Troy H. Middleton

Born October 12, 1889 Died October 9, 1976

in Georgetown, Mississippi in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Troy H. Middleton was a distinguished soldier and educator whose

remarkable dual career was such that it was difficult sometimes to separate

one role from the other. "The General" once said, "the most rewarding

days of my life were spent in education - both in the military and out."

After serving in World War I as a regimental commander and the

youngest colonel in the U.S. Army, Middleton devoted more than a decade

to teaching at various military institutions. At one time during World

War II every corps commander in Europe had been a student under

Middleton at the Command and General Staff School. His best-known

former student was Dwight D. Eisenhower.

He entered the Army as a private in 1910 after graduating from

Mississippi A&M College and was a Lt. General and VIII Corps Commander

in Europe at the end of World War II. In July 1930 he was assigned

by the Army to LSU's ROTC unit as Commandant. He stayed at

LSU, with time out for military service in World War II, and

served in six administrative positions, including 11 years as President.

He retired in 1962.

The LSU Board of Supervisors, on November 3, 1978, named this

structure the "Troy H. Middleton Library." In so doing the Board

noted: "..... of his many outstanding accomplishments as President

he was most proud of the construction of a long-needed new

library building, the dedication of which on October 23, 1959, launched

the observance of the University's Centennial."