Fletcher Technical College Revenue and Competitors

Fletcher Technical Community College was originally established as South Louisiana Trade School by Legislative Act 69, May Session of 1948, House Bill 212. The late Honorable Earl K. Long, then Governor of Louisiana, signed the bill for establishment on June 23, 1948. The school was established for the purpose of providing vocational training for the populace of an area comprised of the following five parishes: Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. James, and St. Charles. The physical plant was located on a seven-acre site on St. Charles Street in Houma, provided by the Terrebonne Parish School Board for the purpose of providing vocational training. Classes were opened in July of 1951 under the directorship of Harrell P. Willis. Full-time day preparatory classes were offered in Office Occupations, Drafting, Auto Mechanics, Industrial Engines Mechanics, and Carpentry. A full-time related studies program supplemented the instructional programs. Immediate need for and acceptance of the program was evidenced by the fact that a total of 883 trainees were enrolled during the first year of operation. With the initial success of the trade preparatory program assured, extension classes were established to offer upgrading of skills to those persons already employed. Programs were offered both on-campus and off-campus in Lafourche, Assumption, and St. Charles Parishes to give residents of these areas availability of training. The school administration has endeavored to be responsive to the need for skill training and to provide training in emerging occupations by evaluating employment statistics. With changes in the mission and program offerings evolving over the years, so did the name of the school. In 1977, the name was changed to South Louisiana Vocational-Technical School; in 1990, to South Louisiana Regional Technical Institute; in 1995, to Louisiana Technical College - South Louisiana Campus. In 1999, the name was changed to Louisiana Technical College - L. E. Fletcher Campus to honor a former director. The Louisiana Board of Regents (BoR), the coordinating board for all public higher education in Louisiana, at its meeting of June 26, 2003 granted approval for the request from the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) to recognize Louisiana Technical College - L. E. Fletcher Campus as a “Technical Community College” within the LCTCS. This action, effective July 1, 2003, required L.E. Fletcher to transition from its association as a campus of the Louisiana Technical College to a separate institution called L. E. Fletcher Technical Community College. Mr. F. Travis Lavigne, Jr., was named to serve as the chancellor of this new organization.