Rooted in Tradition: The Century Oaks at UL Lafayette
Some Louisiana landmarks are built of brick and stone. Others grow slowly, spreading their branches over generations of memories. The Century Oaks at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette belong to that second, especially treasured kind.
For me, these oaks are deeply personal. I cherish my memories of walking across campus and looking up at their beautiful, spreading branches. Seeing them brought a sense of comfort and belonging—a feeling that I was part of something that began long before me and would continue long after.
Their story began on New Year’s Day in 1901, when Dr. Edwin Stephens, the first president of Southwestern Louisiana Institute—now UL Lafayette—planted 18 live oaks near Johnston Street and University Avenue. He named them the Twentieth Century Oaks in recognition of the new century. At just 27, Stephens envisioned turning former sugarcane fields into a welcoming college campus.
What a meaningful gift to the future: planting trees whose beauty would be enjoyed by generations he would never meet.
Those oaks were already part of the campus when my mother attended the university in the 1950s. They were there when I walked those same grounds in the 1980s. And in the early 2000s, they were there when my stepdaughter, Bonnie, attended graduate school.
Three generations of our family, each with our own experiences and memories, connected by the same university and those enduring trees.
I love thinking about that connection. While classrooms, campus buildings, and daily life have changed, the oaks have stood the test of time. Their branches link my memories with my mother’s college years and Bonnie’s graduate school experience. They remind me that a place can hold a family’s history without ever speaking a word.
Stephens’ love of live oaks reached beyond the campus. In 1934, his writing helped establish the Live Oak Society to encourage their appreciation and preservation. Its original rules called for member trees to contribute 25 acorns each year to help grow future generations of oaks.
That idea feels especially fitting here. Just as one generation of trees provides for the next, a university nurtures people who carry their knowledge and experiences into their families, careers, and communities.
UL Lafayette has played an important role in generations of our family, and our story is only one among many. For so many families across Acadiana and beyond, the university represents opportunity, discovery, friendship, and pride. I hope it will continue to hold that meaningful place for generations to come.
A bronze statue installed near Girard Hall in 2014 honors Stephens, with an acorn in his hand—a small symbol of a lasting legacy.
At Jane & Lizzee, we treasure these connections between place, family, and tradition. We offer products featuring original Century Oaks artwork by New Iberia artist and author Paul Schexnayder. Officially licensed through CLC and decorated in our New Iberia, Louisiana studio, these pieces offer a meaningful way to bring a cherished campus memory home. They make thoughtful gifts for graduates, alumni, and anyone who holds UL Lafayette close to their heart.
You can explore our gifts at Jane & Lizzee.
For me, the Century Oaks are a beautiful reminder that some of our most meaningful treasures are the places that connect us to one another.
The next time you walk across UL Lafayette’s campus, take a moment to look up. Think about the generations who have passed beneath those branches and the generations still to come. I know I will be remembering my mother, my own campus walks, and Bonnie—and feeling grateful that these beautiful oaks are part of our shared story.
Historical information drawn from “The Twentieth Century Oaks, Lafayette” by William Guion, 100 Oaks Project.
