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November 30, 1999

ULM Breaks Ground on University Plaza

Progress continued on the University of Louisiana at Monroe campus Tuesday with groundbreaking for the University Plaza next to the new University Library.

The groundbreaking for the University Plaza is another step in ULM's long-range development plans for improving the appearance and function of campus facilities.

This piece of campus beautification was made possible by the Scott Foundation and Tuesday's ceremonies honored the Thomas H. and Mayme P. Scott family who played a key role in funding the $300,000 project. Mayme and Thomas Scott established the Thomas H. and Mayme P. Scott Foundation in 1961 as a means of establishing a perpetual fund that would enable them to give back to the communities that had played such a vital part in their lives.

A statement from the Scott Foundation read, "ULM has been of particular importance and the opportunity to be a part of the plaza development seemed a logical place to use the funds. It is the hope of the Thomas H. and Mayme P. Scott Foundation Board and the Scott Family that the Plaza will be a place of inspiration and reflection for generations to come -- encouraging each student who walks through it to reach for their dream -- just as Tom and Mayme Scott did."

"This is a most exciting time in the life of our University," ULM President Lawson L. Swearingen, Jr., said. "The occasion is made extra special because we are honoring the Tom Scott family and the principals of the Scott Foundation since it is through their shared vision that the University is turning this campus beautification dream into a reality."

ULM opened the $26 million University Library in April and the University Plaza, west of the Library, continues development on that project. This is the first of a seven-phase project which will improve the appearance and aesthetics of the campus, transforming it to a more traditional, pedestrian-oriented campus. Future phases include the building of a bayou walk and the construction of an amphitheater.

"Mr. Scott was instrumental in the creation of ULM's Foundation," Dr. Richard Baxter, Executive Director of the ULM Foundation, said. "Since that time, at every defining moment in the University's history, the Scott family and the Scott Foundation have assumed leadership roles in assuring the institution's progress. This plaza will be a tangible reminder of Tom and Mayme Scott's love for our University."

To celebrate the history of the University, the Plaza design will pay homage to the cultural beginnings of north Louisiana and the Karoa Indians who settled the region on which the University is built.

The Plaza Project is being developed by Randy Alexander of Alexander Contractors in Jonesboro and Norman Chenevert of CSRS Architects in Baton Rouge.

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