Early years right|thumb|Hale Hall, once a men's dormitory, is now the home of the Louisiana Tech School of Architecture & Office of Admissions. 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.
Early years right|thumb|Hale Hall once a men's dormitory is now the home of the Louisiana Tech School of Architecture & Office of Admissions 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