Medical School Near Completion After Four Years

              12-A Oct. 9,1975 THE SHREVEPORT TIMES
Chairs Waiting for Rooms
. . . stacked in empty space
A New Building in Shreveport
. . front of the medical school
Dr. Alvin C. Harper
. . . inspects huge ductwork
Medical School
Near Completion
After Four Years
By Elaine King
Times Medical Writer
From a narrow tract of land sandwiched
between a hospital and nursing school has risen the
mammoth Louisiana State University School of
Medicine in Shreveport, which is nearing
completion now, four years and one month after
groundbreaking.
Furniture is stacked in some rooms, waiting to
be positioned throughout the sprawling five-building,
550,000-square-ft. complex.
Workmen with drills, paint and ladders are
working to finish up the last of the brown brick
buildings' interiors so that medical students, faculty
and administration workers can move into the
building from their various temporary medical
school sites in the city.
Because of the enormity of the project — the
largest structure in the entire Louisiana State
University system — the completion date has been
moved back several times.
If the medical school moves into the new
building during November as Dr. Alvin C. Harper of
Baton Rouge, LSU's vice president of administration
and facility planning predicts, it will be about 14
months later than the original occupancy target
date.
Registration for the 96-member freshman class
has been set for 10 a.m. Friday in the student union
at the school's Linwood complex. Because of the
construction delays that postponed occupancy this
fall, freshman registration was moved back from its
original September date.
Dr. Harper and other officials from the LSU
system, medical school and representatives of the
work forces that built the school were on hand
yesterday for a press tour of the building prior to
the Oct. 28 opening ceremonies at 2 p.m.
Gov. Edwin Edwards is scheduled to deliver the
dedicatory address and cut the ribbon, symbolizing
offical opening of the schooL
The school represents a total project budget of
$30.8 million — $24 million for the building, $1.1
million for X-ray equipment and $3.6 million for
movable fixtures, Dr. Harper said.
Financing for the project included a $20,288
million federal grant with revenue from state bonds
completing the amount, according to Dr. Harper.
Within the five buildings are 1,000 assignable
rooms, including offices. The buildings are
connected into a single complex and join
Confederate Memorial Medical Center on nine floors
and on the other side has a connecting walkway
with the Northwest School of Nursing.
If Contaminated . . .
Times
Photos
by
Billy Upshaw
and
Ken Aclin
Architect Murff O'Neal
. . . shows rotating windows
Medical Students Waiting 10 Floors High
. . . to use entrance soon . . . view from the top
Dr. Harper by Incinerator
. . . meets pollution guides