Nicholls State University

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Nicholls State University

Former name	Francis T. Nicholls Junior College (1948–1956) Francis T. Nicholls State College (1956–1970)
Motto	People Creating Possibilities
Type	Public university
Established	September 23, 1948 (1948-09-23)
Parent institution	UL System
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$30 million[1]
President	Jay Clune
Students	6,366[2]
Undergraduates	5,717[2]
Postgraduates	649[2]
Location	Thibodaux, Louisiana , U.S. 29°47′25″N 90°48′10″W / 29.7903°N 90.8027°W / 29.7903; -90.8027
Colors	Red & gray
Nickname	Colonels
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – Southland
Website	www.nicholls.edu

Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholls, a former governor of Louisiana, member of the Louisiana Supreme Court, and general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War.

The 287-acre (1.16 km²) campus, once part of Acadia Plantation, fronts on Bayou Lafourche, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of New Orleans and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Baton Rouge. Its oldest structure, Elkins Hall, was completed in 1948 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nicholls is located in the Acadiana region. It is also within the geographical bounds of the Mississippi River Delta, and close to the Mississippi River, its distributaries, Louisiana's wetlands, and the Gulf of Mexico.