The SUNO Foundation provides philanthropic resources to help Southern University at New Orleans achieve its full potential as an educational institution of higher learning. Through its fundraising efforts, the Southern University at New Orleans Office of Community Outreach, University Advancement & Alumni Affairs, and the SUNO Foundation enable the University to offer its students a quality education and the skills needed for success. Your gift to the SUNO Foundation helps the University provide scholarships, university enhancements, and other needs not met through state funds or additional support. Southern University at New Orleans was founded as a branch unit of Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in Baton Rouge, LA, on September 4, 1956. On Sept. 21, 1959, SUNO opened its doors on a 17-acre site in historic Pontchartrain Park, a subdivision of primarily African American single-family residents in eastern New Orleans. Established as an open community of learners, classes began with 158 freshmen, one building, and a motivated faculty of 15. The University offered ten courses in four academic disciplines: Humanities, Science, Social Science, and Commerce