiana Tech's 2015 freshman class includes ten National Merit Scholars and one National Achievement Scholar.

As of Fall 2015, the College of Engineering and Science had the largest enrollment of any college at Louisiana Tech with 22.9% of the student body. The College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, and the College of Business had 18.4%, 14.0%, 13.1%, and 9.5%, respectively. About 22.2% of the student body were enrolled in Basic and Career Studies.

Rankings

In the 2022–2023 U.S. News & World Report ranking of public universities, Louisiana Tech is ranked 163rd, and Louisiana Tech is ranked in Tier One of national universities at 317th. Forbes 2022 edition of America's Top Colleges ranked Louisiana Tech as the 204th best public college in the nation, the 230th best research university in the nation, the 437th best college overall, and the 93rd best college in the South. According to Washington Monthly 2022 National University Rankings, which consider research, community service, social mobility, and net price of attendance, Louisiana Tech ranked 411th nationally.  The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2022 ranked Louisiana Tech >600 in the United States. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 which measure an institution's performance across teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook ranked Louisiana Tech 801–1000th in the world. Times Higher Education World University Rankings named Louisiana Tech one of twenty universities in the world that are rising stars and could challenge the elites to become globally renowned by the year 2030.

Money magazine named Louisiana Tech the best college in Louisiana in their 2016 The Best College in Every State publication. In addition, Louisiana Tech ranked 235th in Money's Best Colleges, which ranked schools based on value by assessing educational quality, affordability, and alumni success. Forbes 2019 edition of America's Best Value Colleges ranked Louisiana Tech as the 159th best overall value for all American colleges and universities. In the 2018 Kiplinger's Personal Finance Best College Values rankings, Louisiana Tech ranked No. 1 for all Louisiana public colleges, 65th of all public colleges in the nation, and 189th of all public and private colleges in the United States. In the 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, Louisiana Tech ranked No. 1 among public national universities and 6th among all national universities for graduating students with the least amount of debt. Louisiana Tech ranked 6th in Business Insiders 2015 Most Underrated Colleges In America rankings. According to the 2015–2016 PayScale College Salary Report salary potential for all alumni, Louisiana Tech ranks first among all public and private institutions in Louisiana, 60th nationally among public schools, 84th nationally among research universities, and 184th nationally among all universities and colleges.

Several of Louisiana Tech's graduate programs were named to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report list of Best Graduate Schools including the College of Business, Doctor of Audiology, Biomedical Engineering, College of Education, Master of Arts in Speech–Language Pathology, and College of Engineering. In the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, Louisiana Tech's undergraduate engineering program ranked 134th in the nation, and Tech's undergraduate business program ranked 224th. The online Professional MBA was named to the 2020 U.S. News list of Best Online Programs. In the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Grad Schools rankings, Louisiana Tech ranked 145th in engineering, 141st in speech–language pathology, and 185th in education.

Colleges
The university confers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees through its five academic colleges. Additionally, Louisiana Tech offers doctoral degrees in audiology, business administration, counseling psychology (accredited by the American Psychological Association), industrial/organizational psychology, computational analysis and modeling, engineering, and biomedical engineering, with a joint MD–PhD program with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport.

College of Applied and Natural Sciences
The College of Applied and Natural Sciences is made up of the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Health Informatics and Information Management, School of Human Ecology, and Division of Nursing.

College of Business

Louisiana Tech University's College of Business houses the Department of Economics & Finance, Department of Marketing & Analysis, Department of Management & Sustainable Supply Chain Management, School of Accountancy, and Department of Computer Information Systems. The college offers eight undergraduate degree programs in addition to the Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy, and Doctor of Business Administration.

The MBA is offered in several delivery modes including Traditional, Professional (online), Hybrid (with a focus on Information Assurance), and Executive. The Executive MBA is housed in Louisiana Tech's Bossier City Academic Success Center and is specifically designed for students who already have management experience. Structured to provide minimal disruption to work schedules, students pursuing the Executive MBA meet for classes every other weekend (Friday evenings and all-day on Saturday). The College of Business also offers several certificate programs.

The college has been accredited by AACSB International since 1955, when the School of Business Administration was one of 78 schools of business in the United States to become members of the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business. The MBA program was initially accredited in 1978, and the School of Accountancy was among the initial 20 schools receiving separate Accounting accreditation and the first in Louisiana.

The college houses the Center for Information Assurance, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT), the Academy of Marketing Science, and the Center for Economic Research, as well as The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems journal. It is also designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research and Education.

College of Education

The College of Education traces its mission back to the origins of Louisiana Tech in 1894, where the preparation of teachers was one of the early missions of the institution. In 1970, the School of Education was elevated to the level of College.

Today, the College of Education consists of three separate departments: The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership, The Department of Kinesiology, and The Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. Together, the three academic departments award thirty-five different academic degrees ranging from the baccalaureate to the doctoral levels.

Notable subdivisions of the College of Education include A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, the Science and Technology Education Center, the NASA Educator Resource Center, The IDEA Place, and the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness.

College of Engineering and Science

The College of Engineering and Science (COES) is the engineering school at Louisiana Tech University. The COES offers thirteen undergraduate degrees including seven engineering degrees, two engineering technology degrees, and four science degrees. The college also offers seven Master of Science degrees and four Doctorate degrees.

The college started as the Department of Mechanics in 1894 with a two-year program in Mechanic Arts. Since its founding, the college expanded its degree program to include chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering. The COES began offering one of the first biomedical engineering curriculum programs in the United States in 1972 and the first nanosystems engineering BS degree in 2005. Louisiana Tech launched the nation's first cyber engineering BS degree in 2012.

Bogard Hall is the second home of the College of Engineering and Science. Louisiana Tech constructed the building in 1940 and named it after Frank Bogard, the former Dean of Engineering at Louisiana Tech. The college also utilizes Nethken Hall, the Biomedical Engineering Building, the Institute for Micromanufacturing, the Engineering Annex building, the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC), and parts of Carson-Taylor Hall for the college's activities. In early 2011, Louisiana Tech announced plans to construct a new Integrated Engineering and Science Building adjacent to Bogard Hall. The  building now provides classrooms and meeting rooms for engineering, science, and math students at Louisiana Tech.
In 2019, the Integrated Engineering and Science Building (IESB) was completed, and the College of Engineering and Science Undergraduate Studies moved to the new building. Bogard Hall continues to host the College of Engineering and Science Graduate Studies. In the Winter Quarter of 2019–2020, students were able to begin using the new classrooms and study spaces.

College of Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts consists of nine academic departments: Architecture, Art, History, Journalism, Literature and Language, Performing Arts, Professional Aviation, Social Science, and Speech. The college offers 26 degree programs, including 19 bachelors, 6 masters, and the doctorate degree in audiology

The College of Liberal Arts hosts the Louisiana Tech University Honors Program. Tech's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 305 is also part of the College of Liberal Arts.CentersAmerican Foreign Policy Center – Created in 1989, the American Foreign Policy Center at Louisiana Tech University is a joint initiative of the Department of History and Prescott Memorial Library. The center's goals are to encourage research in the field of U.S. foreign policy, and to promote public awareness of world affairs. The center is located on the fourth floor of Prescott Library.
Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy – The Waggonner Center fosters and promotes active and responsible civic engagement through an interdisciplinary combination of academic research, innovative curricular initiatives, and community outreach. The center brings together faculty from across Louisiana Tech University who take as their point of departure the intersection of American principles, institutions, and public policy. By working across traditional academic disciplines, the Waggonner Center aims to create an unprecedented academic experience that engages faculty, students, and community stakeholders alike.GalleriesThe School of Design at Louisiana Tech University has two gallery spaces available to artists working in all media including: painting, drawing, video, printmaking, installation, sculpture, photography, ceramics, fiber, and digital works. Several calls for entry are open year-round. The mission of the galleries at The School of Design at Louisiana Tech University is to contribute to student and community learning through exposure to the work and philosophy of nationally recognized contemporary artists working in the visual arts. The SOD Galleries accept unsolicited submissions on a rolling basis, which are reviewed quarterly by the Gallery Committee.

Interdisciplinary centersCenter for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT)In 2001, Louisiana Tech proposed the creation of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (CEnIT), a collaboration between the College of Engineering & Science (COES) and the College of Business (COB). The CEnIT focuses the resources of the two colleges and their related centers in promoting entrepreneurial research, technology transfer, and education. The CEnIT was approved in 2002 by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents. , the CEnIT is housed in the  CEnIT Innovation Lab on the main floor of the Student Center next to The Quad. The center will move to the newly renovated University Hall building located next to the College of Business sometime in 2011.

The Top Dawg Competition was created in 2002 by the Association of Business, Engineering, and Science Entrepreneurs (ABESE), now known as Bulldog Entrepreneurs. The annual competition is hosted by Bulldog Entrepreneurs and in conjunction with the CEnIT, COES, College of Business, and the Technology Business Development Center (TBDC). The competition started as the Top Dawg Business Plan Competition in 2002 and expanded six years later to include the Idea Pitch Competition. The total amount of money awarded during each competition to the competing teams has grown since 2002 to $14,500 for the 2011 Competition. In addition to prize money from the COES and College of Business, additional prize money is awarded by Jones Walker, Louisiana Tech's Innovation Enterprise Fund, and the Ruston-Lincoln Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Continuing education and distance learningGlobal_CampusLouisiana Tech established the Global_Campus on September 16, 2008. The campus offers a variety of degree programs, certificate programs, and general education courses. Global_Campus focuses on providing more flexibility and choices to Tech's traditional students and complete online education services to non-traditional students, such as military, international, and dual enrollment students.

, Global_Campus offers over 275 distance learning courses while more courses are in development. Louisiana Tech has six master's degree programs, two bachelor's degree programs, and one associate degree program available via distance learning. In addition to the nine degree programs, Global_Campus offers eight professional development programs.CenturyLink@LaTech'''

In the Fall of 2011, Louisiana Tech and CenturyLink created a partnership called "CenturyLink@LaTech" to meet the workforce development and training needs of CenturyLink. It is designed for CenturyLink employees with general responsibilities and interests in telecommunications engineering, information technology or information systems.

CenturyLink@LaTech offers a Communications Systems Graduate Certificate.

Student life

Activities

Louisiana Tech has over 163 officially recognized student organizations. Students can opt to participate in Student Government, Union Board, The Tech Talk, TechTV, Lagniappe, Greek, religious, honor, service, spirit, intramurals, club sports, pre-professional, and special interest organizations.

The Louisiana Tech University Union Board organizes entertainment activities for Louisiana Tech students throughout the entire school year. About 80 students participate in Union Board each academic school year. The Union Board receives an annual budget of about $210,000 in Student Assessment Fees and uses the money to organize and produce the annual Fall Fling, Talent Show, Spring Fling, Tech the Halls, the Miss Tech Pageant, RusVegas casino night, and other special events.

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official governing body of the Louisiana Tech University Student Association (the student body) and consists of three branches; the Student Senate, Executive Branch, and the Supreme Court. The organization is responsible for the Welcome Week/Dawg Haul activities, Homecoming Week, the Big Event, short term student loans, voter registration drives for the student body, and other various activities throughout the year.

Louisiana Tech and neighboring Grambling State University operate an ROTC exchange program. Louisiana Tech operates the Air Force ROTC while Grambling operates the Army ROTC, and students from either school may participate in either program.

Since 2006, Louisiana Tech has played host to Summer Leadership School for Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from public school systems all over the United States. It is operated by normal USAF retirees, but mostly by college level Cadet Training Officers. These sessions are held towards the end of the month of June for nine days.

MediaThe Tech Talk was Louisiana Tech's official student newspaper from 1926 to 2019. The Tech Talk was published every Thursday of the regular school year, except for finals week and vacation periods. The award-winning newspaper has been honored by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), Louisiana Press Women, National Federation of Press Women, Louisiana Press Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists. The Tech Talk was named the 10th Best Newspaper in the South in 2010 and the 3rd Best Newspaper in the South in 2011 by the Southeast Journalism Conference.Speak Magazine is Louisiana Tech's student magazine. It has been published quarterly since 2014.

The Lagniappe is Tech's yearbook. The Lagniappe, which literally means "something extra" was first published in 1905 and has been published every year since except for 1906, 1913–1921, 1926, and 1944–1945. The yearbook's annual release date is around the last week of the regular school year in the middle of May. The Lagniappe was recognized in May 2011 as "First Class" by the Associated Collegiate Press and as one of the top 2 percent of high school and collegiate yearbooks by Balfour Publishing's "The Yearbook's Yearbook". Mary May Brown, the recently retired faculty advisor of the Lagniappe for 23 years was named the Collegiate Publications Advisor of the Year by the Louisiana Press Women in 2011.

Louisiana Tech's local radio station is KLPI. The radio station was founded as WLPI-AM in 1966 and originally housed in a rented office on Railroad Avenue in downtown Ruston. By 1974, construction was completed on KLPI-FM, and the radio station began broadcasting at 10 watts. Afterward, WLPI-AM was shut down due to maintenance problems with the station's equipment. For a while the station was located at the southeast corner of the Student Center at the heart of the Tech campus. With the 2022 makeover of Centennial Plaza the KLPI station was moved and is once again moving around campus. KLPI transmits at 4,000 watts of power.

Louisiana TechTV is the official student-run television station at Louisiana Tech since its launch in 2000. TechTV shows newly released movies, TechTV news, personal news clips by the general student body, original programming like Tech Cribs, Tech Play, and informational slides for upcoming campus events.

Residential life

The newest Halls Cottingham, Richardson, Mitchell, are all 3 stories dormitories that offer Suits, Single and Flex Private rooms. With them all 3 being new construction. They are gendered by floor unlike the older Residence Halls.

Greek life

Louisiana Tech has approximately 20 Greek organizations. The Phi Mu Golf Tournament raised $7,000 in 2007 and $10,000 in 2009. Sigma Kappa raised $2,300 to benefit the Alzheimer's Research Foundation in 2011.

In 2002 and 2005, hazing incidents were reported at Kappa Alpha.

Athletics

Louisiana Tech's sixteen varsity athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I sports as a member of Conference USA. The university's seven men's teams are known as the Bulldogs, and the nine women's teams are known as the Lady Techsters. The teams wear the university colors of red and blue except for the women's basketball team that wears their signature Columbia blue.

Football

Louisiana Tech's football team played its first season in 1901 and has competed at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level from 1975 to 1981 and 1989 to present. In its 122 years of existence, Tech's football program has won three National Championships (1972-National Football Foundation Co-National Champions, 1973-Division II National Champions, 1974-UPI College Division National Champions), played in 13 major college bowl games (8–4–1 overall record), and earned 25 conference titles. Its former players include 50 All-American players including Terry Bradshaw, Fred Dean, Willie Roaf, Matt Stover, Ryan Moats, Josh Scobee, Troy Edwards, Tim Rattay, Luke McCown, Tramon Williams, and Ryan Allen.

The football team competes as a Division I FBS institution in Conference USA. The Bulldogs are coached by head coach Sonny Cumbie and play their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium on the north end of the Tech campus.

Men's basketball

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs men's basketball program started in the 1909–10 season under Head Coach Percy S. Prince. The basketball team has won 25 regular season conference titles and 6 conference tournament championships. In addition, the Dunkin' Dawgs have earned 6 NCAA tournament and 9 NIT appearances. The Bulldog program reached the NCAA or the NIT tournaments nine straight years from 1984 to 1992.

Three Bulldogs have had their numbers retired by Louisiana Tech. These are Lady Techster Head Coach Leon Barmore (#12), Karl Malone (#32), and collegiate All-American player Jackie Moreland (#42). Other notable former Bulldog players include Mike Green, Paul Millsap, Scotty Robertson, P. J. Brown, and Tim Floyd.

The Bulldogs are led by head coach Talvin Hester and play their home games on Karl Malone Court at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Women's basketball

The Lady Techsters women's basketball program was founded in 1974 with Sonja Hogg as its first head coach. The Lady Techsters have won three national championships (1981, 1982, 1988), 20 regular season conference championships, and 16 conference tournament championships. The program has also appeared in eight national championship games, 13 Final Fours, and 27 NCAA women's basketball tournaments including 25 consecutive appearances from 1982 to 2006.

Alumni of the program include WNBA All-Stars Teresa Weatherspoon, Betty Lennox, and Cheryl Ford in addition to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame coaches Leon Barmore, Kurt Budke, Mickie DeMoss, Sonja Hogg, and Kim Mulkey. Three former assistant coaches of the Lady Techsters basketball team have won NCAA National Women's Basketball Championships as head coaches: Leon Barmore (1988 with Louisiana Tech), Kim Mulkey (2005, 2012, and 2019 with Baylor), and Gary Blair (2011 with Texas A&M). Also, former Lady Techsters assistant coach Nell Fortner won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as the head coach for the United States women's national basketball team.

The team played their home games at Memorial Gym on Louisiana Tech's campus from 1974 until 1982 when the Thomas Assembly Center was constructed. The team is coached by Brooke Stoehr.

Traditions

Lady of the Mist

The Lady of the Mist is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Louisiana Tech Main Campus. The granite sculpture sits in the midst of a fountain in the middle of the quadrangle (The Quad), one of the focal points of the university and part of the older section of the Main Campus. The Lady of the Mist symbolizes "Alma Mater" welcoming new students and bidding farewell to Tech graduates. The statue also symbolizes the hope that Louisiana Tech graduates will fulfill their ambitions and highest callings in life.

The statue and fountain was funded in 1938 by the Women's Panhellenic Association of Ruston, the governing body of the university's sorority groups. The Lady of the Mist was the idea of Art & Architecture faculty member Mary Moffett and Art Department Chair Elizabeth Bethea. The Lady of the Mist was created by Duncan Ferguson and Jules Struppeck and specifically located in the middle of the Quad facing north toward the old north entrance columns of the Tech campus. This was done to welcome everyone to the campus as people looked through the north entrance columns to see the statue's open arms waiting to greet them.

The Lady fell into disrepair in the years after its construction. In 1985, the statue was restored through the efforts of the Student Government Association, Panhellenic, Residence Hall Association, and Association of Women Students. Today, the statue remains a focal point for students and alumni who return to the Tech campus. Incoming freshman commemorate their new beginning by tossing a gold medallion into the fountain.

Alumni brick walkway

The alumni walkway was constructed in 1995 as part of the centennial celebration at Louisiana Tech. The brick path stretches from the corner of Adams Boulevard and Dan Reneau Drive through the heart of Centennial Plaza to the footsteps of Tolliver Hall. The alumni brick walkway then follows Wisteria Street north toward Railroad Avenue. The plan is to extend the alumni brick walkway through the University Park student housing apartments that were built near J.C. Love Field. As if March 2022, they have laid down the Bricks of 2020 Alumni.

Notable people

Louisiana Tech has produced prominent business people across several industries. Louisiana Tech alumnus Nick Akins is currently serving as chief executive officer of Fortune 500 company American Electric Power. Alumnus Glen Post is the former CEO of CenturyLink, and alumnus Michael McCallister is the former CEO of Humana. Edward L. Moyers, former president and CEO of several railroads including MidSouth Rail, Illinois Central Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad, is a Louisiana Tech graduate. Billionaire businessmen brothers Charles Wyly and Sam Wyly graduated from Louisiana Tech. Founder of Duck Commander and star of A&E's reality television series Duck Dynasty Phil Robertson earned two degrees from Louisiana Tech. Will Wright, designer of some of the best-selling video games of all-time (SimCity, The Sims, and Spore) and co-founder of game development company Maxis, attended Louisiana Tech.

Alumni of Louisiana Tech have also made their mark in the arts, entertainment, and the humanities. Country music superstars Kix Brooks and Trace Adkins are Louisiana Tech alumni along with two-time Grammy Award nominee Wayne Watson. Eddie Gossling, writer and producer for Comedy Central's Tosh.0, attended Louisiana Tech. Alumna Faith Jenkins, winner of the most scholarship money in Miss America pageant history, was the host of the Judge Faith'' television show, and alumna Sharon Brown is a former Miss USA. Louisiana Tech graduate Marc Swayze is known for creating comic book superheroine Mary Marvel and his work on Captain Marvel.

Louisiana Tech graduates have been influential through public service, higher education, and activism. Former United States Senators James P. Pope and Saxby Chambliss and United States Representatives Newt V. Mills, Joe Waggonner, Jim McCrery, and Rodney Alexander all attended Louisiana Tech. In addition, James P. Pope served as director of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Louisiana Tech alumnus Clint Williamson served as United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. Many notable military leaders are Louisiana Tech alumni including lieutenant general David Wade, lieutenant general John Spencer Hardy, major general Susan Y. Desjardins, and major general Jack Ramsaur II. Alumna Kim Gandy served as president of the National Organization for Women, and alumnus Jerome Ringo served as chairman of the National Wildlife Federation.

Louisiana Tech athletes have starred in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Women's National Basketball Association as well as other professional sports. Three Bulldogs have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame: Four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Terry Bradshaw, four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Fred Dean, and eleven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Willie Roaf. Other notable former Bulldog football players include Leo Sanford, Roger Carr, Pat Tilley, Matt Stover, Troy Edwards, Tim Rattay, Tramon Williams, and Ryan Allen. Legendary Lady Techsters coach Leon Barmore, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, and Wade Trophy winner Teresa Weatherspoon are Louisiana Tech's three inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Other notable former Bulldog basketball players include former NBA head coaches Scotty Robertson and Tim Floyd, ABA All-Star Mike Green, NBA champion P. J. Brown, and four-time NBA All-Star Paul Millsap. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has inducted seven Louisiana Tech alumni including Leon Barmore, Janice Lawrence Braxton, Mickie DeMoss, Sonja Hogg, Pam Kelly, Kim Mulkey, and Teresa Weatherspoon. Other notable former Lady Techsters include Olympic gold medalist Venus Lacy, two-time WNBA All-Star Vickie Johnson, WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Betty Lennox, and WNBA Rookie of the Year Cheryl Ford. Brandon Gibbs, 2-Time All American Women's Track Finalist.

Notes

References

External links

Louisiana Tech Athletics website

Technological universities in the United States
Education in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Ruston, Louisiana
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1894 establishments in Louisiana
Educational institutions established in 1894
Buildings and structures in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Tourist attractions in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Universities and colleges in Ark-La-Tex
Public universities and colleges in Louisiana
Aviation schools in the United States

Louisiana Tech University


"I Like It" is a song recorded by American singer Cardi B, Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny and Colombian singer J Balvin for her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy (2018). It was released on May 25, 2018.

"I Like It" was written by the three performers along with Jordan Thorpe and Klenord Raphael. The song was produced by J. White, Tainy, Craig Kallman and Invincible. The Latin trap song is a trap-salsa beat. It is slightly inspired by Pete Rodriguez's song "I Like It Like That".

The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cardi B's second number one, the most for a female rapper in the chart's history. It also reached the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

References

2018 songs
Latin music
Cardi B songs
Bad Bunny songs

I Like It (Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin song)


The Earth Ritual Preview is a 1984 (see 1984 in music) EP by the English space rock group Hawkwind. It spent two weeks on the UK singles chart peaking at #86. The EP is included on the remastered version of The Chronicle of the Black Sword album.

The EP was a taster for a proposed full blown Earth Ritual album and tour, that would have involved Robert Calvert and Barney Bubbles, as a follow-up to 1972's Space Ritual. However, the project was delayed in favour of The Chronicle of the Black Sword collaboration with Michael Moorcock, then abandoned following Calvert's death in August 1988. The EP is dedicated to Bubbles, who committed suicide just prior to its release.

The group's line-up was in flux at the time, with guitarists Dave Brock and Huw Lloyd-Langton and bassist Harvey Bainbridge being the constant. Saxophonist Nik Turner and keyboardist Dead Fred had joined the group, although neither appeared on any of these recordings, they were part of the touring group. Former bassist Lemmy makes a guest appearance on "Night of the Hawks".

The group had tried a succession of drummers: Andy Anderson had been suitable but left to join The Cure; Lloyd-Langton Group drummer John Clark plays on "Dragons and Fables", but Brock felt he was unsuitable for the group; drum technician Robert Heaton plays on "Green Finned Demon", but he was committed to his own group New Model Army; and the track "Night of the Hawk" uses a drum loop. For the tour, Rick Martinez drummed but he was replaced part way through by Clive Deamer.

The group undertook a 35 date UK tour in February and March 1984 to promote the album, with support from Bronz. Various former members, including Lemmy, Moorcock and Dave Anderson, made guest appearances at various shows. The Ipswich Gaumont show on 9 March was filmed and released as Night of the Hawks.

Track listing

 The 7" single version features a shortened version of "Night of the Hawks" and "Green Finned Demon" as the sole B-side track

Personnel
Dave Brock - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Harvey Bainbridge - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
Huw Lloyd-Langton - guitar, vocals
guests
Lemmy - bass guitar on "Night of the Hawks"
Rob Heaton - drums on "Green Finned Demon"
John Clark - drums on "Dragons & Fables"

References

Hawkwind albums
1984 EPs
Space rock EPs

The Earth Ritual Preview


Jonathan Epstein is an economist who worked on the implementation and establishment of Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund as a senior analyst and adviser to the chairman.

He helped with the creation and establishment of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF), worked for Australia's longest serving Federal Treasurer. He now works for ECG Advisory Solutions a specialist financial advisory consultancy which specialises in the intersection of business, government and the financial markets. He is a board member of the non-profit body dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn and Colitis disease.

References

Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Australian economists

Jonathan Epstein


Corky Hale (born July 3, 1936) is an American jazz harpist, pianist, flutist, and vocalist. She has been a theater producer, political activist, restaurateur, and the owner of the Corky Hale women's clothing store in Los Angeles, California.

Early life and education
On July 3, 1936, Hale was born Merrilyn Hecht in Freeport, Illinois. She had learned piano, harp, flute, and cello by the time she was in her teens. She studied at the Chicago Music Conservatory and at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

At age 16, she enrolled in Stephens College, a school for young ladies, for her last year of high school. After graduation, she announced to her parents that she was moving to Hollywood to be a musician; her father sent her to nearby University of Wisconsin–Madison. After a year of college, she dropped out, again intending to move to Hollywood. A compromise with her parents led to becoming at student at UCLA.

Career
During the 1950s, she was a studio musician in Hollywood, playing harp on albums by Chet Baker, June Christy, Ella Fitzgerald Anita O'Day, and Frank Sinatra. She worked as a vocalist with Freddy Martin at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles.  Jerry Gray invited her to perform with his band at Las Vegas, where she played piano for Billie Holiday and accompanied her on tour. As a solo act, she recorded the album Corky Hale Plays George Gershwin and Vernon Duke with Buddy Collette, Howard Roberts, and Chico Hamilton. On October 12, 1968, she accompanied Tony Bennett on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and sang a song by herself.  In 1970, Hale married Mike Stoller of the Leiber-Stoller songwriting team.

She has worked with Liberace, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elkie Brooks, Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Harry James, Peggy Lee, James Brown, Spike Jones, George Michael and Björk. Hale has also produced plays, including Give 'Em Hell, Harry, starring Jason Alexander and Lullaby of Broadway, a profile of the lyricist Al Dubin. She has appeared  at Vibrato, Catalina Bar & Grill, The White House, and the Kennedy Center.

At the University of Wisconsin, Hale was one of the few white students to join the NAACP. She was a birth control teacher at Planned Parenthood in New York and is on the National Advisory Board of NARAL and on the board of WRRAP. She is an American Film Institute associate and is the founder of Angel Harvest, an organization which redistributes unused food from restaurants, hotels, and events to hungry and needy people in Los Angeles.

Discography

As leader
 Modern Harp Vol. 17 (GNP, 1956)
 Harp Beat (Stash, 1985)
 Harp! the Herald Angels Sing (LaserLight, 1995)
 Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas (LML Music, 1999)

As guest
 Chet Baker, Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
 Tony Bennett, Tony Makes It Happen! (Columbia, 1967)
 Bjork, Debut (One Little Indian, 1993)
 Bjork, Surrounded (One Little Indian, 2006)
 Elkie Brooks, Live and Learn (A&M, 1979)
 Elkie Brooks, Two Days Away (A&M, 1977)
 Artie Butler, Have You Met Miss Jones? (A&M/CTI, 1968)
 Judy Collins, Judith (Elektra, 1975)
 Dino & Sembello, Dino & Sembello (A&M, 1974)
 Ella Fitzgerald, Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (Verve, 1956)
 Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book (Verve, 1956)
 Roberta Flack, Chapter Two (Atlantic, 1970)
 Roberta Flack, Quiet Fire (Atlantic, 1971)
 Dean Friedman, Dean Friedman (Lifesong, 1977)
 Herbie Harper, Herbie Harper (Bethlehem, 1955)
 Harry James, The Bands of Renown (Renown, 1993)
 Steve Kuhn, Gary McFarland, The October Suite (Impulse!, 1967)
 Ronny Lang/Ray Sims/Dave Pell/Don Fagerquist, The Les Brown All Stars (Capitol, 1955)
 Peggy Lee, Mirrors (A&M, 1975)
 Jon Lucien, Rashida (RCA, 1995)
 Melissa Manchester, Home to Myself (Bell, 1973)
 Herbie Mann, Turtle Bay (Atlantic, 1973)
 Wade Marcus, A New Era (Cotillion, 1971)
 Les McCann, Invitation to Openness (Atlantic, 1972)
 Murray McEachern, Music for Sleepwalkers Only (Key, 1956)
 Anita O'Day, Anita (Verve, 1956)
 Anita O'Day, In a Mellow Tone (DRG, 1989)
 Nina Simone, Here Comes the Sun (RCA Victor, 1971)
 Lyn Stanley, The Moonlight Sessions (A.T. Music, 2017)
 Stealers Wheel, Ferguslie Park (A&M, 1973)
 Kitty White, A Moment of Love (Pacific Jazz, 1956)

References

External links
 Official site
 Musician's website, City Cabaret
 Looking Back: Brother/sister are credit to native city

1936 births
Living people
People from Freeport, Illinois
Jazz musicians from Illinois
American cabaret performers
American women jazz musicians
American harpists
American jazz harpists
21st-century American women
Jazz harpists

Corky Hale


The Black Panther was the official newspaper of the Black Panther Party. It began as a four-page newsletter in Oakland, California, in 1967, and was founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.  It was the main publication of the party and was soon sold in several large cities across the United States, as well as having an international readership. The newspaper distributed information about the party's activities, and expressed through articles the ideology of the Black Panther Party, focusing on both international revolutions as inspiration and contemporary racial struggles of African Americans across the United States.

Foundation
The Black Panther Party maintained a commitment to community service, including various "survival programs" developed by individual chapters that, by 1969, became part of the national party's "serve the people program" to connect their commitments to basic social services with community organizing and consciousness raising.  The Black Panther Party's Intercommunal News Service published The Black Panther Party Newspaper as a critical part of its consciousness raising program.

The Black Panther Party Newspaper, also known as The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service, Black Panther Black Community News Service, and Black Community News Service, was published by the Black Panther Party from April 25, 1967, to September 16, 1980. The newspaper was most popular from 1968 to 1972, and during this time, sold a hundred thousand copies a week.

An undergraduate student at San Francisco State, Judy Juanita, served as editor of The Black Panther Party Newspaper during the later 1960s.  In 1969, two-thirds of Black Panther Party members were women.

Emory Douglas, who studied at the City College of San Francisco, acted as the newspaper's graphic arts designer. Working alongside Douglas were Gayle Asali Dickson and Joan Tarika Lewis, who was the first woman to join the Black Panther Party.

In its later years, the newspaper was used to rally support for members of the party who became political prisoners.

Format
"The BPP newspaper grew from a four-page newsletter to a full newspaper in about a year and [537] issues were printed".

Circulation
Circulation was national and international.  From 1968 to 1971, The Black Panther Party Newspaper was the most widely read Black newspaper in the United States, with a weekly circulation of more than 300,000.  It sold for 25 cents.  Every Panther was required to read and study the newspaper before they could sell it.  As it became nationally circulated, The Black Panther Party Newspaper national distribution center was located in San Francisco, with a distribution team led by Andrew Austin, Sam Napier, and Ellis White.  Other distribution centers were in Chicago, Kansas, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.

See also
 List of underground newspapers of the 1960s counterculture

References

Further reading

 Charles Evens Inniss Memorial Library Archives. The Black Panther Newspapers and Posters – Collection History and Scope. Medgar Evers College, CUNY, November 2013. Web. February 25, 2017. This online exhibit displays digitized issues of the newspaper The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service from 1969 to 1973 and the party's propaganda posters.
 African-American Involvement in the Vietnam War, Document collection: Congress. Staff Study by the Committee on Internal Security – House of Representatives. The Black Panther Party Its Origin and Development as Reflected In Its Official Weekly Newspaper The Black Panther Black Community News Service. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1970.

External links

1967 establishments in California
1980 disestablishments in California
Black Panther Party
Defunct African-American newspapers
Defunct newspapers published in California
Newspapers published in the San Francisco Bay Area
Newspapers established in 1967
Publications disestablished in 1980
Socialist newspapers published in the United States

The Black Panther (newspaper)


Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and minister. Born into slavery, in Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, he escaped to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1830, and founded a settlement and laborer's school for other fugitive slaves at Dawn, near Dresden, in Kent County, Upper Canada, of Ontario. Henson's autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849), is believed to have inspired the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). Following the success of Stowe's novel, Henson issued an expanded version of his memoir in 1858, Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest in his life continued, and nearly two decades later, his life story was updated and published as Uncle Tom's Story of His Life: An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Early life

Josiah Henson was born on a farm near Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, on a plantation owned by Francis Newman, where Henson experienced slave atrocities. Henson's father was enslaved by Francis Newman whereas Josiah Henson, his mother, and his siblings were enslaved by Dr. Josiah McPherson. When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up to a slave overseer, for which he received one hundred lashes.  In addition, his right ear was nailed to the whipping post and then cut off.  His father was sold away to Alabama. Josiah Henson experienced hardships and sufferings at the hands of his masters as well, including having his arms broken and an injury to his back. Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers, and sisters. At the slave auction, Henson's siblings were sold first. His mother was bought by Issac Riley of Montgomery County and when she pleaded to her new owner to purchase Josiah Henson, Riley responded by hitting and kicking her. Josiah Henson was sold to Adam Robb of Rockville, Montgomery County. Adam Robb encountered Issac Riley and struck a deal which resulted in Henson being sold to Riley and reunited with his mother. Josiah Henson became very ill. His mother pleaded with her owner, Isaac Riley, and Riley agreed to buy back Henson so she could at least have her youngest child with her, on the condition that he would work in the fields.

Riley would not regret his decision, for Henson rose in his owners' esteem, and was eventually entrusted as the supervisor of his master's farm, located in Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). In 1825, Mr. Riley fell onto economic hardship and was sued by a brother-in-law. Desperate, he begged Henson, with tears in his eyes, to promise to help him. Duty bound, Henson agreed. Mr. Riley then told him that he needed to take his eighteen slaves to his brother in Kentucky by foot. They arrived in Daviess County, Kentucky, in the middle of April 1825 at the plantation of Mr. Amos Riley. In September 1828, Henson returned to Maryland in an attempt to buy his freedom from Issac Riley. He tried to buy his freedom by giving his master $350, which he had saved up, and a note promising a further $100. Originally, Henson only needed to pay the extra $100 by note. Mr. Riley, however, added an extra zero to the paper and changed the fee to $1000. Cheated of his money, Henson returned to Kentucky and then escaped to Kent County, Upper Canada, in 1830, after learning that he might be sold again. In the last of these attempts to attain freedom, Amos Riley agreed to give Josiah his freedom in exchange for $300. Josiah raised the money only to find that his master had raised the fee. Soon after, Henson learned that Riley planned to sell him in New Orleans, Louisiana, separating him from his wife and four children. When he found this out, Henson became determined to escape to Canada and freedom. He took his family with him, including his wife and their children to start the new life northward.

Escape from slavery
After convincing his wife to escape with him, Henson's wife created a knapsack large enough to carry both of their smallest children; the eldest two would accompany his wife. The Henson family left Kentucky, traveling through the night, and sleeping in the woods throughout the day. They crossed into Indiana, then into Cincinnati,  where they were safely welcomed in a home for a few days. As the Henson family was crossing Hull's Road in Ohio, Josiah's wife fainted from exhaustion. As they continued on, they encountered Indians, and were reinvigorated with food and rest. After crossing a lake in Ohio, Josiah encountered Captain Burnham, a ship captain, who agreed to transport the Henson family to Buffalo, New York; from there they would cross the river into Canada. Upon setting foot into Canada, Josiah Henson described the ecstatic feelings of liberation by throwing himself onto the ground and rejoicing with his family. On October 28, 1830, Josiah Henson became a liberated man.

Slavery policy in Canada
Upper Canada had become a refuge for slaves who had escaped from the United States after 1793, when Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent the further introduction of Slaves, and limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude within this Province". The legislation did not immediately end slavery in the colony, but it did prevent the importation of slaves. As a result, any U.S. slave who set foot in what would eventually become Ontario, was free.

Later life
Josiah Henson first worked on farms near Fort Erie, then Waterloo Ontario, moving with friends to Colchester in 1834 to set up a Black settlement on rented land.  After earning enough, Henson was able to send his eldest son Tom to school, who in turn taught Josiah how to read. Henson became literate and was able to lead the growing community of fugitive slaves in Canada. Through contacts and financial assistance there, he was able to purchase  in Dawn Township, in neighbouring Kent County, to realize his vision of a self-sufficient community. The Dawn Settlement eventually reached a population of 500 at its height, exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased an additional  next to the Settlement, where his family lived. Henson also became an active Methodist preacher and spoke as an abolitionist on routes between Tennessee and Ontario. He also served in the Canadian Militia as a military officer, having led a Black militia unit in the Canadian Rebellion of 1837. In 1838, Henson and the militia successfully captured the rebel ship Anne, cutting off their supply lines to southwestern Upper Canada. Though many residents of the Dawn Settlement returned to the United States after slavery was abolished there, Henson and his wife continued to live in Dawn for the rest of their lives. Henson became the spiritual leader within the community and embarked on several trips to the United States and Great Britain where he met with Queen Victoria. While in Britain, Josiah publicly spoke to audiences and raised funds for the community back in Canada. Henson conducted several trips back to Kentucky to guide other slaves to freedom.

In 1878, Rev. Henson was described as "a jovial old man", who "considering his age is pretty active".

Henson was a Freemason.

Works
 The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself. 1849
 Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life. 1858
 Uncle Tom's Story of His Life: An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson. 1876

Miscellaneous
Josiah Henson is the first black man to be featured on a Canadian stamp. He was also recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1999 as a National Historic Person. A federal plaque to him is located in the Henson family cemetery, next to Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site.

A 2018 documentary titled Redeeming Uncle Tom: The Josiah Henson Story  covers his life.

Historic sites

Josiah Henson Museum & Park—North Bethesda, Maryland

The actual cabin in which Henson and other slaves were housed no longer exists; it was demolished along with other outbuildings in the 1950s when much of the former Riley plantation was developed into suburban tract housing.  The Riley family house, however, remains and is currently in a residential development in Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland. After remaining in the hands of private owners for nearly two centuries, on January 6, 2006, the Montgomery Planning Board agreed to purchase the property and the acre of land on which it stands for $1,000,000 (~$ in ). The house was opened to the public for one weekend in 2006. In March 2009, the site received an additional $50,000 from the Maryland state Board of Public Works for the planning and design phase of a multiyear restoration project. An additional $100,000 may come from the Federal government that would go towards restoration and planning. The site was planned to be opened permanently to the public in 2012, until then offering guided tours four times a year.

As of 2018, the Josiah Henson Museum & Park, in North Bethesda, Maryland, contains the Riley/Bolton house, where Henson's owner lived. The Montgomery County park site (construction/restoration) reopened to the public on April 23, 2021, after the completion of the renovations and installation of new exhibits and building of the visitor center. "Ongoing archaeological excavations seek to find where Josiah Henson may have lived on the site."

The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History
Located near Dresden, Ontario, in Canada, the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History formally called Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site includes the cabin that was home to Josiah Henson during much of his time in the area, from 1841 until his death in 1883. The  includes Henson's cabin, an interpretive centre about Henson and the Dawn settlement, an exhibit gallery about the Underground Railroad, outbuildings, a 19th-century historic house, a cemetery and a gift shop.

See also
List of enslaved people

References

External links

Uncle Tom's Story of His Life. An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson (Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom"). From 1789 to 1876. With a Preface by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, and an Introductory Note by George Sturge London: Christian Age Office, 1876.
The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself. Boston: A. D. Phelps, 1849.
Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life. Boston: John P. Jewett, 1858.
Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
Josiah Henson commemorative stamp
Digital History: Josiah Henson
Josiah Henson

National Historic Person plaque, and cemetery photo near Dresden, Ontario
 Henson, Josiah (1789-1883).The life of Josiah Henson, formerly a slave. London: Charles Gilpin; Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black; Dublin: James Bernard Gilpin, 1852. This freely downloadable PDF was accessed February 15, 2014.
The Life of Josiah Henson From the Collections at the Library of Congress

1789 births
1883 deaths
People from Port Tobacco Village, Maryland
American Freemasons
African-American abolitionists
Canadian Freemasons
19th-century American slaves
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Slave cabins and quarters in the United States
Black Canadian writers
Canadian autobiographers
Canadian Militia officers
Methodist ministers
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
People from Chatham-Kent
Pre-Confederation Ontario people
American emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
Canadian people of African-American descent
Upper Canada Rebellion people
Writers from Maryland
Writers from Ontario
Methodist abolitionists
18th-century American slaves
People who wrote slave narratives
Fugitive American slaves that reached Canada
Abolitionists from Maryland

Josiah Henson


The Keane Wonder Mine and mill is an abandoned mining facility located within Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California. It is located in the Funeral Mountains east of Death Valley and Furnace Creek, California

History

The mine was dug during the early 1900s Death valley mining boom. Neighboring mines with names like Skidoo, California and Rhyolite, Nevada competed to pull as much gold out of the ground as possible. This boom slowed as a result of the Panic of 1907 and paused when the area was designated a National Monument by President Herbert Hoover.  Mining in the valley did not stop completely until an increasing series of government interventions eventually resulted in Death Valley's 1994 designation as a National Park. The last active mine in Death Valley closed in 2005.

The location was discovered by a miner named Jack Keane. Keane and a partner named Domingo Etcharren had scouted the area, called Chloride Cliffs, and had located a potential silver mine. Etcharren eventually left while Keane stayed behind to scout the area more thoroughly. As Etcharren was leaving he noticed an outcropping of quartz, which can often be found near gold deposits. When Keane investigated further, he discovered gold. Keane named the find "Keane's Wonder" and the two miners quickly sold an option on the claim to a New Yorker named Joseph DeLamar.

The discovery caused a brief gold rush, which was soon eclipsed by a larger find further north. DeLamar was disappointed with the gold his employees found and forfeited the option. This happened with a second investor as well. It was not until 1906 when investors John Campbell and then Homer Wilson turned the find into a major mine. The mine turned out to be a profitable operation. Etcharren used his share to purchase a store, while Keane was later involved in two shootings and was imprisoned in Ireland for murder.

Homer Wilson moved to the mine site with his family, and created two towns in the area called Keane Springs and Chloride City, California. Both towns failed within months of their founding in April, 1906. Despite the failure of the towns, the mine continued to be profitable throughout the Panic of 1907 and the subsequent depression. It was limited only by a lack of water and the extremely high heat in the valley, which forced Wilson to have the miners work at night. The mine's aerial tramway became an attraction, and a railroad was briefly built in the area to connect with the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. However, the mine was embroiled in a long legal controversy after a financial maneuver involving the failed State Bank and Trust Company of Nevada. The mine had largely been tapped out by 1912, and it was closed that year after being sold.

Visiting
The Keane Wonder Mine was among the most successful gold mines in the valley and followed the course of a rich vein of ore. The miners attempted to remove as much of the ore as possible, and as a result dug out large areas, with only a few pillars to keep the mine from collapsing. This has led to the instability of both the mine and the land above it, and has led the National Park Service to close the area to visitors.

The presence of toxic chemicals, such as lead and mercury, which are by-products of processing, and the detection of cyanide, which was used to process gold ore, added to the park closing the mine area.

In addition to the mine, a gravity-powered aerial tramway and a stamp mill were built on the site. Both of these structures were popular with tourists, but have suffered from neglect, but the National Park Service reopened the mill and mine site to visitors in November of 2017.

See also
Category: Death Valley

References

External links

Death Valley
Buildings and structures in Death Valley National Park
Mojave Desert
Gold mines in California
Buildings and structures in Inyo County, California
Geography of Inyo County, California
Historic American Engineering Record in California

Keane Wonder Mine


The 1959 U.S. Open was the 59th U.S. Open, held June 11–14 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. Billy Casper won the first of his two U.S. Open titles, a stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Rosburg on the West Course. It was the first of Casper's three major titles, which included the 1966 U.S. Open and the Masters in 1970.

This was the second of six U.S. Opens at Winged Foot's West Course; it previously hosted in 1929, then returned in 1974, 1984, 2006, and 2020. It also hosted the PGA Championship in 1997.

Course layout

Final round
Casper began the final round with a three-stroke lead over Ben Hogan, age 46, who struggled to a 76 and fell to 8th place. Rosburg made a run at Casper's lead when he holed out a bunker shot for birdie at 11 and made a  putt for another birdie at 12 to draw even with Casper. A three-putt at the 13th meant Rosburg had to birdie the last to force a Monday playoff. His approach shot fell on the front of the green,  short, and he two-putted to finish a stroke back. Casper's final round 74 was enough. The difference for Casper proved to be his putting; he needed only 114 putts over 72 holes with 31 one-putts and just  one three-putt.

This U.S. Open was the first to be played over four days; thunderstorms and heavy rain delayed third round play on Saturday morning and the final round was postponed to Sunday.
The final round at the U.S. Open was first scheduled for Sunday in 1965.

Charlie Sifford, the pioneering African-American golfer, played in his first major championship, two years before the PGA of America allowed African-Americans to play on the PGA Tour; he finished in 32nd place.

Amateur Jack Nicklaus, 19, played in his third straight U.S. Open but missed the cut for the second time with two rounds of 77. He would place second the following year in 1960 to Arnold Palmer and win the first of his four titles in 1962 in a playoff over Palmer. After 1959, Nicklaus made 25 consecutive cuts at the U.S. Open, through 1984, also at Winged Foot.

Round summaries

First round
Thursday, June 11, 1959

Second round
Friday, June 12, 1959

Third round
Saturday, June 13, 1959

Final round
Sunday, June 14, 1959

Source:

References

External links
1959 U.S. Open
USGA Championship Database

U.S. Open (golf)
Golf in New York (state)
Mamaroneck, New York
U.S. Open
U.S. Open
U.S. Open

1959 U.S. Open (golf)


"The Proper Study" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov.  Inspired by a painting of a head surrounded by random psychedelic designs, it was commissioned by Boys' Life, and published in the September 1968 issue. (The other story commissioned for the picture was The Faun. by Poul Anderson.) The Proper Study was reprinted in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories.

The title is taken from a quote by Alexander Pope ("The proper study of mankind is man.").

Plot summary

In a future world where the United States is ruled by a military dictatorship, Professor Oscar Harding is experimenting with a technique he terms neurophotoscopy, by means of which brain wave patterns can be observed as colored effects that appear in the air around the subject and can be examined and analyzed.

In his efforts to have the project declassified and removed from military control, Harding invites the ruling general to visit and observe the experiments. As he plans, the general is mentally affected by the effects he observes, and in a moment of mental weakness agrees to declassify the project.

Before the effect wears off, as it must, Harding arranges for project details to be sent out to news media worldwide, thereby allowing other researchers to begin the proper study of mankind.

References

External links

Short stories by Isaac Asimov
1968 short stories
Science fiction short stories
Works originally published in Boys' Life

The Proper Study


A tinnitus masker is an electronic device that makes quiet sound. It is used by people with tinnitus to cover up ringing or other sounds they hear. Many people who have tinnitus also have hearing loss. This means they cannot use a hearing aid that also acts as a tinnitus masker. Many times, tinnitus maskers need to be customised by an audiologist. This is to make sure the sound it makes can stop the person from hearing their tinnitus.

Functionality
Sounds from tinnitus are heard differently by everyone. It can be occasional or constant. It can also come as different sounds, and be loud or quiet. How loud it is (the sensation level) compared to other noise in the environment is an important factor when setting the sound generator. The level of noise produced by a sound generator depends on the sensation level of tinnitus experienced and can be close to this level of this noise or even louder. The purpose of this is to cover up the tinnitus sounds by having a constant noise playing in the background. Noise produced by a tinnitus masker, which is called white noise, is designed to be calming and less irritating than tinnitus sounds. Tinnitus maskers are not actually eliminating tinnitus or reducing it but provide a distraction to cover it up for those experiencing it.

The idea behind tinnitus maskers can be explained by a light analogy. While turning on a lamp in a dark room will be very noticeable and the change in lighting will be very obvious, the change from turning a lamp on in a room that is already lit will not be very obvious. The change would have been masked by the other light that was already present in the room.

Medical equipment
Audio technology
Hearing

Tinnitus masker


Tim Weed (born April 11, 1959) is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter known for virtuosity on the banjo. Raised a Southern California surfer, Weed learned the banjo at age 17 and played professionally at 18. He was in various bands and he worked as a studio musician singing and playing electric guitar in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He lived in Japan for a time producing records for Sony-Epic, and he lived on the island of Maui where he rediscovered the banjo. Weed settled in Tucson, Arizona, for eight years, playing in local bands. Working with luthier Dennis Coon he designed and built a seven-string hybrid of banjo and guitar called the "Sevan". He released a solo banjo album: Milagros; in mid-2005 the music was featured on NPR. In 2008 Weed moved to Northern California where he released an album of Americana, world music and bluegrass songs: Soul House. In 2020 he released a classical album, Light and Dark, with the Prague Metropolitan Orchestra. Weed plays concerts and festivals, and he teaches banjo privately.

Early life
Timothy James Wiedenkeller was born in Orange, California, on April 11, 1959. His father Ted Wiedenkeller served as a United States Marine Corps fighter pilot also flying twin-engine bombers in the Pacific with VMB-433 during World War II. His mother was a homemaker and teacher. Weed was the fourth of five children born to the family and grew up in Laguna Beach

In school, Weed learned to sing in choir at age six and he learned to play the trumpet at age eight. His immediate family was somewhat musical but his grandfather, Peter Otto Wiedenkeller, was a professional musician who sometimes played flute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Peter was born in Vienna in 1894 then immigrated to New York City at the age of four. He was a flautist and piccolo player who served in the United States Army during World War I, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1919, and continued to serve as an Army and Marine Corps bandleader. Peter studied under Frank Damrosch at the Institute of Musical Art (later known as the Juilliard School). Weed's grandmother was also a professional musician: she taught music and sang with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Weed enjoyed surfing in his teens at Laguna Beach, but he also took notice of banjo parts in popular rock music, for instance the handful of Eagles songs featuring Bernie Leadon on banjo, and the few Poco tunes featuring Rusty Young on banjo. He also enjoyed the song "Dueling Banjos" which was a hit for Eric Weissberg in 1973. Weed acquired recordings of Jerry Garcia playing banjo in the all-star bluegrass group Old & In the Way. Weed was given a $60 banjo on his 17th birthday and he began learning it intensively on his own, initially by using a tape recorder to play back his favorite banjo recordings at half speed. His friend Jeff Harvey practiced with him; Harvey would later focus on mandolin. The two blond-haired surfers took part in jam sessions with local musicians; Weed's first and only banjo lesson came at a jam session in Huntington Beach where luthier Greg Rich taught him to play Larry McNeely's banjo transcription of Benny Goodman's "Slipped Disc" in just half an hour. Rich said that Weed "not only learned how to play it note for note but nailed the speed, timing and technique almost as well as Larry himself."

Bluegrass banjo
Harvey and Weed joined with veteran singer/songwriter/guitarist Ken Orrick to form a band called Last Chance. They played the Golden West Bluegrass Festival in 1977 and began touring the Western United States. In 1978, Stuart Duncan joined the band on fiddle. Regular appearances included performances at Knott's Berry Farm. They were tapped by Cliffie Stone to play his "Hometown Jamboree" at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Various other musicians came through the band including Alison Brown on dobro. During this period, Weed was invited to play a variety of vintage banjos, guitars and mandolins from the collections of R. C. "Randy" Snoddy and Mac Yasuda. From this experience he developed a preference for banjos with more sustain for better melodic expression. When Last Chance disbanded, Weed and Harvey backed children's entertainers Janet & Judy Robinson.

Session player and composer
Weed switched to electric guitar in the 1980s and worked as a session musician and high tenor harmony singer for various bands. He backed Greg Leisz, Rosie Flores and Al Perkins, among others. Expanding his musical scope with rock, jazz and fusion, Weed played with Michael Tavera and other Los Angeles-area musicians. In 1983 Weed recorded for the first time one of his original compositions, a large format recording with orchestral backing; all recorded by Allen Sides at Ocean Way Recording. The demo did not bring a recording contract but it helped Weed get further bookings as a studio musician, vocalist, and also as a songwriter and music composer. In 1985 Weed joined with Tavera in a band called Max—they tried to get a record contract but the grueling process proved ultimately unsuccessful.

Burned out on the L.A. music scene, Weed moved to Japan in 1987 to continue his work in music. There, he produced albums for Epic/Sony Records. He toured Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. This experience brought him into contact with world music. He moved back to Southern California and focused on composing music for television and films, especially documentaries. He started a family with his partner, celebrating a son in 1990. Weed moved to the island of Maui in Hawaii in 1993 and co-wrote music for the dance performance work Garden of Be in 1994. He composed orchestral cues for documentary films. The Maui Symphony Orchestra hired him to play banjo in a concert, so he picked up the banjo after 15 years away from the instrument. Weed began to write original banjo music in the classical style, starting with a 25-minute-long concerto. He composed purely by playing the banjo to evoke a feeling, rather than by thinking about technical aspects of music composition, so much so that when he turned to staff paper to score the concerto, he realized he had not even considered what key it was in.

At the end of 1995 Weed moved his family to Southern California where he formed the band Banjambo to explore jazz and eclectic music. This band included drummer Steve DiStanislao, fiddler Craig Eastman, and saxophonist Paul Carman who had toured with Frank Zappa. Weed also played reggae with bassist Ronnie "Stepper" McQueen of Steel Pulse. In 1995 a daughter was born to the family.

Tucson and Milagros
Weed moved his family to Tucson in 1999. He played bluegrass music in a Tucson-based band named Frog Mountain, with fiddler Chris Brashear and flatpicking guitar champion Peter McLaughlin. Weed's original score was featured on the 2004 animated program Davey and Goliath's Snowboard Adventure, a Christmas special. Weed began to write original songs with more of an emotional, personal nature. He performed with McLaughlin as well as with Tucson-based musicians such as fiddler Jesse Stockman, bassist/violinist Rob Paulus, Paulus's wife vocalist Randi Dorman, vocalist Debbie Daly, kalimba player Mark Holdaway, percussionists Todd Hammes and Jeff Friedl, and didgeridoo player Allan Shockley. He backed singer-songwriter Nancy McCallion in 2004 in her first solo album after being in the Mollys folk group. He also recorded and played with Stefan George and Lisa Otey.

Weed's banjo style was not traditional; he did not use the banjo's high, short fifth string as a drone. Instead, he used it chromatically to extend the instrument's range to higher notes. Weed decided to augment the guitar with this same ability, so in 2004 he designed an acoustic/electric/MIDI guitar/banjo solid-body instrument by adding a short seventh-string. This prototype instrument soon broke in an accident, so Weed teamed with luthier Dennis Coon to redesign it as a hollow-bodied acoustic instrument, creating a hybrid they called the "Sevan".

At the end of 2004, Weed produced his first solo album, Milagros (Spanish for "Miracles"). The CD was a collection of original banjo compositions in the style of classical music, except for one of the tracks, "Haiku", which featured the Sevan instead of the banjo. Another track called "Lama" was written in the classical Indian raga style. The first tune on the CD—"Morro Glenn"—was featured in July 2005 on NPR's All Songs Considered, a national radio show by Bob Boilen. On his label Acoustic Oasis, mandolinist and record producer David Grisman released the album as an independently produced offering. Grisman said of Weed that he "can play everything from hardcore bluegrass to Bach. His original banjo music is grounded in many traditions, including Indian classical". In 2005, Weed played for the Dalai Lama in Tucson; he premiered his song "Love and Peace and Happiness" which would end up on his next album. Playing the banjo, Weed recorded with the Dave Matthews Band on the score of the documentary film Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk which was released in early 2008.

Northern California and Soul House
While living in Tucson, Weed's relationship with the mother of his children came to an end. Weed met vocalist and yoga instructor Debbie Daly in 2003 and partnered with her. In 2008 Weed and Daly moved from Tucson to Point Reyes Station in rural West Marin County, north of San Francisco near the Pacific Ocean. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Weed became known in the music community as a banjo virtuoso; a "musician's musician". The Point Reyes Light wrote that he "quickly carved a niche as one of the area's best-loved performers, often playing at benefits and community events." He was a featured performer at the first California Banjo Gathering in Sacramento in September 2008, at which Pete Seeger joined by teleconference and expressed appreciation for Weed's original bluegrass song "Long Tom". Weed returned to Tucson in October to headline at the Arizona Folklore Preserve. In a series which included Charlie Tagawa, Weed performed solo banjo at the Summer Jazz Banjo Festival in June 2009, held at Saint Mary's College of California. Weed joined with other musicians to play "Soldier's Joy" at the memorial service for billionaire banjo player Warren Hellman in December 2012. He has played with Grisman, Peter Rowan and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.

In May 2013, Weed was featured on the cover of the Banjo Newsletter, the most prominent magazine for banjo players. In the magazine he was interviewed by Mike Kropp of the bluegrass band Northern Lights. Kropp said after hearing the album Milagros that Weed was "the world's greatest player I'd never heard of."

In October 2013, Weed released his second album: Soul House. The title was inspired by a comment from Welsh ecologist Ianto Evans, known for advocating natural cob houses, who said the house in the Western world is too often a storage place for things, when it should be a vessel to nurture the human spirit. The Soul House album consisted of Weed's original vocal songs and one traditional African song. Weed had been working on the project since 2007. The album evolved for years; it was recorded in eight studios using nine audio engineers. Weed's son Tucker and his daughter Anza are among the 24 musicians appearing on the album. In support of the CD release, Weed played a series of concerts including an appearance at Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland following shows in Point Reyes, Santa Cruz and San Rafael. The nine-piece group appearing in Point Reyes included bassist Sascha Jacobsen of Trio Garufa, mandolinist Dana Rath of the Modern Mandolin Quartet, cellist Myra Joy of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, veteran bluegrass fiddler Blaine Sprouse, multi-instrumentalist and research scientist Mark Robertson-Tessi, percussionists Tobias Roberson and Steve Brock, and Debbie Daly on vocals and guitar. While practicing, Weed and Jacobsen discovered that their grandfather and great-grandfather had played together in New York: Juilliard violinist Sascha Jacobsen had been a colleague and close friend of flautist Peter Wiedenkeller. At the end of October, Weed was featured on the cover of the Marin Independent Journal, the article describing the CD and his career.

Light and Dark
Weed performed at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa in 2016, and was approached by listeners who were in the New York Philharmonic. They convinced Weed to compose an orchestral piece with banjo as featured soloist, and Weed ended up collaborating with arranger Stephen Cohn on a new symphonic work, "Colloquium: Dark & Light". During this time, Weed was also working with his nonprofit group Sound Orchard dedicated to building community through music, and he teamed with his violinist colleague Sascha Jacobsen to orchestrate Weed's earlier suite "Morro Glenn" for orchestra.

In 2019, Weed and his partner Elizabeth "Liebe" Patterson traveled to the Czech Republic to record "Colloquium: Dark & Light" and "Morro Glenn" with the Prague Metropolitan Orchestra at SONO Records. Patterson served as musical director during the recording and mixing. Weed announced in August 2020 that he would release his third album, containing two concertos for banjo and orchestra, Light and Dark, the following month.

References

External links
Tim Weed website
Tim Weed, banjo instructor
Tim Wiedenkeller on Myspace, with the Dave Matthews Band
Tim Wiedenkeller: "The New Old Pueblo" Tucson (2006) video, on NME.com
"Morro Glenn" by Tim Weed – original music on banjo & mandolin video, on NME.com
Tim Weed Band plays "Long Tom", on Youtube.com
Tim Weed demonstrates the EMG ACB banjo pickup, on Youtube.com
Tim Weed MiniDocumentary Video, Online Video Guide

1959 births
20th-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American banjoists
American male singer-songwriters
American music educators
American people of Austrian descent
American tenors
Living people
Musicians from Tucson, Arizona
Musicians from Orange County, California
Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area
People from Point Reyes, California
People from Orange, California
Singer-songwriters from California
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
People from Laguna Beach, California
Guitarists from Arizona
Guitarists from California
American male guitarists
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
Singer-songwriters from Arizona

Tim Weed