Lsu Museum
Dillon Smith
February 15, 2011
Exhibit Paper
“Home of the Champions”
LSU athletics can certainly be defined by its unique tradition, triumphant teams, dedicated fans, and unquestionable support from the entire city of Baton Rouge. Thanks to “Great athletes spanning the decades,” LSU’s athletic program has flourished into a charismatic powerhouse. Many of the memorable moments within LSU’s sports history can be found in the Jack & Priscilla Andonie Museum located on LSU’s campus. The museum began with an LSU alumnus, Jack Andonie, whose goal was to fill the museum with collections of LSU sports relics. He was a devoted fan with a passionate love for LSU. Andonie collected 13,000 LSU sports related items. The vast collection began to take over his home and his wife, Priscilla Andonie, forced him to make a decision between “Me or the stuff.” Arousing the construction of the museum in 2004, Jack Andonie decided to donate his valuable collection to LSU. Since then, the museum is fueled by donations from fans and other generous alumni. As I walked into the museum a picture of Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley, instantly caught my attention. This nationally recognized attribute tends to provoke feelings of excitement and pride in LSU fans. Looking around, I found myself repeatedly reading “Home of the Champions” signs. As I viewed the autographed relics, retired jerseys, and championship trophies, I soon realized the reality of that statement. LSU’s dominating athletic program is truly one of a kind. As I continued walking to the other exhibits I was approached by the museum’s director, Bud Johnson. Bud was an energy filled man who lived by the “Forever LSU” motto and thoroughly enjoyed sharing his passion of LSU with others. He knew everything there was to know regarding LSU and gladly answered all of my questions. When thinking of LSU, people tend to think of football. However, many people fail to know the extent of its long
February 15, 2011
Exhibit Paper
“Home of the Champions”
LSU athletics can certainly be defined by its unique tradition, triumphant teams, dedicated fans, and unquestionable support from the entire city of Baton Rouge. Thanks to “Great athletes spanning the decades,” LSU’s athletic program has flourished into a charismatic powerhouse. Many of the memorable moments within LSU’s sports history can be found in the Jack & Priscilla Andonie Museum located on LSU’s campus. The museum began with an LSU alumnus, Jack Andonie, whose goal was to fill the museum with collections of LSU sports relics. He was a devoted fan with a passionate love for LSU. Andonie collected 13,000 LSU sports related items. The vast collection began to take over his home and his wife, Priscilla Andonie, forced him to make a decision between “Me or the stuff.” Arousing the construction of the museum in 2004, Jack Andonie decided to donate his valuable collection to LSU. Since then, the museum is fueled by donations from fans and other generous alumni. As I walked into the museum a picture of Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley, instantly caught my attention. This nationally recognized attribute tends to provoke feelings of excitement and pride in LSU fans. Looking around, I found myself repeatedly reading “Home of the Champions” signs. As I viewed the autographed relics, retired jerseys, and championship trophies, I soon realized the reality of that statement. LSU’s dominating athletic program is truly one of a kind. As I continued walking to the other exhibits I was approached by the museum’s director, Bud Johnson. Bud was an energy filled man who lived by the “Forever LSU” motto and thoroughly enjoyed sharing his passion of LSU with others. He knew everything there was to know regarding LSU and gladly answered all of my questions. When thinking of LSU, people tend to think of football. However, many people fail to know the extent of its long