The Center for Louisiana Studies created the Center for Louisiana Studies Lecture Series in 2005. The series highlights noted scholars as well as authors published by the center, in an effort to mark significant events in Louisiana's history, encourage scholarly discussion among the community, and feature new center publications. For more information, please contact the Center for Louisiana Studies at 337.482.6027.

The lecture series debuted in March 2005 with a lecture by John Mack Faragher entitled "A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from Their American Homeland." The lecture was the inaugural event of the statewide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia and showcased Dr. Faragher's recent groundbreaking findings regarding this still highly controversial historical episode. Once an obscure footnote to American history, the Acadian expulsion has recently come under intense scrutiny as scholars have come to realize their expulsion as the most notorious example of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing in North America.

The second lecture in the series featured David Zinman, author of the center's popular The Day Huey Long Was Shot, now in its third printing. A longtime newspaperman, Zinman's book was the first to challenge the "official" story of Huey Long's assassination. Unfortunately, Mr. Zinman could not speak at the October 24, 2005, lecture and sent his colleague and co-writer of a play based on Huey Long's assassination, Michael Wynne, to present their argument of "Who Killed the Kingfish?" His presentation sparked a lively debate among audience members, proving the consensus remains, no one really knows who killed the Kingfish.