The Administration Building was renamed George T. Walker Hall in a special ceremony Friday after ULM’s longest serving president.
Walker served as president from 1958 to 1976. He oversaw many structural changes to the campus during his tenure, including construction of the Administration Building in 1970. Walker passed away in June 2011.
The ceremony took place on the grassy area facing the building’s University Ave. entrance. Those present included Walker’s widow and his two children, ULM alumni, friends and some of Walker’s former colleagues.
Anne Lockhart, ULM’s director of development, opened the ceremony and introduced several speakers who commented on Walker’s influence on the university.
Monroe’s mayor, James Mayo, and West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris both spoke about their experiences as students at ULM during Walker’s term. Norris, who went on to become a professor at ULM, described Walker as an approachable, yet very dignified man.
“He had so much concern for this campus and its students,” Norris stated.
Statements also came from Dan Dupree and Charles McDonald, who were staff members under Walker’s leadership. Both commented on the phenomenal growth in the number of students from 1960 to 1968 and on the legacy Walker instilled in the lives of the students he touched.
Dwight D. Vines, who succeeded Walker as ULM’s President upon his retirement in 1976, spoke of the appropriateness of giving Walker’s name to the building where his office resided.
ULM’s current president, Nick Bruno, remarked on the occasions that he met Dr. Walker and on his continued involvement in campus events even after his retirement.
“[Walker] inspired many…he enriched education for generations…and for every faculty member and student”, Bruno said.
After the new words “George T. Walker Hall” were unveiled on the building’s front entrance, Walker’s son, George Walker, Jr., spoke of his father’s humility and of his family’s pride and appreciation for the dedication.
Director of Assessment and Evaluation Allison Thompson, who was present at the ceremony, commented on her personal connection to Dr. Walker.
“I really wanted to come because one of my most prized possessions…is my grandmother’s diploma from when she got her master’s degree, signed by Dr. Walker,” she stated.
SGA President Brooke Dugas, a senior biology major from Franklinton, LA, also gave her thoughts on the dedication.
“I thought the name change was very fitting because of [Walker’s] continued significance to ULM. His achievements made us the strong university that we are today”, she said.
