It’s not easy to say a corrupt leader is a good thing; in modern society it has become reprehensible.But all you have to do is take a walk around the University’s campus to see positive results of corruption.As I sit writing this column, fans from two states are preparing to make Tiger Stadium one of the largest cities in the state of Louisiana. Death Valley is a testament to what corruption can accomplish, and there isn’t a student on our campus who would have it any other way.During Gov. Huey Long’s administration the stadium’s size was doubled. When Long — an avid LSU fan — went to legislature to get money, the Kingfish was denied.  To circumvent this, Long asked for and received money for dormitories. The dorms were built onto the existing stadium. This expansion increased the size from 22,000 seats to 46,000 seats.Long’s enthusiasm wasn’t just for home games. On one occasion he announced that the state would pay for all University students to travel to an away game against Vanderbilt in Nashville. When the state couldn’t fund the travel, Long stood in front of the train and began handing each student money to travel. When Long ran out of money, he ordered LSU President James Monroe Smith to start giving the students money.Smith pulled out a roll of bills and did as the Kingfish commanded.Long loved all things LSU. Long biographer and former LSU history professor T. Harry Williams goes into great detail in describing Long’s devotion to our university.In 1930 Long informed Smith the University should expand its physical plant. When Smith expressed skepticism about Long’s ability to accomplish this he was told, “Go ahead with your buildings. Get your architects and start what you need.”When Smith asked where Long would get the money, Long replied, “That will be my part of the job. You have got to dare a bit to build this school.”Long’s plan was ingenious. He announced the state capitol building under construction was going to require more land than was additionally believed. The solution was simple — the state would buy land from the University in the vicinity of the state house. When Long “discovered” the Highway Commission needed new offices in the area of the capitol, he suggested the LSU Board of Supervisors sell 21 acres. For this concession they received $1.8 million.From dubious transactions like this the University received more than $9 million by 1935 for construction of a new campus. This massive influx of money built a massive music and dramatic arts building, a fine arts building, girl’s dorms, a gym, a student center and the infamous Huey P. Long Field House.When ROTC commandant Major Troy Middleton — of the Middleton Library fame — suggested a plan for an outdoor pool costing $75,000, Long replied, “Hell, he don’t know nothing about pools, but I do.”Long’s design cost the school $500,000. When Long was informed the pool at the U.S. Naval Academy was larger, he told the construction foreman to “put ten more feet on this pool.” When the pool was completed Louisianians believed the pool was not only the largest pool in the country, but in the world.Though the school was expanding physically, it wasn’t neglecting its academics. In four years the state also increased money allocated to the school for operations. With massively increased revenues, the school improved its existing programs. While the University had a graduate school, it only offered a master’s degree. In 1931, Long and Smith simultaneously announced LSU would offer a doctorate of philosophy.The increased amounts of money also made it possible to enlarge the size of the faculty. When Long became governor, there were 168 faculty members on campus.  By 1935, this number was increased to 245. Most of the professors who came in were professors from prestigious northern schools who already had achieved a solid academic reputation. All of these additions attracted national attention to Louisiana for the first time. What was perhaps the most impressive is the fact that enrollment increased rapidly during this time of corruption. If medical students were included the enrollment was 5,200 students. LSU went from being 88th in size in 1931 to 20th in the U.S. in 1935. Some of this was because of increased prestige.More specifically, it was because even back then LSU’s tuition was among the lowest in the country.Though Long may have exaggerated the growth of the University in saying that it ranked just behind Harvard, Yale and Johns Hopkins, the improvements in this era were impressive.The financial developments in this time were fast and loose, and hardly above the boards. In fact in the 1939 “Louisiana Scandals” Smith was forced to resign after embezzling $500,000 of University funds.While this may be a dark era in Louisiana history in many regards, maybe it was a good era as well. What is certain is that the University is better for it.—-Contact Matt McEntire at [email protected]