With all the hoopla and banners around campus celebrating UCA's 100th year...did you know that there is a book being written about UCA and it's history?
There is! It's being compiled by the director of the archives at UCA, Jimmy Bryant.
Mr. Bryant - who had returned to UCA to earn a bachelor and master's degree in History - was hired by the university in 1998 to fill the position left when Tom Dillard retired in 1997.
The archives is a great place to find all sorts of information on the history of UCA...and Bryant's book should be an interesting product!
...knowing is half the battle, eh?
Showing posts with label UCA History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UCA History. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
About Main Hall...on the campus of UCA
If you've been on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, then you've probably (at least) been near Main Hall. It is located on Alumni Circle between Harrin Hall and the Torreyson Library. The photograph above is of UCA's Main Hall in 1940.
The building was finished in 1919. It was designed by George Washington Donaghey - a carpenter and architect who served as Governor of Arkansas from 1909 to 1913 - and was his last building project in Conway. Donaghey had moved to Conway in 1883 and worked on the design of the Bank of Conway, the Faulkner County Courthouse, and buildings at Hendrix and CBC over the years. The completition of the state capitol building in Little Rock was another major accomplishment of Donaghey's.
The building was originally called the Administration Building. The library was housed in the basement until a separate building for the library (now Harrin Hall...Torreyson Library was built in 1963) was established in 1930. Annually, senior classes would plant ivy in front of the administration building as part of the graduation tradition.
In 1937, the Ida Waldran Auditorium was added. In 1944, the funeral for Coach Estes was held in the auditorium. In 1963, the building was renamed Main Hall and the usage switched to offices and classrooms.
In the 1997-1999 biennium, UCA requested $1.3 million for upgrades to Main Hall that was housing the math and history departments at the time. Rather than upgrade Main, upgrades at Harrin Hall took precedence. In 1999, UCA requested $5 million, but upgrades were still apparently placed on hold.
Today, the academic success center can be found tutoring UCA students down in the basement of Main Hall. "The Oxford American" magazine is also published out of Main Hall. Students may also swing through during x-period and find Film Appreciation students...appreciating film.
Main Hall is a striking landmark on the campus of UCA and remains an integral part of the UCA experience.
UCA Alma Mater
From the hills and from the lowlands,
Comes the song of praise anew;
Sung by thousands of our children,
Alma Mater we sing to you.
(Break it down)
Then we'll unfurl our colors the Purple and the Gray
And in the breezes see them ever proudly sway;
They lead us upward, they lead us onward,
They lead us to victory (Go Bears!).
Then let us gather round with loyal hearts and true,
Our Alma Mater's call OBEY;
Our dear old colors will live forever,
The Royal PURPLE and the GRAY.
The UCA Alma Mater lyrics were written in 1923 by Miss Ora Blackmun, a member of the English Department. The score was published by Homer F. Hess, UCA music chairman, in 1925.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
UCA Bears.... Mascot History
from the UCA alumni traditions site:
UCA Mascot - It wasn’t until 1920 that the UCA athletic teams had a mascot. According to Dr. Ted Worley, author of A History of The Arkansas State Teachers College, the UCA teams from 1908-1919 were referred to by many names, including: Tutors, Teachers, Pedagogues, Pea-Pickers and Normalites. In 1920 the Bears became the mascot for the teams. However, it wasn’t until April 7, 1921 that the teams were called “Bears” in print. Dr. Worley also quoted sources as saying the Bear was an appropriate symbol for the school because Arkansas’ nickname was the “Bear State.” The women's teams were known as the Bearettes for several years. The name of Sugar Bear came later. Victor E. Bear came about in 1999 and Victoria E. Bear came soon after. Bruce D. Bear became the newest addition to the UCA family in 2006.
......pea-pickers....yikes!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
UCA's 100th Year....
from the UCA website.....
A century ago, John James Doyne had a vision.
In the early part of the 20th century few teachers in the state had a high school education, let alone formal training to teach. It was Doyne's vision to create a school to turn teachers into educators, preparing them to be leaders in their communities.
On May 21, 1907, Doyne's vision - and what would become the University of Central Arkansas - became a reality.
From the school’s founding, Arkansans have supported the state’s first teacher-training college.
A century ago, Conway was one of several Arkansas towns to vie for the normal school. Citizens of Conway had the foresight to recognize the importance of such an institution. Community leaders made a personal commitment to
higher learning by making individual contributions to help secure the school’s location in the town.
In the first century, the campus was a teacher-training school with 105 students and nine academic departments located in one building on 80 acres.
Today, the University of Central Arkansas is a comprehensive institution of higher learning with more than 100 undergraduate courses of study, 33 master’s degree programs and three doctoral programs located in more than 80 buildings on 300 acres. UCA serves students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, more than 35 states and 55 foreign countries.
Growth of the school was predicted and embraced from the outset. The name of the institution has changed to reflect its evolving character. You may have known it as Arkansas State Teachers College or State College of Arkansas, but through it all UCA’s vision to be the educational center in the state has remained constant.
As UCA embarks on its second century of service, the institution annually educates more than 11,000 students. UCA is a national leader in learning technology and offers unique educational opportunities including one of the first honors colleges in the nation, study abroad programs and undergraduate research projects. UCA provides an education that allows students to flourish amid devoted faculty, a variety of disciplines, the arts and cutting-edge technology.
With New Vision, New Century: The Centennial Campaign for UCA, we continue to look to the future, building on the foundation that was set in the first century.
A century ago, John James Doyne had a vision.
In the early part of the 20th century few teachers in the state had a high school education, let alone formal training to teach. It was Doyne's vision to create a school to turn teachers into educators, preparing them to be leaders in their communities.
On May 21, 1907, Doyne's vision - and what would become the University of Central Arkansas - became a reality.
From the school’s founding, Arkansans have supported the state’s first teacher-training college.
A century ago, Conway was one of several Arkansas towns to vie for the normal school. Citizens of Conway had the foresight to recognize the importance of such an institution. Community leaders made a personal commitment to
higher learning by making individual contributions to help secure the school’s location in the town.
In the first century, the campus was a teacher-training school with 105 students and nine academic departments located in one building on 80 acres.
Today, the University of Central Arkansas is a comprehensive institution of higher learning with more than 100 undergraduate courses of study, 33 master’s degree programs and three doctoral programs located in more than 80 buildings on 300 acres. UCA serves students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, more than 35 states and 55 foreign countries.
Growth of the school was predicted and embraced from the outset. The name of the institution has changed to reflect its evolving character. You may have known it as Arkansas State Teachers College or State College of Arkansas, but through it all UCA’s vision to be the educational center in the state has remained constant.
As UCA embarks on its second century of service, the institution annually educates more than 11,000 students. UCA is a national leader in learning technology and offers unique educational opportunities including one of the first honors colleges in the nation, study abroad programs and undergraduate research projects. UCA provides an education that allows students to flourish amid devoted faculty, a variety of disciplines, the arts and cutting-edge technology.
With New Vision, New Century: The Centennial Campaign for UCA, we continue to look to the future, building on the foundation that was set in the first century.
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