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On July 1, 1958, Walker began his service as only the fourth president of ULM. Under Walker, the university grew in enrollment, physical plant, and academic standing. The enrollment increased from barely 2,000 in the late 1950s to more than 9,000 by the middle 1970s.<ref name=walker>{{cite web|url=http://www.kedm.org/audio/remembering-university-president-dr-george-t-walker-ulm-forum-6-24-11|title=Remembering a University President: Dr. George T. Walker|publisher=kedm.org|accessdate=July 6, 2011; no longer on-line}}</ref>
On July 1, 1958, Walker began his service as only the fourth president of ULM. Under Walker, the university grew in enrollment, physical plant, and academic standing. The enrollment increased from barely 2,000 in the late 1950s to more than 9,000 by the middle 1970s.<ref name=walker>{{cite web|url=http://www.kedm.org/audio/remembering-university-president-dr-george-t-walker-ulm-forum-6-24-11|title=Remembering a University President: Dr. George T. Walker|publisher=kedm.org|accessdate=July 6, 2011; no longer on-line}}</ref>
He worked to increase the quality and the compensation of the faculty. Under Walker ULM added more than a dozen academic buildings and residence halls to the campus.<ref name=walker/> These structures included Garrett, Hanna, Sugar, and Strauss halls, Schulze Dining Hall, the Business Administration Building, the Band Building, Sandel Library, Fant-Ewing Coliseum, Heard Tennis Stadium, Brown Stadium, Malone Stadium (opened 1978), the Lake C. Oxford Natatorium (completed in 1978), several residence halls, and the Anna Gray Noe Alumni Center, named for the wife of former [[Governor]] James Albert Noe, Sr. (1890-1976).<ref name=builder/>
He worked to increase the quality and the compensation of the faculty. Under Walker ULM added more than a dozen academic buildings and residence halls to the campus.<ref name=walker/> These structures included Garrett, Hanna, Sugar, and Strauss halls, Schulze Dining Hall, the Business Administration Building, the Band Building, Sandel Library, Fant-Ewing Coliseum, Heard Tennis Stadium, Brown Stadium, Malone Stadium (opened 1978), the Lake C. Oxford Natatorium (completed in 1978), several residence halls, and the Anna Gray Noe Alumni Center, named for the wife of former [[Governor]] James Albert Noe, Sr. (1890-1976).<ref name=builder/>
The then NLU became the largest university in North Louisiana in terms of both enrollment and state appropriations.<ref name=obit/> Among the universities under the Louisiana Higher Education Board of Trustees, NLU had the greatest percent of faculty holding terminal degrees and more nationally accredited academic programs.<ref name=obit/>
The then NLU became the largest university in North Louisiana in terms of both enrollment and state appropriations.<ref name=obit/> Among the universities under the Louisiana Higher Education Board of Trustees, NLU had the greatest percent of faculty holding terminal degrees and more nationally accredited academic programs.<ref name=obit/>
In 1961, under Walker's leadership ULM offered its first doctoral degree, the Ph.D. in pharmacy. The Ed.D. (since renamed Ph.D.) in education followed in 1967.<ref name=builder/>
In 1961, under Walker's leadership ULM offered its first doctoral degree, the Ph.D. in pharmacy. The Ed.D. (since renamed Ph.D.) in education followed in 1967.<ref name=builder/>
In addition to academic growth under his leadership, numerous support groups came to fruition: the Northeast Louisiana Concerts Association, NLU Foundation, NLU Athletic Scholarship Foundation, and the Northeast Louisiana Land Corporation.<ref name=obit/> The land corporation was created in 1965 with local business leaders with the goal of procuring land for university expansion.<ref name=builder/>
In addition to academic growth under his leadership, numerous support groups came to fruition: the Northeast Louisiana Concerts Association, NLU Foundation, NLU Athletic Scholarship Foundation, and the Northeast Louisiana Land Corporation.<ref name=obit/> The land corporation was created in 1965 with local business leaders with the goal of procuring land for university expansion.<ref name=builder/>
Walker's tenure at NLU corresponded in part with that of [[F. Jay Taylor]], the president from 1962 to 1987 of nearby [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. Under Taylor's tenure, Louisiana Tech grew in similar fashion to that of ULM under Walker. Taylor died a month before the passing of Walker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=f-jay-taylor&pid=151095320|title=Dr. F. Jay Taylor|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=May 17, 2011|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref>
Walker's tenure at NLU corresponded in part with that of [[F. Jay Taylor]], the president from 1962 to 1987 of nearby [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. Under Taylor's tenure, Louisiana Tech grew in similar fashion to that of ULM under Walker. Taylor died a month before the passing of Walker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=f-jay-taylor&pid=151095320|title=Dr. F. Jay Taylor|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=May 17, 2011|accessdate=May 17, 2011}}</ref>
The tenures of Walker and Taylor also corresponded to that of [[Arnold Kilpatrick]], president of Northwestern State University from 1966 to 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://northwesternalumni.com/s/859/index.aspx?id=859&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1141&ecid=1141&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=791|title=Home Named in Honor of Former NSU President|publisher=Northwesternalumni.com|accessdate=May 22, 2009}}</ref> During this same period the [[African American]] Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (1902-1982) was president of historically black Grambling State University in Grambling in Lincoln Parish west of Ruston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/obituaries/ralph-we-jones-78-ex-head-of-grambling.html|title=Ralph W. E. Jones, 79, Ex-Head of Grambling|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=April 11, 1982|accessdate=July 6, 2011}}</ref>
The tenures of Walker and Taylor also corresponded to that of [[Arnold Kilpatrick]], president of Northwestern State University from 1966 to 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://northwesternalumni.com/s/859/index.aspx?id=859&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1141&ecid=1141&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=791|title=Home Named in Honor of Former NSU President|publisher=Northwesternalumni.com|accessdate=May 22, 2009}}</ref> During this same period the [[African American]] Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (1902-1982) was president of historically black Grambling State University in Grambling in Lincoln Parish west of Ruston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/obituaries/ralph-we-jones-78-ex-head-of-grambling.html|title=Ralph W. E. Jones, 79, Ex-Head of Grambling|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=April 11, 1982|accessdate=July 6, 2011}}</ref>