MONROE, LA – The Northeast Louisiana Music Trail will unveil its 22nd historical marker at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on the campus of The University of Louisiana Monroe on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. This event is open to the public, who are encouraged to arrive early for social time and music provided by KEDM Public Radio. The marker will be erected at the corner of Northeast Drive and Bon Aire Drive, just in front of the Coliseum.
This marker was made possible by a grant through the ULM Opportunity Fund, founded by President Ron Berry and Dr. Christine Berry, and is one of nine projects funded this year. The Opportunity Fund seeks to assist students, faculty, and staff in generating positive change in the University and regional communities. Addressing the ULM Opportunity Fund awardees at a recent press conference, President Berry stated, “Thank you for sharing your dreams and your creativity. Thank you for the work that you are going to do to help this university continue to realize our vision of changing lives and lifting this community up.”
The Northeast Louisiana Music Trail was founded in 2023 by Enoch Doyle Jeter and Molly Jeter McCullar and “seeks to honor the rich musical heritage of Northeast Louisiana by recognizing and celebrating the musicians, music, places, stories and people who make up this special area of the world,” according to its mission statement. Molly is the Director of Ticket Operations for ULM Athletics and works out of Fant-Ewing Coliseum. “Not only do I love the facility as my base of operations for work, and for the memories I have of attending concerts and games here over the years, I am also so excited to commemorate the Coliseum as a venue on the NELA Music Trail. Both ULM and our music trail project are dear to my heart. We are very grateful to President Berry and Dr. Christine Berry, and to the entire Opportunity Fund Committee and list of donors, for sponsoring this marker. We also appreciate and encourage everyone to visit the ULM Special Collections archives on campus as we did when researching yearbooks, student newspapers and photographs– what a treasure!”
The majority of concerts, speaker series events, comedy shows, and other events hosted at Fant-Ewing Coliseum over the years have been sponsored and hosted by the Campus Activities Board, formerly known as the Union Board, and in conjunction with Spring Fever week activities.
Charles H. McDonald will be a special guest speaker during the unveiling ceremony. “Charlie Mac” as he is affectionately known, was a Coordinator of Student Activities, Director of Student Development, and Dean of Student Affairs before retiring from ULM in 2002. During his time at the university, he was also the advisor for the Union Board for 24 years and is directly responsible for creating and mentoring the Union Board as well as developing the Spring Fever tradition on campus. According to Mr. McDonald, “Membership in the Union Board/Campus Activities Board provided a ‘living laboratory’ experience for students, who were offered the opportunity to put the information gained in the classroom into actual use presenting concerts for the students and community.”
The Northeast Louisiana community, visitors and university students have enjoyed musical performances at Fant-Ewing Coliseum since the early 1970s when performers such as Sha Na Na, Ray Charles, and The Eagles toured through. The 1980s and 90s saw performers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kool & The Gang, and The Go-Go’s. More recently, Spring Fever has hosted the Ying Yang Twins, Panic at the Disco, 21 Savage, and Ludacris. These are only a few of the many musicians, comedians, and speakers who have visited the campus. The Coliseum is still a popular music venue, due to host BigXthaPlug on April 8th and Tracy Lawrence on April 12th.
For more information on the ULM Opportunity Fund, visit https://www.ulm.edu/president/progress/fund.html.
For more information on the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail and a map of all markers, visit their page on Facebook or search “Northeast Louisiana Music Trail” on the Historical Marker Database at hmdb.org.