SLU Memorial Fountain

Location

Hammond, LA

Owner

Southeastern Louisiana University

Completion Date

2007

The Southeastern Louisiana University memorial fountain is a tribute to the victims and to the citizens who responded in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita that ravaged the Gulf Coast region. Southeastern Louisiana University played a large role in the recovery of the North Shore and the New Orleans region by providing higher education for displaced students after Katrina.

When Southeastern reopened following Katrina on Sept. 9, 2005, more than 1,500 students were unable to resume their studies, a figure that two years later stood at approximately 700. The university also enrolled more than 1,600 “guest” students from institutions who were displaced by the storms. University and SGA presidents from 10 of those universities were invited to attend the dedication ceremony August 29, 2007, the two year anniversary of Katrina.

Located in the heart of campus within the developing quadrangle, the memorial fountain features a raised profiled water jet granite carving of the Gulf Coast. The profile extends from Texas to Florida. Along the profiled coast, small holes quietly mark the landfall points of the two storms. Along the face of the memorial, carved in the base, is a list of States, Parishes and Counties which were declared disaster areas as a result of the two storms.

In normal operation, the fountain’s pool provides a perpetual overflow sheet of water across the south face and the names of the devastated areas. At timed intervals, jets located at the two storm landing sites provide an increased water flow to envelope the entire surface and overflow on all four sides. Once the event has receded, the stillness and subtlety of the coast line profile of highly reflective black granite sits with a ghostly foreboding reverence.

The fountain, in addition to being a memorial, contributes to an ever developing quadrangle at the heart of campus. It is centered on axis with the Fayard Hall passage, one of the more significant entries to campus.