Henderson State University - Star Yearbook (Arkadelphia, AR)

Page 6 text:

' ' ':-vw-r,vs -- 'sf 1r'3 w'wv its spirit. . . ' The spirit which will cause Henderson to exist long after its present students and faculty are gone is the spirit which began with the founding of the Arkadelphia Methodist College in 1890 and which has caused Henderson to live and progress despite trials that threatened the life of the school. It is that spirit which re- fused to yield during the school's earlier years, 1890- 1920, when its life was threatened by serious financial troubles. Contributions from friends, ranging upward to 350,000, kept the young col- lege struggling along. Lesser contributions were received from Professor G. C. Jones, Mr. 0. A. Campbell, and many others inspired by the spirit of Henderson. Even the student body, small though it was, contributed over 31,000 at one time. Again the college wavered but the spirit did not fall in 1929 when the Little Rock Conference of the Methodist Church voted to consolidate Hendrix and Henderson Brown. Then there was a long struggle over where the con solidation would be located but the burning of the Hender son men's dormitory about this time reduced its physical prop erty in comparison with that of Hendrix so the two Methodist Colleges became one at Con way 9 - 9 9 a - .-.- A. -.... ,.-.f..f.s.. - .f..--u.nJ.w.,-fi..- -A--N,--,.L .1-41?-A-,S . . as indicated I

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the students . . . . . of henderson state teachers college M921 , 37810ijN WC! G1 ' introduce HE DE R0 , ,msmww -1 MUS Iryfe , tn your I ,et.f tt,Lt:L n nineteewhu try-t'h1'QC dred and ' pirit raditions ims 1 2 4 7 9 3 es ponsibilities i ?

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mlrvvv in the light of the past 47 Stars But though the fight was lost, the spirit was not conquered, for a group of Arkadelphia citizens petitioned the Legislature of Arkansas to accept from the city the Henderson plant and to operate it as a teachers' college. The state accepted the offer and the name of the college became Henderson State Teachers College. And it was that Henderson spirit which caused the stu- dents of 1914 to meet out under the trees in front of the smoking ashes of what had been the main building and to hold one of the largest and most inspiring pep rallies ever held by the students - and probably the first pep rally they ever held with tears in their eyes. On that cold November morning the stu- dents gathered together and vowed that not a single one would go home A- and not a single one did. The towns- people of Arkadelphia took the students into their homes, while churches and public buildings served as classrooms. Only one day was lost from recitations. Though the col- lege was destroyed, the spirit lived on. -l--- -,? 1 . ..... . ..