100 Years of Tiger Stadium: The Barracks
September 05, 2024
In the 1930s, Louisiana State University saw a transformative expansion, including the unique incorporation of dormitories, known then as barracks, within Tiger Stadium.
A student in the North Stadium Barracks writes a letter at their desk.
– Gumbo Yearbook 1945
Governor Huey P. Long responded to calls for a larger football stadium by combining it with student housing. Thomas Heard, the graduate manager of athletics at the time, proposed building dorms beneath the expanded stands, a plan supported by Long and LSU President James M. Smith.
Construction began in 1932 with the east-side dormitories, and then the west-side dorms followed in 1935. Each five-story dormitory featured community bathrooms and telephone areas. In total, the spaces housed 1,500 students and increased the stadium’s capacity to 22,000 spectators.
By 1936, an expansion on the north side of the stadium led to 1,250 more dorm rooms and increased Tiger Stadium’s capacity to 46,000.
