Published Jan. 29, 2020
The University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment
of an endowed Professorship in Biology, with matching funds from the Louisiana Board
of Regents Sponsored Program, and an endowed scholarship for biology students, both
to be named in honor of Dr. Charles Allen from the sale proceeds of 105 acres in Caldwell
Parish.
Through this transaction, the initial donation by Dr. Harry Hall and Mary Lou Winters
of 105 acres designated for scientific and educational research is expanded to provide
financial support in perpetuity to faculty and students in the ULM Biology program.
In March 2000, Dr. and Mrs. Winters donated 105 acres in the rolling Ouachita Hills
Region near Columbia to the ULM Foundation in honor of Allen, a former ULM professor
and accomplished botanist in Louisiana. Over the years, Winters and Allen co-authored
several books on the plants of Louisiana and the Gulf South.
The property consists of diverse geological and ecological features rarely seen in
Louisiana, including rugged terrain, many plants rare to the state, and native petrified
wood.
ULM biology students (including members of the Nu-Gamma Chapter of Tri-Beta, the National
Biology Honor Society) and faculty have organized annual BioBlitz events for more
than seven years. This event, led primarily by students, highlights the outdoor classroom
– the ULM Biological Station and Charles Allen Nature Preserve. During these all-day
events, participants, along with content experts, hike through high ridges and bottomlands
on a mission to spot and identify as many life forms as possible, birds, plants, reptiles,
amphibians, mammals, butterflies and more.
“The ULM Biological Station is a gem hidden among the Ouachita Hills. The property
is located along the banks of the Ouachita River, and has some of the most unique
vegetation in the state along with fossils that are millions of years old. In the
past several years, this has been used as an extended classroom by ULM biology faculty,”
said Dr. Joydeep Bhattacharjee, professor of biology.
In December 2019, the Caldwell Parish Industrial Development Board purchased the property
from the ULM Foundation with the intent to expand their tourism attractions and allow
ULM to continue use of the property for educational and research purposes.
The parish is building a walking trail through the town of Columbia, including the
cemetery, building the Sherman Lake in town, and believes the Charles Allen ULM Preservation
adds yet another attraction for unique flora and fauna to the area with hiking trails.
About Dr. Harry Hall Winters III – Dr. Winters earned both his Bachelor of Science and Medical Doctor from LSU. Beginning
in 1953, he spent the next five years in residencies in the Charity Hospital System
in Louisiana. His training was primarily in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics
and general surgery. In 1959, he moved to Columbia, where he continued to practice
medicine for 35 years and serving many years as the coroner of Caldwell Parish. He
also served as president of Area Health Council for North Louisiana. Winters referred
to himself as a "small-town country doctor" who made house calls on his patients whom
he dearly loved.
About Dr. Charles M. Allen – Allen earned his Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Master of Science in Botany
from LSU. He earned his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
He is a botanist, plant taxonomist, retired professor, noted author, and conservationist
who provides a variety of professional ecological and botanical consulting services
as well as detailed instruction on plant identification. His in-depth courses provide
continuing education for many of the most experienced field biologists and plant professionals
and yet can leave the novice student with a much deeper and thorough understanding
of plants thanks to his years of experience and patience. Allen taught at ULM from
1991-2001 and was awarded the College of Pure and Applied Sciences Research Award
in 1994, Alumni Association Service Award in 1996 and voted favorite professor by
Alpha Lambda Delta in 2001.
