Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is a public university in Russellville, Arkansas, United States. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. The Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus, a two-year satellite campus in the town of Ozark, primarily focuses on associate and certificate education.
History
Early history (1909–76)
Aerial view of Arkansas Tech University, 2008
In 1909, Act 100, passed by the Arkansas General Assembly and signed by Governor George Donaghey, provided for the creation of one agricultural high school in each of four districts stipulated in the act, with what would eventually become Arkansas Tech University in the Second District.[3][4][5]
The schools were to teach horticulture and textile making in addition to agriculture. The location for each of the four schools was to be chosen by that district's five trustees, appointed by the Governor, taking into consideration "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 four schools eventually evolved into four present-day institutions of higher learning. The First District Agricultural School at Jonesboro evolved into Arkansas State University; the Second District Agricultural School in Russellville is today's Arkansas Tech University; the Third District Agricultural School in Magnolia became Southern Arkansas University; and the University of Arkansas Monticello began as the Fourth District Agricultural School.[5]
After evaluating proposals from Fort Smith, Morrilton, Ozark, and Russellville, on February 10, 1910, Second District Agricultural School trustees announced that the school would be located in Russellville.[6] Construction of the school's Main Building began on April 10, 1910,[7] with contracts for additional buildings let in June 1910.[8] On October 26, 1910, the first classes were held in Russellville. The original purpose of the school was to offer a secondary (or high school) education in agricultural and technical subjects.[9] Later, the school took on the first two years of college instruction, and the school's name was changed to Arkansas Polytechnic College by the General Assembly in 1925 to reflect this change in purpose. The school became a two-year junior college in 1927 and, at the end of the 1929–1930 academic year, stopped offering high school classes.[10]
Recent history (1976–present)
The school took on its current name of Arkansas Tech University on July 9, 1976.
In the fall of 2003, Arkansas Tech University announced it intended to take over the state vocational school, Arkansas Valley Technical Institute, in Ozark, the seat of Franklin County. As of July 1, 2004, the Ozark campus has acted as a satellite campus of Arkansas Tech and has begun offering coursework leading toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in various subjects.
From 1997 to 2015, enrollment at Arkansas Tech increased by 183 percent. The fall of 2015 marked the 17th consecutive year that Arkansas Tech established a new institutional record for largest enrollment, then 12,054 students, making ATU the third largest institution of higher learning in the state.
Term
Total students
Fall 2009
8,814
Fall 2010
9,815
Fall 2011
10,464
Fall 2012
10,950
Fall 2013
11,369
Fall 2014
12,002
Fall 2015
12,054
Fall 2016
11,894
Fall 2017
11,830
Fall 2018
12,101
Fall 2019
11,829
Fall 2020
10,829
Fall 2021
9,640
Fall 2022
9,445
Fall 2023
9,487
Arkansas Tech has invested $180 million in upgrades to its infrastructure since 1995 and the university has added more than 40 new academic programs of study under the leadership of Robert C. Brown, who has served as president of Arkansas Tech since 1993. In April 2014, Robin E. Bowen was selected by the university trustees to succeed Brown. When she took office on July 1, 2014, she became the first woman to lead a four-year, public Arkansas university.[11] Russell Jones was named interim president at Arkansas Tech by the ATU Board of Trustees on August 17, 2023. The board elected him president on June 20, 2024, and he officially took office on July 1, 2024.
Facilities on National Register of Historic Places
On November 15, 1919, John Tucker, a 17-year-old freshman from Russellville, scored two touchdowns and kicks two extra points to lead the Second District Agricultural School Aggies to a 14–0 upset win over Jonesboro. In newspaper accounts following the game, Tucker and his teammates were referred to as "Wonder Boys," and the nickname remains to this day. Tucker was labeled as "The Original Wonder Boy" and was associated with the school for the rest of his life. He went on to play on the University of Alabama's Rose Bowl team in 1931 and served Arkansas Tech in a variety of roles – including coach, athletic director and chemistry professor – between 1925 and 1972. Two buildings on the Tech campus – Tucker Coliseum and Tucker Hall – are named in his honor.[13]
Tired of being referred to as the Wonder Girls or Wonderettes, the female athletes of Arkansas Tech held a contest in the spring of 1975 to determine what their new mascot would be. Several names were nominated, but in the end, the athletes selected Golden Suns as their new nickname.[14]
Leon L. "Doc" Bryan (Class of 1942), U.S. Navy veteran, Arkansas Hall of Distinction member,[15]Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives (1965–1995), Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives (1993–1995), honored with the naming the Doc Bryan Student Services Center[16] by the ATU Board of Trustees in 1998
John Burris, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Boone County
Eliah Drinkwitz (B.A. social studies education, 2004), Head Football Coach, University of Missouri.[18]
Trevor Drown (Class of 2001), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Pope and Van Buren counties since 2015; Libertarian Party U.S. Senate nominee in 2010[19]
Michael Lamoureux, Republican; former Arkansas State Representative from District 68 (Pope County) 2005–2009; former Arkansas State Senator from District 4, 2009–2013; former Arkansas State Senator from District 16 (Newton and Pope counties and parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties) 2013–2014; chief of staff to the governor of Arkansas 2015–present
Andrea Lea (B.S. in emergency administration and management), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Russellville since 2009; candidate for state auditor in 2014[24]
Kelley Linck (B.S. in business administration, 1986), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Marion County since 2011[25]
Tanner Marsh, Montreal Alouettes quarterback of the Canadian Football League.[26]
Rebecca Petty (B.S. in criminal justice, 2013), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Benton County since 2015; advocate of child crime victims, resident of Rogers, Arkansas[28]
Marcus Richmond (B.S. in physical education), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from multi-county District 21 in western Arkansas[29]
Tray Scott (Class of 2008), defensive line coach at the University of Georgia[30]
Greg Standridge (B.S. in business, 1987), Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate for Pope, Newton, Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties since 2015; insurance agent in Russellville[31]
^Silva, Rachel (2009). "Arkansas Listings in the National Register of Historic Places: One Hundred Years of Arkansas Tech University". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 68 (4): 442–450. JSTOR40543604. Retrieved November 14, 2022. A board of trustees for the Second District Agricultural School had been appointed by September 1909 and tasked with finding a location for the school as well as the construction of school buildings, hiring of staff, and development of curriculum. In order to be considered as a site for the school, towns had to pledge at least $40,000 and 200 acres. Fort Smith, Morrilton, Ozark, and Russellville all submitted bids. Russellville's bid included $40,000, 220 acres, and free electricity and water for three years, and on February 10, 1910, the trustees announced that the Second District Agricultural School would be located there.
^Silva, Rachel (2009). "Arkansas Listings in the National Register of Historic Places: One Hundred Years of Arkansas Tech University". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 68 (4): 442–450. JSTOR40543604. Retrieved November 14, 2022. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, it was a three-and-one-half-story brick building with a tile roof. The building had two front-gabled wings connected by a recessed hipped roof section with dormer windows. The front and side entrances had arched openings accentuated by pilasters, a simple entablature, and a balustrade flush with the wall. When it opened, the Main Building had rooms for cooking, laundry, a soil laboratory, and an auditorium as well as the president's office and classrooms (Old Main was demolished in the 1970s).
