Lyon College Celebrates Sesquicentennial

 Lyon College in Batesville, AR is preparing to celebrate the sesquicentennial of its founding in 1872. 

Events will kick off with ScotsFest (Homecoming & Annual Arkansas Scottish Festival) on October 14th-16th, with daily activities throughout the following week. Founders' Week celebrations will culminate on October 22nd with the inauguration of Lyon College's 19th President, Dr. Melissa Taverner, and a Black Tie Gala.

You can read more about the history of Lyon College by visiting the Our History web page.

Batesville's NBC affiliate KAIT posted "Lyon College hosting multiple events to honor 150th anniversary," with reporting by Hayden Savage on October 11, 2022.

University of Arkansas Prepares for Sesquicentennial

The University of Arkansas is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. Sesquicentennial events will be held in 2021 and 2022 including the fall kick off event. Come as You Arkansas is scheduled for September 10, 2021 and will be an all-day event.

The sesquicentennial web page includes links to planned activities or related news, a virtual Senior Walk, a variety of historical images and information on the university's history.

The Senior Walk, a unique tradition and includes the names of more than 200,000 graduates, from its first commencement in 1876 to the present. The walk starts at the front door of Old Main and wends its way across miles of campus, with each new class of graduates’ names being added about a year later each spring and dedicated at Homecoming.

You can also visit the university library's Special Collections & Archives page to find an array of interesting resources. 

John Brown University 100th Anniversary

John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding as Southwestern Collegiate Institute in 1919. It was renamed John E. Brown College in 1920 honoring John E. Brown Sr., a traveling preacher who founded a school. It later joined Siloam School of the Bible and John E. Brown Vocational College to become John Brown University in 1934.

The 100th anniversary web pages include a timeline, events, memories, photographs, and publications. Ordering information is offered for a centennial commemorative photo book, John Brown University: A Century of Christ Over All, and Christ Over All: A History of John Brown University.

There is a fascinating entrepreneurial thread running through the history of John Brown University. In addition to educational endeavors in Arkansas, it also operated a military preparatory school that was originally named San Diego Army and Navy Academy by founder Colonel Thomas A. Davis. The academy opened its doors Nov. 23, 1910 in Pacific Beach, CA. 

Brown purchased the school for $600,000 in 1937 after a foreclosure the preceding year and renamed it as Brown Military Academy. There was also a branch operating initially at Sulpher Springs, AR and later moved to Siloam Springs that was known as the Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks.

The California institution was moved from Pacific Beach to Glendora in 1958 and ultimately closed in 1968.

You can check out the John Brown University Archives web pages for access to digital collections and more information on the institution's history.

Historical Sketch of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

The Southwest Times Record published an interesting historical sketch of what is now the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, founded in 1928 at Fort Smith Junior College. The article, "We Are the River Valley: University of Arkansas at Fort Smith," includes comments of Billy Higgins, associate professor of history at UAFS and draws from a history of the institution, The First 85 Years: 1928-2012, co-written by Higgins, Stephen Husarik and Henry Rinne.

Fort Smith Junior College became Westark Junior College in 1966. The name then changed to Westark Community College in 1972 and to Westark College in 1998.  The institution was absorbed by University of Arkansas system and known as University of Arkansas - Fort Smith after 2002.

The College of the Ouachitas becomes Arkansas State University-Three Rivers

The College of the Ouachitas (COTO) in Malvern, AR adopted a new name and logo in September. The institution will officially become Arkansas State University-Three Rivers beginning January 1, 2020.

COTO was founded as Ouachitas Vocational Technical School in 1969. The name change to Ouachitas Technical College in 1991 and to the College of the Ouachitas in 2011. It then joined the Arkansas State University System in 2019.

COTO president Dr. Steven Rook shares information on the name change in an interview posted by KUAF public radio 91.3 in Fayetteville, AR, "COTO to be Arkansas State University-Three Rivers."

Historical Sketch of University of Arkansas Fort Smith

The Fort Smith Times Record published a historical sketch of what is now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith on December 24, 2017, "UAFS has decades of history, stories to tell."  The article by Thomas Saccente is part of a series of articles coinciding with the bicentennial of the founding of Fort Smith. 

Saccente included comments by Billy Higgins co-author of an institutional history, along with Stephen Husarik and Henry Rinne, of The First 85 Years 1928-2012.  UAFS was founded in 1928 as Fort Smith Junior College.  It became Westark Junior College in 1966. The name changed to Westark Community College in 1972 and to Westark College in 1998. Westark was then absorbed by University of Arkansas system and known as University of Arkansas at Fort Smith in 2002.

Williams Baptist University: New Name for Williams Baptist College

Williams Baptist College of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas announced this week that it will change its name to Williams Baptist University by July 1, 2018.  

Williams Baptist celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding last year.  The institution was founded in 1941 as Southern Baptist College and was initially located in Pocahontas, AR.  The campus was relocated in 1947 to a former World War II military base at Walnut Ridge. 

A report on the change was also published this week by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, "Williams Baptist alters name."

Philander Smith College celebrates 140th Anniversary

Philander Smith College, an HBCU institution in Little Rock, Arkansas has been celebrating the 140th anniversary of their founding in 1877.  Enrollment is roughly 750 students.

The anniversary web pages include an historical sketch and the remaining events scheduled for 2017. 

The college also maintains a digital archive that provides access to some college yearbooks and other institutional documents.

Arkansas's Southland College Featured: First Higher Education Institution for Blacks west of Mississippi River

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette published an interesting article on Southland College, "Little left of school in Delta," with reporting by Bill Bowdin.  Southland was supported by Quakers and opened in 1925 as Helena Orphan Asylum.  Initially schooling was provided for the children and a normal program was added to prepare teachers after 1869.  The Southland College name was adopted after 1873 and the institution was the first higher education for blacks west of the Mississippi River.  Southland College ultimately closed in 1925.

Bowdin notes that the University of Arkansas archives offer an extensive digital exhibit, "Lives Transformed: the People of Southland College," featuring photographs and first-person accounts documenting the impact of the institution.

A History of Southland College published in 1906 by the Indiana Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is available at the Internet Archive.  The booklet includes a number of historic images of buildings and people associated with the institution.

Heritage College is Closing with Sites in Ten States

KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS, KMBC-TV in Kansas City, MO and a number of other news outlets reported today on the closure of Heritage College.  Heritage was a private for-profit and offered certificates and associates degrees in a variety of health care fields.

 If you are interested in recent trends for closures, access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  The institution operated sites in ten cities and all appear to have closed.

Williams Baptist College Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, AR is celebrating its 75th anniversary.  The institution was founded in 1941 as Southern Baptist College and was initially located in Pocahontas, AR.  The campus was relocated in 1947 to a former World War II military base at Walnut Ridge.  WBC began as a two-year college.  Baccalaureate programs were added after 1984. The name was changed to Williams Baptist College, in honor of its founder, in 1991.  The institution enrolls roughly 550 students.

Philander Smith College President Authors Commentary Supporting Relevancy of HBCUs

President Roderick L. Smothers of Philander Smith College in Little Rock authored a guest editorial supporting the need for historically black colleges for Arkansas Online on December 31, 2015, the web version of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  Smothers contends that HBCUs are still needed and play a valuable role within the higher education community. 

The article notes that Arkansas Baptist College, Shorter College in North Little Rock, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff join Philander Smith as the four HBCUs in Arkansas.

Philander Smith College was founded in 1877 as Waldon Seminary is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock was founded in 1884.

Shorter College in North Little Rock was founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

As a publicly supported institution, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff traces the founding to 1873 legislation that established the Branch Normal College as part of the Arkansas Industrial University [now, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, AR].

National Park Community College Changes Name

National Park Community College near Hot Springs, Arkansas announced this past week that is now National Park College.  The institution was founded in 1973 as Garland County Community College.  It joined with Quapaw Technical Institute and became National Park Community College in July 2003.

Catholic Higher Education in the American South, 1830-1930

Kathryn Mary Wrightson's 2003 Ph.D. dissertation for the University of Georgia, Toward a History of Catholic Higher Education in the American South:  Essays on Sources and Context, is available for those interested in the history of southern colleges.  The author identified fifty-five Catholic institutions that opened during the period between 1830-1930.  Ten of these are still operating and the others tended to close after brief periods due to the isolation and poverty of the areas served.

Wrightson begins with an overview of 19th century religious life in the region.  The third chapter provides brief historical sketches of the Catholic colleges founded in nine states.  The fourth and fifth chapters focus respectively on the structures and "souls" of Catholic colleges.  She concludes by analyzing institutional success and closure in a variety of ways.  Wrightson also includes comments on the state of available sources for information and offers useful suggestions for additional research.

Arkansas Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to Arkansas colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Beauvoir College (AR)

W. T. Spence's "History of Beauvoir College" is available through JSTOR.  The article was published in The Winter 1958 issue of The Arkansas Historical Quarterly.

The institution was initially founded as Drew Normal Institute and the name was changed to Beauvoir College in 1903.  J.L. Spense served as the founding president.  After the closure, he founded and served as president of  Hinemon University School in Monticello until 1909.  He then became the first president of the state's Fourth District Agricultural School, now the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

An article on Beauvoir College is also available through The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.

Mountain Home Baptist College (AR)

The Baxter Bulletin published an article highlighting the history of Mountain Home Baptist College.  The institution opened in 1893 and struggled during the Great Depression, finally closing in 1933.  Several photographs are provided for the article by the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society.

University of Central Arkansas

Jimmy Bryant, University of Central Arkansas archivist, provides an interesting summary of the history of the institution after it was founded in 1907 as Arkansas State Normal School.

Cane Hill College (Arkansas)

Cane Hill College is featured in a video segment with KFSM-TV [Ft. Smith-Fayetteville] anchor Mitch Roberts. Cane Hill School opened in 1835 and later evolved to become one of the first institution of higher education in Arkansas. The video includes pictures of the one remaining building and current historical displays. Local historian Linda Doede is also featured.

Cane Hill was supported by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It closed in 1861 and burned in 1864 during the Civil War. Supporters rebuilt and reopeded the institution in 1868. It was destroyed again by fire in 1885 and reopened in 1887. The remaining building was used for a public school after closure until the 1950's and is currently used as a community building. Cane Hill is considered to be a predecessor of Arkansas Cumberland College and later, the College of the Ozarks, now the University of the Ozarks.

Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education

The Arkanas State Board of Private Career Education provides contact information and a link for requesting transcripts of proprietary institutions that have closed.