A Lafayette man has made Louisiana mountaineering history by becoming the first known resident of the state to stand atop the highest natural point in all 50 U.S. states.
Dr. Linus Wilson, a professor of finance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a 19-year resident of Lafayette, completed the milestone on June 17, 2026, after reaching the summit of Mount McKinley in Denali National Park, Alaska. At 20,310 feet, Mount McKinley is the tallest mountain in North America, the highest peak in the United States, and Alaska’s highest point.
To mark the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Wilson carried an American flag to the summit during his successful ascent…