Northwestern State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana ( NSU ) is a four - year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches , Louisiana , United States , with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville / Fort Polk and Alexandria . It is a part of the University of Louisiana System . NSU was founded in 1884 as the Louisiana State Normal School to train teachers . It was the first school in Louisiana to offer degree programs in nursing and business education . NSU , along with numerous other state colleges , gained university status in 1970 during the administration of President Arnold R . Kilpatrick , a Northwestern alumnus who served from 1966 - 1978 . Kilpatrick succeeded the 12 - year president , John S . Kyser , a native of El Paso , Illinois . NSU was one of the first six colleges to enter into NASA ' s Joint Venture Program ( " JOVE " ) . Students worked with NASA scientists to help analyze data and do research for the 1996 Space Shuttle Columbia shuttle mission . NSU also hosts Louisiana ' s designated honors college in the liberal arts and sciences , called the Louisiana Scholars ' College . The Louisiana School for Math , Science , and the Arts , a state supported residential high school for sophomores , juniors and seniors , is also located on the campus . It was a brainchild of former State Representative Jimmy D . Long of Natchitoches , who also attended NSU . NSU currently offers more than 50 degree programs and complete accreditation of all of its accreditable degree programs . Fall 2011 total enrollment was 9 , 191 ( 8 , 080 undergraduates ) , a decline from Fall 2004 ' s record enrollment of 10 , 546 . NSU also claims more than 70 , 000 alumni . History . Northwestern State University stands on ground that has been dedicated to learning for well over a hundred years . Prior to the American Civil War , a portion of the present campus was the property of the Bullard family of Natchitoches . As early as 1856 , the Bullard mansion was in use as a convent by the Religious Society of the Sacred Heart . The following year a school building was erected at the convent and in 1884 the town and parish of Natchitoches purchased the property . Three of the four great white columns that once supported the east gable of the mansion still stand on “ The Hill ” and serve as the unofficial symbols of the university . The campus , developed upon rolling hills and high river bottomland , is acknowledged to be one of the most spacious and attractive in the South . The natural beauty of the site drew people to it even in prehistoric times . Long the home of a major Indian tribe for which it was named , the French fortified Natchitoches in 1714 as an outpost of their New World Empire facing Spanish Texas to the west . In 1884 , the Louisiana State Legislature by Act 51 created the Louisiana State Normal School for the preparation of teachers . Shortly thereafter , a freshman member of the Louisiana House of Representatives , Leopold Caspari of Natchitoches , offered the convent site as a campus for the school with the anticipated approval of the citizens of Natchitoches . The offer was accepted , and from 1885 to 1918 the Normal School offered two years of study for the training of teachers . Baccalaureate programs were inaugurated , and the Louisiana Constitution of 1921 , changed the name of the school to Louisiana State Normal College . The resources and curricula of " Normal " grew steadily to meet the increasingly diverse requirements of Louisiana ’ s expanding population . In 1944 , the institution ’ s excellent service in its broader role was accorded formal recognition by Act 326 of the Legislature , which changed its name to Northwestern State College of Louisiana . Northwestern maintained and strengthened its long tradition of leadership in public service and academic endeavor and became , in 1954 , the first college under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana State Board of Education to offer the Master ’ s degree . The Specialist in Education degree was first offered in 1966 and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education degrees were authorized in 1967 . On June 18 , 1970 , Governor John J . McKeithen signed a legislative act that brought the old campus its greatest distinction , changing its title to Northwestern State University of Louisiana . In 1980 , the old campus quadrangle where the columns stand was entered into the National Register of Historic Places under the title “ Normal Hill Historic District . ” Although primarily a regional institution , Northwestern also offers an opportunity for education at other satellite locations , including Leesville , Shreveport , and Alexandria . In addition to academics , these centers are also developing student life programs . The Nursing Education Center , located in Shreveport , provides the educational environment for nursing majors enrolled in clinical courses as well as general education courses . The Center houses departments administering masters , baccalaureate and associate degree programs . The campus includes state - of - the - art academic facilities , office space for faculty and staff , a bookstore , and facilities for activities and organizations . Excerpt from University Student Handbook A . A . Fredericks was president of NSU from 1934 - 1941 . He was later a member of the Louisiana State Senate and the private secretary on two occasions to Governor Earl Kemp Long . Fredericks obtained his teaching credentials from Northwestern " Normal " in 1912 . The A . A . Fredericks Auditorium on campus commemorates his memory . Eugene P . Watson of Natchitoches , for whom the NSU library is named , was head librarian and professor of library science from 1940 until his death in 1964 . He founded Alpha Beta Alpha , the national library science fraternity . The group held its first biennial convention on the NSU campus in 1952 . The centennial history of NSU ( 1884 – 1984 ) was published by the NSU Press in 1985 by the historian Marietta LeBreton , who taught forty - five years at the institution , from 1963 until her sudden death in 2009 . The Legend of Isabella . Isabella was a young French maiden , renowned for her beauty , who once lived in the original Bullard mansion after the Bullards were gone . The young lady had many suitors but preferred the company of a young man from the East , sent to Louisiana on business . They fell in love and were to be married . Shortly before the wedding date arrived , the young man was killed in a duel . Legend has it that the duel concerned a dispute over another woman . Isabella , overcome by grief , became a nun , and the French maiden ’ s beauty wasted away through constant mourning of her intended . Everyone believed she had gone mad from grief and mourning . One stormy night she ended her mourning by plunging a dagger into her heart . Soon after she was found dead in her room , with a bloody handprint on the wall . Her spirit roamed Bullard mansion until it was torn down . Since then she has roamed various buildings on campus . She lived in East Hall until it was torn down in 1926 . This was evidenced by the eyewitness accounts of girls who lived in East Hall . From there , Isabella ' s spirit moved to the Music Hall and resided there until 1948 then that building was also torn down . Just before the Music Hall was dismantled , a group of young men , dressed in sheets , coaxed Isabella from the doomed building . From there she wandered aimlessly around campus from building to building ( including East Varnado ) for almost three years , until , becoming weary , she chose Caldwell Hall as her next residence . Speculation has it that Caldwell was chosen because of its close proximity to the original Bullard dwelling . According to newspaper articles , the official date of the move was January 15 , 1949 . Reportedly a letter from the ghost was found on the steps of Caldwell along with a few drops of blood . Isabella ' s current residence is the Old Women ’ s Gym located on College Avenue beside Varnado Hall . When Caldwell Hall burned in October 1982 , a group of 750 students gathered and performed a ceremony on Halloween night that aided Isabella in her transition to her present location . Vic the Demon . On November 8 , 1922 , by proclamation of President V . L . Roy and Coach H . Lee Prather , all athletic teams became known as the Demons . The name was decided upon by a contest open to all students with a grand prize of $ 10 . A committee was appointed by the President to narrow down the names submitted by the student body . The final selection was decided by a vote of the students . The two most popular choices were Braves and Demons . Among other names submitted by students were Sharks , Daredevils , Musketeers , Pelicans , Prather ’ s Ground Hogs , Bloodhounds , Cyclops and Serpents . The official winners were Aileen Ritter and Truett Scarborough . On September 22 , 1984 , the Demon received his official given name by means of another contest sponsored by the Athletic Department . The contest was open to faculty , staff , and students . The objective : to find a name for the Demon . Over 300 entries were submitted to the committee . The grand prize was an all expense paid weekend at the Louisiana State Fair Classic . Ray Carney , an alumnus of the university , was the official winner with " Vic , " which is short for " Victory " . Jim Croce . Singer - songwriter Jim Croce died in a plane crash hours after finishing a 1973 concert on the NSU campus . Student media . Its student - run weekly newspaper , " The Current Sauce " , was founded in 1914 . Its annual student - run yearbook is called " The Potpourri " . There is also a student - run radio station , KNWD " The Demon " 91 . 7FM , and a faculty - administrated and student - operated local television station , NSU22 , on which can be found bi - weekly student - produced newscasts . NSU ' s literary magazine is called " The Argus " . It is student - run and published during the spring semester . The magazine content is provided by competitions in various fields of writing and artwork . Athletics . The Northwestern State athletic teams go by the Demons , with women ' s athletic teams generally called the Lady Demons , and its mascot is Vic the Demon . The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and competes in the Southland Conference at the NCAA Division I level . Northwestern State sponsors 12 varsity athletic teams , 5 men ' s teams and 7 women ' s teams . Lady of the Bracelet pageant . The Lady of the Bracelet pageant ( commonly referred to as LOB ) is a long - standing competition which scholarships are awarded to female students . The first place winner of the pageant is awarded the title of " Lady of the Bracelet " for one year . The program is under the direction of the Director of Student Activities and the Assistant Director of Student Activities of Northwestern State University . Contestants compete in several categories including interview , evening wear , and swimsuit competition . In addition to being bestowed the title of " Lady of the Bracelet " for the following year , the first place contestant receives a full scholarship and goes on to compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant , which can ultimately result in a berth to the Miss America pageant . It is traditionally held on the first Friday in February . In the early 1920s , the Potpourri , Northwestern ’ s yearbook , sponsored the first beauty pageant held on the university campus . The contestants were selected from photographs submitted to well - known producers for judgment and were chosen for their charm and beauty . In 1958 , Miss Kahne Dipola was crowned the first Miss Lady of the Bracelet and she received a gold bracelet to wear when she represented the university in public . Over the years , the bracelet has been passed down to each holder of the title . Through the efforts of Mr . Robert W . Wilson , Sr . , the Student Union Governing Board purchased the first franchise from the Miss Louisiana Pageant in 1971 , enabling Northwestern ’ s Lady of the Bracelet to enter the state contest . The Student Activities Board , formerly the Student Union Governing Board , has continued the tradition of sponsoring the Lady of the Bracelet Pageant for the enjoyment of the Northwestern community . The Lady of the Bracelet pageant has gained state recognition for production , scholarship , and quality of contestants . The current Lady of the Bracelet is Tori Thompson of Houston , Texas . ROTC Program . With an agreement signed between Northwestern State College and the Department of the United States Army , an anti - aircraft field artillery unit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps was established in the fall of 1950 . In August 1950 , the building to house the ROTC unit was authorized . The new military science program , under President Prather , enrolled its first students in the fall of 1950 with one officer and five enlisted men on the staff . By the end of the 1950 - 51 academic year 220 men had selected military training and the future of the program looked promising . In 1965 , NSC under President Kyser signed an agreement with the department of Army stating that the Military Science Senior ROTC program would be provided with a university secretary , armory , and utilities . The NSU ROTC Department and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk , Louisiana mutually support Cadet Command by identifying quality soldiers with officer potential and in assisting them in transition from active duty under the college ROTC Green to Gold program . The NSU ROTC Demon Battalion has commissioned nearly 1000 Second Lieutenants in to the United States Armed Services . Quite a few graduates have become distinguished Army Officers , including several General Officers . A Hall of Fame was begun in 1983 . Portraits and biographies of the Hall of Fame members are on permanent display in the ROTC office foyer . NSU ROTC cadets have been selected to attend specialty schools in Germany and at West Point . Cadets have also participated in ceremonies commemorating the Bataan March in New Mexico , and supporting the Habitat for Humanity and Loggers Conventions . During the past two years , several renovation projects have been completed . The cadets have been able to enjoy a TV lounge , kitchen area and game room to include a billiards , ping pong and foosball . Notably , five NSU ROTC commissioned officers have been inducted into NSU ’ s highest Hall of Distinction , the Long Purple Line .