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97-690: Dr. Edwin Lewis Stephens, president of Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette ) from 1900 to 1938, founded the Live Oak Society in 1934. In 1957, responsibility for maintaining records and registering new applicants was assumed by the Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. According to Society bylaws, the only human member permitted in the Society is the honorary chairman, who

194-476: A four-year university during the twentieth century and became known by its present name in 1999. It offers Louisiana's only Ph.D. in francophone studies , Louisiana's only master's of informatics , and Louisiana's only industrial design degree. The university has achieved several milestones in computer science , engineering and architecture . It is also home to a distinct College of the Arts. On July 14, 1898,

291-458: A girth of 8 to 16 feet (2.4 to 4.9 meters), and Centenarian Trees that are more than 16 feet in girth. Trees are registered by designated name, location, girth, and sponsor. The registry includes trees from 14 U.S. States . [REDACTED] Media related to Quercus virginiana at Wikimedia Commons University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette ( UL Lafayette , University of Louisiana , ULL , or UL )

388-660: A large presence in Lafayette have included or currently include Albertsons , Amazon , Brookshire Grocery Company , CGI , First Horizon Bank , JP Morgan Chase , LUSFiber , the Ochsner Health System , Petroleum Helicopters International , Perficient , and Rouses Markets . Among these corporations, the Tennessee -based First Horizon Bank absorbed IberiaBank (a former Louisiana-based banking institution) in 2020. Other notable corporations stimulating

485-483: A parish-wide tax of two mills for 10 years if either Lafayette or Scott was selected; neither Iberia Parish nor St. Martin Parish was able to do the same, instead passing only city-wide taxes. Lafayette's offer—the tax proceeds, $ 18,000 in cash, and 25 acres of land just outside the city limits, donated by Crow and Maxim Girard—beat out New Iberia's 5–2 in a board vote on January 5, 1900. The first university president

582-436: A recreational center for residents), Agnes Edwards Hall (now co-ed/junior suite-style) and Harris Hall (now co-ed/traditional-style). Following the completion of Heritage, as well as Rose Garden and Taft Street complexes, the university could house close to 5,000 students on campus, achieving a goal set in the school's master plan as of 2020. A listing of past & present offerings is as follows: The Greek community at

679-515: A resolution calling for another charter commission to look at amendments to the charter and, if necessary, deconsolidation. The Lafayette Parish Council did not agree to the charter commission proposal. Public works and other services, such as land use and plat review, are operated by the Lafayette Consolidated Government to serve the city of Lafayette and unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish, and by contract some of

776-476: A track and field program. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the softball team has been among the most successful of all Ragin' Cajun teams, having won twenty-two regular season championships, seventeen conference tournament championships, and earning six appearances in the Women's College World Series . The baseball, men's tennis, men's basketball, and football teams have won conference championships. In 2014,

873-475: Is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". In 2023, the university posted a record-breaking amount of $ 181 million, exceeding the previous year's amount of $ 144 million and represents an astonishing 165% increase in R&;D spending at UL in seven years. The 2019 amount placed UL among the top 23 percent of the 647 research universities; current rankings are not yet available. It

970-525: Is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana , United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the second-largest enrollment in Louisiana, behind only Louisiana State University . It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Founded in 1898 as an industrial school, the institution developed into

1067-599: Is a non-profit online news organization that has published since 2017. Licensing more than 22 FM and AM radio stations in its metropolitan area, Lafayette includes Valcour Records and ML1 Records in its metropolis. Major television stations include KATC 3 ( ABC ), KLFY-TV ( CBS ), KLAF-LD ( NBC ), KADN-TV ( Fox ), and KLPB-TV ( PBS ). Other major stations serving the Lafayette area include Alexandria 's KALB-TV (CBS and NBC), Baton Rouge's WBRZ (ABC), WAFB (CBS), WGMB-TV (Fox), WVLA-TV (NBC), and Lake Charles' KPLC-TV (NBC). According to Nielsen Media Research ,

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1164-634: Is also co-ed. (Another male-only dorm, Voorhies Hall, was also razed in 2003, but the Child Development complex was built in its place.) The final male-only dorm, Stokes Hall, was demolished in 2016, with the long-term plan of expanding Legacy Park into the area. In 2011 the second phase of the project began when most of the traditional female-only dorms were demolished and replaced with suite-style, co-ed, units. The dorms demolished during this period included: Baker-Huger, Bonin, Evangeline, Denbo, and Bancroft. The two resulting areas are now known as

1261-861: Is also home for the only two Cajun themed restaurants named Prejeans . (Located in Carencro and Broussard .) Lafayette is home to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns , the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Between 1995 and 2005, Lafayette was home to the Louisiana IceGators ECHL hockey team. In 2009, the IceGators returned as a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League until 2016. Also from 2009 to 2012, Lafayette

1358-416: Is an active member of the Louisiana, Southern Regional, and National Honors Councils. The university graduates about 1,700 students each fall and spring. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate degree programs, 27 master's degree programs, and 10 doctoral degree programs. In the 1960s, a group of liberal arts professors at the University of Southwestern Louisiana began publishing their works on

1455-657: Is coterminous with Lafayette Parish. Lafayette is home to a regional office of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality , and the headquarters of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana , the state agency that oversees preservation and documentation of Louisiana French for tourism, economic development, culture, education, and the development of international relations with other Francophone regions and countries. The city of Lafayette

1552-412: Is described as humid subtropical using Köppen climate classification . It has year-round precipitation, especially during summertime. Lafayette's highest temperature was 110 °F (43 °C) on August 27, 2023; it has hot, moist summers and warm, damp winters. Attakapa Native Americans were originally the primary residents of the Lafayette area before French colonization , concentrated along

1649-638: Is home to a diverse population from Louisiana Creole and Cajun backgrounds. In 2014, Lafayette was named the "Happiest City in America.” The city and region's cultural icons include Alexandre Mouton House , Brandt House , Charles H. Mouton House , the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist , Daigle House , First United Methodist Church , Holy Rosary Institute , Hope Lodge No. 145 , and Old Lafayette City Hall . Its educational institutions include

1746-740: Is home to multiple sports venues: Blackham Coliseum , Cajundome , Cajun Field (now Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium) , Earl K. Long Gymnasium , Evangeline Downs , and Planet Ice Skating and Hockey Arena . Lafayette was home to minor-league baseball teams in various seasons from 1907 to 2000. Lafayette was an affiliate of the St. Louis Browns 1936–1941, Chicago Cubs (1955–1957) and San Francisco Giants (1975–1976). The Lafayette Browns (1907), Lafayette Hubs (1920), Lafayette White Sox (1934–1942), Lafayette Bulls (1948–1953), Lafayette Oilers (1954–1957), Lafayette Drillers (1975–1976) and Bayou Bullfrogs (1998–2000) all played in Lafayette. The teams were members of

1843-612: Is located at 30°13′N 92°2′W  /  30.217°N 92.033°W  / 30.217; -92.033 (30.2139, −92.0294), in southern Louisiana's Acadiana region on the Gulf Coast of the United States . It was part of the seabed during the earlier Quaternary period . During this time, the Mississippi River cut a 325-foot-deep (99 m) valley between what is now Lafayette and Baton Rouge. This valley

1940-707: Is now Hebrard Blvd and to approximately Lee Hall in the Quad. By the 1930s the campus had more than doubled in size, to 60 acres, reaching to the newly constructed St Mary Street to its south, and McKinley Street to its east. This area includes such buildings/areas as: Martin Hall (Admin building), Girard Hall, Stephens Memorial, the Arcade, the Quadrangle (the Quad), Rose Garden dormitories, Judice-Rickles Halls, and Cypress Lake. Also,

2037-593: Is now at 145 acres. Law enforcement services on the campus are provided by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department . The Marais Press began in the early 1990s, a printmaking shop featuring antique presses and located within Fletcher Hall and the Department of Fine Arts. The first project was a book featuring the work of the late Elemore Morgan Jr ., a Louisiana artist who taught at

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2134-624: Is primarily served by the Lafayette Police Department , though the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office , Lafayette City Marshal , and University of Louisiana Police Department maintain jurisdiction throughout the city and surrounding area. Following nationwide COVID-19 trends from 2019 to 2020, Lafayette has experienced a rise in violent crimes per the Federal Bureau of Investigation . In 2020,

2231-402: Is responsible for registering and recording live oak members. The only requirement for becoming a member is that the live oak must have a girth (trunk circumference) of 8 feet (2.4 meters) or greater, measured 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) above ground. In 2013, the Live Oak Society had 7,114 registered members dating from 1934, but many of the earliest registrants are labeled deceased. The live oak with

2328-426: Is the largest population and economic corridor between Houston , Texas and New Orleans . Originally established as Vermilionville in the 1820s and incorporated in 1836, Lafayette developed as an agricultural community until the introduction of retail and entertainment centers, and the discovery of oil in the area in the 1940s. Since the discovery of oil, the city and parish have had the highest number of workers in

2425-437: Is the stated mission of UL's Strategic Plan to reach Carnegie Classification Research 1 status and surpassing the $ 100 million threshold is a major step in that direction. The university receives more research money than all of the other ULS schools, combined, and is rated one of the top 100 public research universities in the nation according to a 2010 report by The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. In 2012, it became

2522-425: The 2020 and 2021 seasons with Billy Napier at the helm of the program. There are over 200 student organizations. The Louisiana Center for Cultural & Eco-Tourism center's research division houses the world's largest collection of Cajun and Creole folklore, oral history, and folklife materials and some of the nation's largest microfilm collections of French and Spanish colonial records. Beginning in 2011

2619-702: The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States . Altogether, the Eastern Orthodox Church , Oriental Orthodox Churches , and non-mainstream Protestantism have constituted a significant minority in contrast to Catholic and Baptist missionary work. In a separate religious study by Sperling's BestPlaces in 2020, Judaism and Islam were tied as the second largest non-Christian religions within Lafayette and its metropolitan area. Jews began immigrating to

2716-473: The Gulf Coast League (1907), Louisiana State League (1920), Evangeline League (1934–1942, 1948–1957), Texas League (1975–1976) and Texas-Louisiana League (1998–2000). Lafayette teams played at Parkdale Park (1934–1942), Clark Field (1945–1957, 1975–1976) and Tigue Moore Field (1998–2000). In addition, the sport of trampoline developed in Lafayette. Jeff Hennessy 's gymnastics program at

2813-561: The Latin Church 's Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana . The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana was founded in 1918 and its see is the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist . Within the local Protestant traditions, Baptists have been the primary historic Protestant body affiliated with; the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and Progressive National Baptist Convention have been

2910-745: The Roman Catholic Church . Jean Mouton, an Acadian settler, donated land to the Roman Church for construction of a small Catholic chapel at this site. In 1824, this area was selected for the Lafayette Parish seat and was named Vermilionville, for its location on the river; in 1836, the Louisiana State Legislature approved its incorporation. The area was initially developed by Europeans for agriculture, primarily sugar plantations , which depended on

3007-476: The U.S. state of Louisiana , located along the Vermilion River . It is Louisiana's fourth-most populous city with a 2020 census population of 121,374; the consolidated city-parish's population was 241,753 in 2020. The Lafayette metropolitan area was Louisiana's third largest metropolitan statistical area with a population of 478,384 at the 2020 census. The Acadiana region containing Lafayette

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3104-609: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 55.65 square miles (144.1 km ), of which 55.57 square miles (143.9 km ) is land and 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km ) (0.19 percent) is covered by water. The city of Lafayette's architecture is diverse, with a collection of more than eight downtown structures listed within the National Register of Historic Places . Downtown Lafayette landmarks include Old Lafayette City Hall and

3201-560: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette popularized the sport and produced more world champions — including his daughter, Leigh Hennessy — than any other location. Jeff Hennessy was also instrumental in getting trampoline into the Olympic Games, and several athletes from Trampoline & Tumbling Express in Lafayette have represented the United States at the Olympics. Lafayette has a consolidated city–parish government, known as

3298-450: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette , South Louisiana Community College , and Remington College . Lafayette is named after Marquis de Lafayette . Little is known about early settlements or if the area had a different name prior to European colonization . The city was originally founded in 1821 as Vermilionville. The Attakapa Native Americans inhabited this area at the time of the first European encounter. French colonists founded

3395-465: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette , WHC, Inc., Walmart , Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center , Schlumberger , and Stuller, Inc. The University of Louisiana System 's other institutions and its Lafayette campus have contributed to a $ 10.9 billion impact on the state's economy. As one of the primary employers in Lafayette, the local university has made a statewide impact of $ 379 million in 2015. Prominent corporations with headquarters or

3492-627: The Vermilion River . Other significant waterways in the city are Isaac Verot Coulee, Coulee Mine, Coulee des Poches, and Coulee Ile des Cannes, which are natural drainage canals that lead to the Vermilion River. Lafayette lies approximately 135 miles (217 km) from New Orleans , 59 miles (95 km) from the state capital of Baton Rouge , 75 miles (121 km) from Lake Charles , and 89 miles (143 km) from Alexandria . The city has an elevation ranging from 36 feet (11.0 m) to 49 feet (15 m) above sea level. According to

3589-513: The "Heart of Acadiana." As a result of its growth, the city and region have become major centers for the technology industry ; Lafayette also became a major center for health care and social services , aerospace , banking and retail . Notable corporations with headquarters or a large presence in the Lafayette area have included Amazon , Brookshire Grocery Company , CGI , JP Morgan Chase , Ochsner Health System , Petroleum Helicopters International , and Rouses Markets . Lafayette

3686-583: The 1940s, Lafayette became a center of the oil and natural gas industry in Louisiana. In addition, the city and its metropolitan area became major centers for technology , health care and social services , aerospace , banking and retail from the latter 20th- and early 21st centuries. As of 2021, the consolidated city–parish's top employers have been the Lafayette Parish School System , Lafayette General Health, Wood Group Production Services, Lafayette Consolidated Government,

3783-582: The Cajuns became the first in college football bowl history to win the same bowl game in four straight seasons. However, the university vacated all of its 2011 wins, including the New Orleans Bowl, two years later when the NCAA sanctioned the university because an assistant football coach conspired to "obtain fraudulent entrance exam scores" for five recruits from 2011 until 2013. The university dismissed

3880-484: The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist. Near these structures, Chase and Doubletree have been the area's tallest buildings at 15 and 16 stories. With the announcement of the latest addition to the city in over 40 years, two high-rise towers were planned and would stand 4 stories higher. In October 2021, it was announced only one high-rise tower would be constructed citing lack of interest in condominiums within

3977-498: The City of Lafayette. Named "The Heritage at Cajun Village," the new complex is designated for married students/families and graduate students. Following the completion of the complex (fall 2019) the married/family complex "Cajun Village" has been planned for eventual demolition and replaced with suite-style living for upper classmen. As of 2023 only three of the original dorms on campus remain standing: Randolph Hall (now functioning as

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4074-570: The Gulf South Research Institute in 1965, the facility was transferred to UL in 1984. The Center houses over 6,800 non-human primates used for breeding and studies. The center is also a contract breeding and testing facility, selling animals to other laboratories and conducting experiments under contract with other parties. In 2008, the Humane Society of the United States conducted an undercover investigation in

4171-414: The Lafayette Consolidated Government; parish voters agreed to consolidation of the city and parish governments in 1996. Lafayette's chief executive was initially called the city-parish president, but is now known as the mayor-president for the Lafayette Consolidated Government. Republican Monique Blanco-Boulet was elected to this office most recently. The consolidation of the city and parish has been

4268-614: The Rose Garden Complex (lower classmen), and the Taft Street Complex (upper classmen); 2018 saw the start of the third phase of the project when construction began on a new complex located at the corner of Johnston and Lewis streets. This area formerly consisted of a university-owned parking lot, as well the Youth/Dog Park, which the university acquired as part of the sale of the "Horse Farm" property to

4365-626: The Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (SLII) was created through state legislation: Louisiana General Assembly, Act 162, introduced by Robert Martin of St. Martin Parish. The new school needed to be located within Louisiana's 13th State Senate district . A number of communities sought the school, including Jeanerette and St. Martinville , but only three submitted formal bids—Lafayette, New Iberia , and Scott . Lafayette Parish voters approved

4462-598: The UL Press, the publishing arm of UL Lafayette's Center for Louisiana Studies. Starting with the purchase of the Whittington Farm property in 1936, the university added ~175 acres just south of the main campus, along Johnston St. This area, now also consisting of the Athletic Complex and Research Park areas form a total contiguous area of over 391 acres, known today as “University Commons.” Due to

4559-934: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press is the largest academic publisher of Louisiana-related works and one of the two largest academic publishers in the state. The press is an introductory member of the Association of University Presses . The Louisiana Ragin' Cajun teams participate in NCAA Division I ( FBS for football ) in the Sun Belt Conference . The Ragin' Cajuns compete in 16 NCAA sports teams (8 men's, 8 women's teams), including baseball, basketball (men's and women's), cross country (men's and women's), football, softball, women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's golf, tennis (men's and women's), and track and field (men's and women's, indoor and outdoor). The athletic program formally began in 1904 with

4656-482: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is composed of 23 organizations, governed by four councils. In 2022, 6% of undergraduate men and 13% of undergraduate women were active in the UL's Greek system. Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette ( / ˌ l æ f i ˈ ɛ t , ˌ l ɑː f -/ LA(H) - F -ee- ET , French: [lafajɛt] ) is the most populous city in and parish seat of Lafayette Parish in

4753-646: The Vermilion River. After the Louisiana Purchase , American settlers began moving into the area and intermarrying among the French, enslaved Africans , and free people of color . Since 1860, Lafayette has grown from 498 to 121,374 residents at the 2020 U.S. census . Following the American Community Survey's 5 year estimates program, the city has continued population growth with an additional 2020 estimate at 126,674 residents. With

4850-527: The area in the 1800s, and one of Louisiana's oldest continuously operated synagogues (Temple Shalom) has been present in the city since 1869. The historic synagogue of Temple Shalom originally functioned as an Orthodox Jewish congregation before joining the Reform Judaism movement. Lafayette's Jewish community has assisted in economic and cultural development of the area since their arrival. Established and occupied as an agricultural community until

4947-423: The area municipalities. Zoning rules apply only within the city and unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish. Some neighboring municipalities have adopted their own planning and zoning protocols. The suburban and rural cities and towns maintain independent city councils, local executives, police and fire departments, and other public services. The LPSS operates independently of any municipality, and its jurisdiction

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5044-500: The area; the project was halted in January 2022 citing further difficulties. The attempted construction of new high-rises within the heart of the city followed efforts to redevelop the downtown area in the 2010s and attract further residents. Alongside high-rise construction projects throughout the downtown area, a 70-unit apartment development began in early 2022 spurring continued interest in urban development. Lafayette's climate

5141-766: The art co-ed dormitories, named Coronna and Bonin Halls, now known as the Rose Garden complex. The decades of the 1950–1970s saw tremendous growth, both in the city of Lafayette as well as the university. During that period the main campus again expanded: to the east (Taft St), west (Rex St), and south (Lewis St) bringing the total amount of acreage for the main campus to an approx. 125 acres. Many new academic buildings were located in this area including Dupre Library, HL Griffin Hall (Liberal Arts), Billeaud Hall (Biology), Madison Hall (Engineering), Wharton (Nursing), Angelle (Music), Fletcher (Art/Architecture). In 2012, and as part of

5238-595: The beginning of the 21st century, a committee proposed the deconsolidation of the city and parish. In 2015, the city of Lafayette gained international attention for a mass shooting and murder-suicide at Grand 16 Theater ; this mass shooting spurred further discussion and debate on gun control in the United States . During 2015, the Lafayette metropolitan area also overtook the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area by population, becoming Louisiana's third largest metropolitan region. The city of Lafayette

5335-514: The center which found monkeys being shot with sedation guns while in their cages, one monkey repeatedly hit by a worker in the teeth with a metal pole and another worker striking an infant monkey among other apparent AWA violations. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the center for six potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) which the government alleges lead to the death of one monkey, injuries to another and

5432-454: The city and metropolitan economies have been Lowe's , Costco , and various national retail and department stores in the Mall of Acadiana . By December 2023, Topgolf opened a venue in Lafayette. Ranking as one of the best places to retire in Louisiana according to Forbes in 2018, Lafayette was also ranked one of the best places for businesses and careers in 2019; according to Forbes , it

5529-622: The city and region's historically Black or African American Baptist denominations, though the Church of God in Christ has also been a historically prominent African American Protestant body. Mormons , Lutherans , and Presbyterians have also maintained minority presences within the Lafayette municipal and metropolitan communities. Christians of other traditions including the Jehovah's Witnesses and united and uniting churches have been present in

5626-532: The city experienced 712 violent crimes up from 664 in 2019; according to a professor of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, violent crime was decreasing prior to the pandemic. In 2018 the city experienced 9 homicides, and 17 in 2020; for comparison, there were 195 homicides in New Orleans in 2020, and 100 in Baton Rouge. Altogether, Lafayette ranked as the 20th safest city overall in Louisiana, and

5723-465: The city proper's geographic foothold with exception to its northern neighborhoods. More than 34% of its Hispanic and Latino American population lived in the central-west portion of the city, and Black and African Americans primarily dominated the northern half of Lafayette city proper. Its Asian American community was dispersed throughout the whole city alongside multiracial Americans, and people of other races and ethnicities primarily lived near downtown or

5820-424: The city's border with Carencro . Having historic growth from the 20th and 21st centuries attributed primarily to the oil and gas industry, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette , and Acadiana tourism, an estimated 3.8 percent of the city's population was foreign-born from 2014 to 2019; of the foreign-born population, 33.6 percent were naturalized U.S. citizens. Altogether English , French , and Spanish were

5917-477: The city's metropolitan area since the 20th century. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the oldest nontrinitarian Christian denomination in Lafayette, and has one church in the city limits; the closest LDS churches outside of Lafayette are in New Iberia and Opelousas . There has been one Antiochian Orthodox jurisdiction operating since 2004; there is also a Coptic Orthodox mission under

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6014-520: The city. The area's LGBT population have described Acadiana as "welcoming," though some members of the community in the 1970s declined to be photographed at public and private LGBT events. While regarded as welcoming, Lafayette's government was once under the Human Rights Campaign Foundation 's focus regarding non-discrimination in city employment; a local government spokesperson responded with reports of no complaints from

6111-404: The coach in 2014 and sued the testing company in 2016 for failing to adequately supervise their staff and testing procedures. The NCAA accepted the university's self-imposed penalties including a two-year probation, a small fine, a small reduction in football scholarships, and recruiting restrictions. In recent years, Ragin' Cajuns football has been on the rise, becoming nationally ranked during

6208-552: The continuing growth of the university during the 1950–70s, all of the main athletic facilities were relocated from the main campus to the University Commons area, which is bounded roughly by Reinhardt Dr, Bertrand St, Congress St and State St. The following is a list of major buildings in the complex: Located along Coliseum Road, the complex consists of a newly constructed Field House, as well as ~20 lighted acres of grassy fields, and convenient parking. This space enables

6305-691: The diverse cultures of Lafayette. Notable cultural gatherings have included the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles , Festival International de Louisiane , Boudin Cookoff and Bacon Fest, the Cajun Heartland State Fair, and Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette . Residents also celebrate their cultural identities through visiting Acadian Village or Vermilionville Historic Village . Highly regarded for its diverse food and restaurant culture, Lafayette has been regarded as having

6402-605: The economy. By 2018, Lafayette had the highest number of oil and natural gas industry workers in the state. Since the latter half of the 20th century, Lafayette has hosted the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles , and was candidate as site for the New Orleans Pelicans NBA G League team in 2017. In 1996, the city and parish consolidated; the governments of the city and parish were merged, though five other incorporated municipalities continued to operate with their own municipal governments and departments. Since

6499-495: The escape of five from their enclosure. In 2016, Project Chimps , a nonprofit organization, announced a partnership with NIRC to relocate 220 of the university's retired research chimpanzees to a sanctuary in northern Georgia. UL Lafayette is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . All undergraduate programs at UL Lafayette that are eligible for accreditation by professional agencies are accredited. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Honors Program

6596-440: The establishment of Filipino communities along the coast of Louisiana (primarily in the Greater New Orleans area) up to established communities in the Acadiana region as of 2013. The city and area's Hispanic and Latino American population have existed since Spanish colonization of Louisiana . According to 2021 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau , its non-Hispanic or Latino white population have been prevalent throughout

6693-431: The first European settlement, Petit Manchac , a trading post along the Vermilion River. In the mid-to-late eighteenth century, numerous Acadian refugees settled in this area, after being expelled from Canada after Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War . They intermarried with other settlers, forming what became known as Cajun culture, which maintained use of the French language and adherence to

6790-466: The first Louisiana university designated as an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. The Center for Visual and Decision Informatics is the only NSF Center in the nation that focuses on data science, big data analytics, and visual analytics. UL's New Iberia Research Center in New Iberia conducts basic and applied research on several species of non-human primates including macaques , grivets , capuchins and chimpanzees . Incorporated as

6887-595: The fourth-most restaurants per capita in Louisiana since 2015. Home to the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Conservatory of Music, Chorale Acadienne, Lafayette Ballet Theatre and Dance Conservatory, the Lafayette Concert Band, and Performing Arts Society of Acadiana; as well as the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum , Acadiana Center for the Arts and Heymann Performing Arts Center, Lafayette has hosted Tyler Perry 's Madea's Farewell play in 2019. The 2018 television film , The Christmas Contract , set in Lafayette, features many Cajun Christmas customs. Lafayette

6984-414: The highlights of the Quad are: Located on the campus block bordered by Hebrard Blvd, University Ave and McKinley St, the original Rose Garden was surrounded by Baker-Huger, Randolph, Evangeline, and Bonin Halls, which were all female-only dormitories and designed by A. Hays Town and completed in 1950. In 2011 Baker-Huger, Evangeline and Bonin Halls were all demolished and were replaced with expanded/state of

7081-465: The labor of numerous enslaved Africans and African Americans . They made up a large percentage of the antebellum population. According to U.S. census data in 1830, some 41 percent of the population of Lafayette Parish was enslaved. By 1860, the enslaved population had increased to 49.6 percent. Some free people of color lived in Lafayette Parish, as well; they made up 3 percent to a low of 2.4 percent between 1830 and 1860. In 1884, Vermilionville

7178-423: The largest collective Christian group. Among Protestant Christians, the largest were non-denominational Christians with 26,860 adherents; Southern Baptists with 22,324; Progressive National Baptists with 19,324; United Methodists with 8,401; and Assemblies of God USA with 6,704 adherents. Owing in part to Spanish and French colonialism and missionary work , Christians have historically affiliated with

7275-468: The largest girth serves as President of the Society. In 1968, Seven Sisters Oak achieved President status and has retained the title with a girth of more than 38 feet (12 meters), as measured in 2008. The largest stand (group) of registered live oaks, consisting of more than 200 trees, is located in City Park (New Orleans) . Two classes of registration are available: Junior League Trees are those having

7372-500: The local LGBT community. In 2023, the community celebrated the second annual Pride Acadiana. In common with Louisiana's religious demographic, Lafayette and its metropolitan area are predominantly religious, dominated by Christianity . According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Catholic Church was the single largest Christian denomination with a reported 212,013 adherents, and Protestants were

7469-494: The median income stood at $ 34,588. The city had an employment rate of 60.4 percent, up from the state's 55.4 percent from 2014 to 2019. While in the predominantly conservative southern U.S. , Lafayette has maintained a substantial lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community since at least 1969, when some members of the Mystic Krewe of Apollo, a gay cultural, social, and service organization in New Orleans, arrived in

7566-454: The migration and population growth of European , African , and multiracial Americans since early settlement, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city has been predominantly non-Hispanic or Latino white , Black or African American, multiracial, and Asian . French , German , English , American , Irish , and Italian were the largest European ancestry groups among the non-Hispanic or Latino white population. Asian settlers arrived during

7663-409: The most spoken languages at home among the native and foreign-born populations. In 2022, the city's foreign-born population grew to 5.8%. Poverty remaining an issue in the city with an estimated 18.6 percent at or below the national poverty threshold in 2019, the median income for a family was $ 54,139 in 2020 and Lafayettiens had a mean household income of $ 79,216; among non-family households,

7760-423: The need for farm workers. By 1898, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established in the city as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. It opened in 1901, and changed its name to the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1960. The university's current name was chosen in 1999. In the 1940s, after oil was discovered in the parish, the petroleum and natural gas industries expanded to dominate

7857-587: The next few decades, the center's publications grew to include scholarship beyond the university as well as new genres, such as children's books, photography, poetry, and fiction. In 2009, its imprint was changed to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, or UL Press for short. According to their website, the press "welcomes submissions of manuscripts pertaining to all facets of Louisiana’s history, culture, art, society, politics, economics, religion, ethnicities, and environment. It also welcomes high quality works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction". Today,

7954-468: The oil and natural gas industry in Louisiana as of 2018. With the issuance of a bond ordinance for a series of roads connecting nearby settlements; the establishment of the University of Louisiana System 's Lafayette campus; and the continued diversification of its economy, Lafayette and its metropolitan area have experienced population growth since the 1840 census and was promptly nicknamed "The Hub City." The city and parish of Lafayette are also known as

8051-594: The safest of Louisiana's four largest municipalities in 2021. Lafayette's major daily newspaper is The Daily Advertiser , owned by Gannett (publishers of USA Today ). Established in 1865 as the Weekly Advertiser , it purchased the local alternative paper, The Times of Acadiana in 1998. Other prominent newspapers in the Lafayette area include Acadiana Profile , Baton Rouge-based The Advocate and its local paper The Acadiana Advocate , The Independent , and UL-based The Vermilion . The Current

8148-519: The school was renamed Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (SLI). By 1960, the school was renamed University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL). In 1974, the College of Sciences was officially formed. In 1984, following approval from the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities (now UL System), USL officially changed its name to the University of Louisiana, which

8245-544: The selling of its “Horse Farm” property to the city of Lafayette, the university acquired an additional 20 acres along the Johnston/Lewis St corridor when the Youth Park/Dog Park was added to the main campus. In fall 2018, this area was being developed as housing for upperclassmen, and is called the “Heritage at Cajun Village.” With the addition of these 20 acres, the total acreage for the main campus

8342-511: The state's history, culture, and politics under the imprint USL History Series. Then, in 1973, the Center for Louisiana Studies was established, and the organization took on the publication of these works, in addition to "publications drawn from research in the Center's Colonial Records Project, proceedings from historical associations and conferences, and works translated by Center staff". Over

8439-410: The subject of continuous public debate over the years. In 2011, a charter commission recommended deconsolidation, though parish voters rejected the recommendation. In 2018, voters separated the single city–parish council into a city council to represent the city of Lafayette and a parish council to represent Lafayette Parish. The mayor-president is still elected parishwide. In 2021, the city council passed

8536-538: The two oldest extant buildings on campus are located in this area: Foster Hall (1902) and DeClouet Hall (1905). The Quadrangle (Quad), which was completely renovated in 2015 (providing new walkways, landscaping and a fountain containing a 15-foot Fleur de Lis in its center), serves as the ‘heart’ of the university. It is surrounded by Martin Hall/FG Mouton Hall, as well as Moody, OK Allen, Lee, Broussard, Stephens, Mouton, M. Doucet, and Foster Halls. Some of

8633-421: The university and received international acclaim for his work as a painter and photographer. More than 200 visiting artists from around the world participate for a week-long residency to work on their projects at Marais Press, a teaching and research hub. Artists help train and mentor students, who get hands-on experience making lithographs, woodcuts, silkscreen, and etchings. Marais Press is a separate entity from

8730-448: The university began a massive program to overhaul its residential options for students. Since that time, the majority of the school's former dormitories have been demolished and replaced with either apartment or suite style accommodations. The first phase of the initiative began in 2003, with the demolition of three of the male-only dorms: Caffery, Roy and McCullough. They were replaced with Legacy Park in 2004, an apartment-style complex that

8827-621: The university the ability to offer numerous sports/activities to the student population. Bounded by Cajundome Blvd, E. Landry Road, and Congress St, the Research Park was conceived and developed to be a stimulant for innovation and economic development that serves the region, state, and nation. The following is a list of major buildings located in the park: The university is a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and

8924-701: Was #25 in the cost of doing business, #200 in job growth, and #175 in education nationwide. Per U.S. News & World Report , its cost of living has contributed to it being ranked as the second best place to live in Louisiana. Located in Acadiana , Lafayette is a diverse city with a large and growing metropolitan population as of 2015. The Lafayette metropolitan area has a large Louisiana Creole , Cajun , and substantial foreign-born population ; an estimated 14,676 Lafayettiens were foreign-born residents in 2019. Additionally, more than 36% of foreigners came from Asia from 2014 to 2019. Many annual events celebrate

9021-443: Was Edwin Lewis Stephens. On September 18, 1901, the first buildings were opened—initially Martin Hall (named for Robert Martin), Foster Hall (named for Governor Murphy J. Foster ), and a shop building. The first class was 100 students enrolled and 8 faculty, and by 1903 the first graduating class was 18 students. By 1920, the school changed to a four-year course culminating with a bachelor of arts degree. The following year in 1921,

9118-486: Was filled and is now the Atchafalaya Basin . The city is located on the western rim of this valley. The Lafayette area is part of the southwestern Louisiana Prairie Terrace; it is higher and not made of wetlands like much of the surrounding areas to the south and west of Lafayette. Lafayette does not suffer significant flooding problems, outside of local flash flooding. Lafayette has developed on both sides of

9215-889: Was home to the Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League . It also became home to the Lafayette Bayou Bulls , a semipro football program started in 2003. The Lafayette SwampCats (1997–1999) and Lafayette Swamp Cats (2000–2004) soccer teams played in the city. The Cajun Soccer Club of the Gulf Coast Premier League was founded in 2013; Louisiana Krewe FC played in the Gulf Coast Premier League before joining USL League Two for its 2022 season. The Lafayette area

9312-557: Was overturned less than a month later by an act of the state legislature, although two schools had previously changed their names using the same technique without outside interference. The school was renamed in 1999, to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette). The campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is located in Lafayette, Louisiana , within the intrastate region of Acadiana . The historic main campus area originally consisted of only 25 acres, and its boundaries were Johnston Street, University Avenue, what

9409-638: Was renamed for General Lafayette , a French aristocrat who had fought with and significantly aided the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . The city and parish economy continued to be based on agriculture into the early 20th century. After the American Civil War , most of the labor was done by freedmen , who worked as sharecroppers . From the 1930s, mechanization of agriculture began to reduce

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