[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4059-S4060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ARKANSAS

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, tomorrow, April 1, 2009, four 
Arkansas universities--Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas 
Tech University in Russellville, Southern Arkansas University in 
Magnolia, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello--will celebrate 
100 years of commitment to higher education. On their centennial 
anniversary, I want to recognize the enormous contributions these 
institutions have made to Arkansas and our Nation.
  In 1909, during the 37th session of the Arkansas General Assembly, 
Representative J.J. Bellamy of Lawrence County introduced Act 100, a 
bill to create four agricultural schools in Arkansas, one for each 
quadrant. The locations of the schools were to be chosen based upon 
``the nature of the soil, healthfulness of location, general 
desirability, and other material inducements offered, such as the 
donation of buildings, land or money.'' The legislation was signed on 
April 1, 1909, by Governor George Donaghey.
  The four agriculture schools were to teach agriculture, horticulture, 
and textile making. Although they were secondary schools in their early 
days, these schools added additional curriculum to better serve their 
communities and soon were offering junior college classes. In 1925, the 
state legislature changed the names of the schools to better reflect 
their new role and the unique status of each school.
  The former First District Agricultural School is known today as 
Arkansas State University. A farm just east of Jonesboro was selected 
as the location for the school. With enrollment down due to World War 
I, the school obtained a Student Army Training Corps--SATC--on its 
campus. Since only junior colleges could participate in the SATC 
program, the school added faculty and improved its curriculum. It soon 
became known as the First District Agriculture and Mechanical College; 
the school received accreditation as a 2-year junior college and 
conditional status as a 4-year institution in 1925.
  In 1931, the A&M College awarded its first baccalaureate degree, and 
in 1933, the legislature once again changed the name to Arkansas State 
College--ASC. In fact, Arkansas's first female U.S. Senator, Hattie 
Caraway, was awarded the school's first honorary doctorate in 
recognition of her support. The university continued to grow over the 
decades, and on January 17, 1967, Arkansas Governor Winthrop 
Rockefeller signed legislation that gave the school its present-day 
name, Arkansas State University--ASU.
  Today, the ASU system serves approximately 18,900 students and 
includes campuses at Beebe, Mountain Home, and Newport. It also 
includes degree centers in Heber Springs and Searcy as part of ASU-
Beebe; a technical center in Marked Tree; and instructional sites in 
Paragould and at Little Rock Air Force Base.
  On the occasion of the centennial, ASU Chancellor, Robert L. Potts, 
offered the following thoughts:

       From our origins as an agricultural school serving the 
     First District, we have matured into a comprehensive 
     university offering 42 degrees through the doctoral level in 
     170 fields of study and ten colleges. Since 1909, we have 
     prepared our students to meet the challenges of their lives 
     by Powering Minds--providing a university experience that 
     educates, enhances, and enriches. We look forward to this 
     Centennial Celebration as a time to focus on our heritage and 
     build upon our successes.

  The former Second District Agricultural School is presently called 
Arkansas Tech University. The location of Russellville was chosen 
because the town agreed to pledge a minimum of $40,000 and a site of 
not less than 200 acres. In addition, it offered free electricity and 
water for three years. In 1925, the state legislature changed the 
school's name to Arkansas Polytechnic College to accurately reflect its 
move away from an agriculture curriculum to teacher training and the 
liberal fine arts.
  The school was officially accredited as a junior college in 1929 and 
remained a 2-year college until 1951. The school continued to grow and 
in 1976, it officially became Arkansas Tech University. It awarded its 
first graduate degrees 1 year later. Today, Arkansas Tech includes 
approximately 7,480 students at its Russellville and Ozark campuses.
  After 100 years, Arkansas Tech Chancellor, Robert C. Brown, noted:

       For the last one hundred years, Arkansas Tech University 
     has educated students and prepared them for a successful 
     future. Today, we are uniquely positioned to continue 
     preparing our students for what lies ahead. Because of our 
     commitment to educational excellence and our emphasis on 
     teaching and learning, we are producing what the state and 
     region need the most--college students ready to shape the 
     future for the next one hundred years.

  The Third District Agricultural School is now known as Southern 
Arkansas University. Local farmers in Columbia County ensured that 
Magnolia was chosen as the site for the school. It became officially 
known as Magnolia A&M in 1925 and was fully accredited in 1929 with an 
emphasis on agriculture and home economics.
  In 1950, it became a 4-year institution and was renamed Southern 
State College--SSC--the following year. For 25 years, the school's 
enrollment and size increased, and in 1976 it was approved for 
university status. Renamed Southern Arkansas University, it is now a 
multicampus system with more than 5,000 students and locations in El 
Dorado and Camden.
  For the 100-year celebration, Southern Arkansas University Chancellor 
F. David Rankin had this to say:

       As the former Third District Agricultural School, Magnolia 
     A&M, and Southern State College, Southern Arkansas University 
     has served its region with a Tradition of Success since 1909. 
     Although our name has changed, our commitment to higher 
     education has not. SAU has roots that run deep in 
     agriculture, but it has grown into a regional, comprehensive, 
     four-year institution with a broad curriculum and a quickly 
     expanding graduate school. As we begin our second century of 
     service, we invite you to be a part of history as we pay 
     tribute to our own.

  The final school created by Act 100 was the Fourth District 
Agricultural School. Monticello was chosen as the site thanks to the 
donation of land by the William Turner Wells estate. A former 
plantation, it included 900 fruit trees, a house, and a pond. In 1923, 
junior college classes were added. It formally changed its name, as the 
other schools did, in 1925 and became known as the Fourth District 
Agricultural and Mechanical College. By 1928, it was fully accredited 
and became a 4-year institution in 1933.
  In 1935, the school began unofficially calling itself Arkansas 
Agricultural & Mechanical College. It remained Arkansas A&M until 1971 
when Governor Dale Bumpers signed legislation merging the school with 
the University of Arkansas. On July 19, 1971, the University of 
Arkansas at Monticello--UAM was established. Although it is the 
smallest school in the University of Arkansas system at nearly 3,000 
students, the Monticello campus owns the most land of any UA school 
with 1,036 acres devoted to forestry research and instruction and 300 
acres for agricultural teaching and research. In 2003, UAM added 
campuses and now includes the College of Technology at McGehee and the 
College of Technology at Crossett.
  University of Arkansas at Monticello Chancellor, H. Jack Lassiter, 
said the following for the centennial celebration:

       As we approach our 100th Anniversary, we are constantly 
     reminded that we have always represented opportunity to 
     generations of people seeking a higher education and a better 
     life. That message resonates as clearly today as it did in 
     1909. Many of our students are the first in their families to 
     attend college. Others are non-traditional students

[[Page S4060]]

     who have decided to take advantage of the opportunity to 
     change careers or complete a dream that began years ago. The 
     university is constantly exploring and developing new 
     opportunities to help students open doors to a better life. 
     UAM is truly celebrating a century of opportunity.

  Mr. President, what wonderful gifts to the people of Arkansas that 
our legislators bestowed upon us a century ago. As each university 
celebrates this year, I want to add my voice to the chorus of Arkansans 
who celebrate this milestone. We have so much of which to be proud. As 
we move forward in the 21st century, I know that these four 
institutions will continue to stand ready to prepare our citizens to 
compete in the global marketplace for the next century.

                          ____________________