The University renamed the road in front of the LSU African American Cultural Center from one remembering Confederate admiral Raphael Semmes to Veterans Drive. 
The renaming is part of the University’s commitment to honoring the armed forces, said LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard.
“Raphael Semmes Road will be named Veterans Drive,” Ballard said in a statement. “The street will be home to LSU’s new Veterans Center, and is consistent with other military memorials in the area, such as Memorial Tower, Memorial Oak Grove [and] Veterans’ Memorial on the Parade Ground. LSU continues to pay homage to those who risked their lives [for] our nation.”
The University announced its plans to change several street names on campus and add physical addresses to campus buildings as part of the Comprehensive and Strategic Master Plan’s plan to improve driving on campus.
The Master Plan Roadway Modernization Naming Plan explains the different ways the renaming efforts will improve navigation on campus, and was approved by the Board of Supervisors at their Oct. 13 meeting. Buildings on campus will now have physical addresses, allowing them to be easier to find on GPS. 
“The goal of the roadway modernization is to have improved wayfinding on campus that is cohesive and helps the university move toward implementation of a GPS-based address numbering system for all buildings, including coordinates to main entrances and service entrances to improve emergency response, deliveries and directions for those on campus,” the University said in a press release.
Individuals with roadways named after them were studied to determine how valuable their contributions to the University were, according to the University press release. The University is working with the City of Baton Rouge to implement the new roadways signs this week during non-peak hours to minimize traffic disruptions.