A College Station retailer six years older than the city will soon be no more.
Loupot’s Bookstores, now owned by a Nebraska corporation going through bankruptcy, has closed in Northgate after 80 years.
Loupot’s stores at Wolf Pen Creek and Southgate will also close.
They are among more than 30 off-campus stores affected by the second round of closures this year by Nebraska Book Company.
Click HERE for the news release from Nebraska Book Company listing the closures of Loupot’s and other off-campus bookstores.
In June 2011 when the corporation filed for bankruptcy reorganization a news release stated there would be “little or no impact on operations, employees, and customers.”
Click HERE to read the June 2011 news release from Nebraska Book Company.
Background information taken from Loupot’s 2010 website:
Judson E. Loupot, Sr. (1910-1995) is the founder and spirit of Loupot’s Bookstores. Aggies and local residents knew him affectionately as “Old Army Lou, class of ’32.”
Loupot came from Dallas to Texas A&M in 1928, when College Station was a railroad stop for young men attending Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. The death of his father put him in the position of having to support himself and assist his family. With his roommate, future Congressman Olin E. (Tiger) Teague, he started a business in their dorm room selling used books and clothing. School officials expressed their displeasure with this arrangement, so friends built a structure at the Northgate and soon business was underway at “Loupot’s Trading Post.”
The Lou Legend is based on his used book business. Never forgetting the financial crisis of his student years, Loupot went out of way to help others. He had a generous habit of lending money and feeding hungry Aggies. The legend includes stories of rides to the out of town games, wild business ventures and kidnappings of rival team mascots. If you look closely you can see the BEVO trailer in Mr. Loupot’s parking lot— WHOOP!
Currently, the family has 3 convenient locations serving Texas A&M University and Blinn College. It continues the founder’s traditions with a scholarship through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that provides assistance to students in financial crisis. Loupot’s Bookstores also donates TAMU student organizations and community groups involved in philanthropic works as well as scholarship fundraisers with A&M and Aggie Moms Clubs around the world. The Loupot student employees (approximately 60) are given incentives for academic performance and physical fitness as well as a Now Discover Your Strengths program — authored by Buckingham and Clifton.
Many people mourned Mr. Loupot’s passing, and he remains the only local businessman to have an issue of the TEXAS AGGIE magazine dedicated to his honor. There was much laughter and storytelling at his funeral service. It was truly a celebration – the Singing Cadets, the Ross Volunteers (with a 21 gun salute), a lone bugler playing taps, even Reveille were in attendance.
In 2007, the business celebrated our 75th anniversary with over 430 former student employees dating back to 1943. And this year we are happy to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ol’ Army Lou!