Henderson State University
Encyclopedia
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts
university
located in Arkadelphia
, Arkansas
, United States
. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
. Henderson's curricula based on the belief that a liberal arts
education
is essential for all undergraduates; Henderson utilizes a program based on a core of courses in the arts
and sciences. The school owns and operates radio station KSWH-FM
, as well as the local Public-access television
cable TV channel, HTV on Suddenlink's channel 9.
in Conway
. The student body, administration, and local population strongly disagreed with the idea and after negotiations with state lawmakers, Henderson-Brown was turned over to the state to prevent the merger. Then in 1929, the institution became known as Henderson State Tearchers College. Hendrix was renamed Hendrix-Henderson College, and remained so for about two years before returning to Hendrix College. After becoming a public institution, Henderson State Teachers Collge began to expand at a rate never envisioned while it was under Methodist control. Six major buildings were built during the Great Depression alone. After World War II, the enrollment nearly doubled to about 500 students. Graduate classes were first offered in 1951 through the University of Arkansas. In 1955, the school's first graduate degree program began. To reflect the change, the name was changed to Henderson State College in 1967 and again in 1975 to Henderson State University. Henderson has an excellent academic record. It has produced numerous Rhodes, Fulbright, and Rotary International scholars. It serves as Arkansas’s only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Currently, degree programs are offered through the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the Graduate School. Henderson has its own degree program in nursing, and it also provides the academic program for the Baptist School of Nursing. The university offers the state’s only four-year bachelor of science degree in aviation. The enrollment in the fall of 2010 was 3,709.
On November 12, 2009, Dr. Welch was formally invested as president by the current governor of Arkansas, Mike Beebe.
. The schools sports teams in Baseball, Basketball (Men and Women), Cross Country (Women), Football, Golf (Men and Women), Softball, Swimming (Men and Women), Tennis, and Volleyball.
The Reddies went on to win the next six meetings and the game was played on Thanksgiving Day. Both teams also made the game their homecoming. The series was discontinued in 1951 after Henderson won 54-0 and the pranks got out of control. The series resumed in 1963 with the Reddies winning 28-13. The series continued until 1993 when Henderson State moved to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. It continued again in 1996 when Ouachita Baptist University moved to the Lone Star Conference. OBU joined the GSC in 2000 and the two schools did not play each other in 2004 or 2005 as a result of schedule rotation. In total, the two schools have met 84 times. Henderson State currently leads the series 40-39-6.
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges or COPLAC is a consortium of 26 public colleges and universities in 24 states and one Canadian province...
. Henderson's curricula based on the belief that a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
is essential for all undergraduates; Henderson utilizes a program based on a core of courses in the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and sciences. The school owns and operates radio station KSWH-FM
KSWH-FM
KSWH-FM is a college radio station licensed to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, USA. The station is currently owned by Henderson State University....
, as well as the local Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV channel, HTV on Suddenlink's channel 9.
History
Henderson State University, was founded on March 23, 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College. The university was renamed for Charles Christopher Henderson, a Trustee and prominent Arkadelphia, in 1904. In 1911 the name was changed to Henderson-Brown College to honor Walter Brown. The state convention decided to close the institution down after thirty nine years of Methodist control and combine it with Hendrix CollegeHendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. The student body averages around 1,400 and currently represents forty-three states and fourteen foreign countries. In US News and World Report's America's Best Colleges, Hendrix is ranked annually in the top tier of...
in Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
. The student body, administration, and local population strongly disagreed with the idea and after negotiations with state lawmakers, Henderson-Brown was turned over to the state to prevent the merger. Then in 1929, the institution became known as Henderson State Tearchers College. Hendrix was renamed Hendrix-Henderson College, and remained so for about two years before returning to Hendrix College. After becoming a public institution, Henderson State Teachers Collge began to expand at a rate never envisioned while it was under Methodist control. Six major buildings were built during the Great Depression alone. After World War II, the enrollment nearly doubled to about 500 students. Graduate classes were first offered in 1951 through the University of Arkansas. In 1955, the school's first graduate degree program began. To reflect the change, the name was changed to Henderson State College in 1967 and again in 1975 to Henderson State University. Henderson has an excellent academic record. It has produced numerous Rhodes, Fulbright, and Rotary International scholars. It serves as Arkansas’s only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Currently, degree programs are offered through the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the Graduate School. Henderson has its own degree program in nursing, and it also provides the academic program for the Baptist School of Nursing. The university offers the state’s only four-year bachelor of science degree in aviation. The enrollment in the fall of 2010 was 3,709.
Administration
Dr. Charles Welch became Henderson State University’s 15th president in 2008. One of his first acts was to hire Dr. Vernon Miles as the university's provost. Miles previously served as Dean of the College at Lynchburg College in Virginia and worked at Our Lady of the Holy Cross College in New Orleans before coming to HSU.On November 12, 2009, Dr. Welch was formally invested as president by the current governor of Arkansas, Mike Beebe.
Campus
Henderson State University has a urban campus. Some of the buildings include the Donald W. Reynolds Science Center, Arkansas Hall, McBrien Hall, Mooney Hall, Womack Hall, the Garrison Activity and Conference Center, and Sturgis Hall. Sturgis Hall is a three story building that provides classrooms, laboratories, offices, and student housing for the Honors College. McBrien Hall provides classrooms, offices, labs, and conference rooms for the English, social sciences, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and foreign languages programs. It also holds the administrative offices for Ellis Collge of Arts and Sciences. The Huie Library serves as the university's library. The library is named after the university's first full-time librarian, Minnie Bell Huie (1934). The library holds over 300,000 books, 100 databases, and 60 student computers.Ellis College of Arts and Sciences
Ellis College is named after Henderson's tenth president and distinguished graduate, Matt Locke Ellis. It was created in 1989 through a reorganization of the existing Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences schools.School of Business
Allows students to major and earn degrees in Acounting or Business administration. The School of Business offers the only university level aviation program in the state of [Arkansas]. The degree programs are accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The aviation program acts under the direction and rules of Federal Aviation Administration and is in the process of obtaining their own collegiate accreditation.Athletics
Henderson State University is an NCAA Division II school and competes in the Great American ConferenceGreat American Conference
The Great American Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II, and is scheduled to begin play in the 2011-12 school year.- Members :...
. The schools sports teams in Baseball, Basketball (Men and Women), Cross Country (Women), Football, Golf (Men and Women), Softball, Swimming (Men and Women), Tennis, and Volleyball.
Battle of the Ravine
The Battle of the Ravine is a rivalry game between Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. It is currently the oldest rivalry of any NCAA Division II institutions. The first game was played on November 8, 1895 (Thanksgiving Day) and Ouachita College beat Arkadelphia Methodist College 8-0. The next meeting did not occur until 1907 in the first sanctioned game of the series. The Reddies defeated Ouachita and went on to claim the Arkansa State Championship.The Reddies went on to win the next six meetings and the game was played on Thanksgiving Day. Both teams also made the game their homecoming. The series was discontinued in 1951 after Henderson won 54-0 and the pranks got out of control. The series resumed in 1963 with the Reddies winning 28-13. The series continued until 1993 when Henderson State moved to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. It continued again in 1996 when Ouachita Baptist University moved to the Lone Star Conference. OBU joined the GSC in 2000 and the two schools did not play each other in 2004 or 2005 as a result of schedule rotation. In total, the two schools have met 84 times. Henderson State currently leads the series 40-39-6.
Notable alumni
- Lynn A. DavisLynn A. DavisLynn Arthur Davis is a retired attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas, who lectures and writes nonfiction crime thrillers based on his past law enforcement experiences. He is a former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, short-term director of the Arkansas State Police, and U.S. marshal for...
, lecturer, crime author, head of Arkansas state police, former candidate for Arkansas secretary of state - Ken DukeKen DukeKenneth Wootson Duke is an American professional golfer.Duke was born in Hope, Arkansas. After turning professional in 1994, Duke first qualified for the PGA Tour in 2004, but failed to keep his card and returned to the Nationwide Tour...
, professional golfer - Neal Sox Johnson (Class of 1955), executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party, 1970-1973
- David Kerr – World Champion Collegiate Debater
- Billy Bob ThorntonBilly Bob ThorntonBilly Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
, (attended), Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. - Sid McMathSid McMathSidney Sanders McMath was a decorated U.S. Marine, attorney and the 34th Governor of Arkansas who, in defiance of his state's political establishment, championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway and school construction, the building of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences,...
, two-term governor of Arkansas - John P. McConnellJohn P. McConnellGeneral John Paul McConnell was the sixth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General McConnell served in a dual capacity...
, 1927, General and Chief of Staff, United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... - Lloyd L. BurkeLloyd L. BurkeLloyd L. Burke was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 28, 1951.He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia...
1950, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - James Hollis "Jim" MorrisJim Morris (Louisiana politician)James Hollis Morris, known as Jim Morris is a businessman from Oil City in northern Caddo Parish, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. His District 1 encompasses the northern portions of both Caddo and neighboring Bossier Parish...
, 1976, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana State House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators... - Jerry ThomassonJerry ThomassonJerry Kreth Thomasson was a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He switched to the Republican Party in 1966, and unsuccessfully sought election as Arkansas attorney general in 1966 and 1968....
, state representative - C. Vann WoodwardC. Vann WoodwardComer Vann Woodward was a preeminent American historian focusing primarily on the American South and race relations. He was considered, along with Richard Hofstadter and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., to be one of the most influential historians of the postwar era, 1940s-1970s, both by scholars and by...
, 1959, Sterling Professor of History at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
; Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning historian - Reggie RitterReggie RitterReggie Blake Ritter is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1986 to 1987, pitching in 19 career games. He attended Henderson State University....
, 1982, former professional baseball player - Gus MalzahnGus MalzahnGus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa...
, 1990, American football coach and current offensive coordinator for Auburn University - Aaron OwensAaron OwensAaron Owens , better known by his nickname "AO", is an American streetball player from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owens is currently on the Ball4Real World Tour. He previously played on the AND1 Mixtape Tour from its creation until 2006. Owens is reported to stand 6'3" tall and weigh 165...
, 1999, former AND1 Mixtape TourAND1 Mixtape TourThe AND1 Live Tour, formerly known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, is a traveling basketball competition and exhibition presented by B-Ball and Company and the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1. A group of streetball players, along with Emcee Rell and B-Ball and Company CEO Linda Hill, travel from...
basketball player - Bobby Bones (Bobby Estell), 2002, Award-winning Radio Personality at KHFI-FMKHFI-FMKHFI-FM is an Austin, Texas radio station playing Top 40 and licensed to Georgetown, Texas, with an ERP of 100,000 Watts from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, Texas.-History:...
Austin, TX. Host of the Bobby Bones ShowBobby Bones ShowThe Bobby Bones Show is a morning radio show broadcast in Austin, Texas, on 96.7 KISS FM and syndicated in Wichita, Kansas, Amarillo, Texas, Lubbock, Texas, Augusta, Georgia, Waco, Texas, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Bobby Bones is accompanied by co-hosts Lunchbox, Amy, Carlos, and Alayna. Jay Shannon...
. - G. Lloyd SpencerG. Lloyd SpencerGeorge Lloyd Spencer was a Democratic United States Senator from the State of Arkansas.G. Lloyd Spencer was born in Sarcoxie, Missouri on March 27, 1893. Spencer moved to Okolona, Arkansas in 1902. Spencer attended public schools including the Peddie School at Hightstown, New Jersey...
, United States Senator from Arkansas