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Arkansas Tech University

Public university in Russellville, Arkansas, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arkansas Tech University

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.

Quick Facts Former name, Type ...
Arkansas Tech University
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Former name
Second District Agricultural School (1909–1925)
Arkansas Polytechnic College (1925–1976)
TypePublic university
Established1909; 116 years ago (1909)
PresidentRussell Jones
Students9,487 (fall 2023)[1]
Undergraduates8,808[1]
Postgraduates679[1]
Location
Russellville
,
Arkansas
,
United States
CampusCity, 516 acres (2.09 km2)
ColorsGreen and gold[2]
   
NicknameWonder Boys (men)
Golden Suns (women)
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – GAC
MascotWonder Boys & Golden Suns
Websitewww.atu.edu
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History

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Early history (1909–76)

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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.

More information Term, Total students ...
TermTotal students
Fall 20098,814
Fall 20109,815
Fall 201110,464
Fall 201210,950
Fall 201311,369
Fall 201412,002
Fall 201512,054
Fall 201611,894
Fall 201711,830
Fall 201812,101
Fall 201911,829
Fall 202010,829
Fall 20219,640
Fall 20229,445
Fall 2023 9,487
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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

Several Tech buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[12]

  • Caraway Hall — residence hall, renovated in 2024
  • Old Art Building — retired academic building, now known as Browning Hall, renovated in 2013 to house administrative offices
  • Hughes Hall — residence hall, renovated in 2010
  • Techionery — academic building, mainly used as a theatre shop and performance space by the ATU Theatre Department
  • Williamson Hall — academic building, renovated in 2003 to include kitchen facilities
  • Wilson Hall — residence hall

Academics

Athletics

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Athletics logo used until 2023
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Athletics logo (c. 1982)
Main article: Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys and Golden Suns

Arkansas Tech participates in NCAA Division II athletics as a charter member of the Great American Conference. Tech was a member of the Gulf South Conference from 1995 to 2011. Previously, Tech was a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The university fields four men's and six women's varsity sports, as well as a club sports program:

Facilities

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Baseball pitcher Bryson Morris in 2014

Arkansas Tech University has dual nicknames: men's athletic teams are called the Wonder Boys, while the women's teams are called the Golden Suns.

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Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field
  • Chartwells Women's Sports Complex (tennis, softball)
  • Hull Building (Athletic Training, Athletic Performance Development, intramurals)
  • Baswell Field (baseball, capacity 600)
  • Thone Stadium at Simmons Bank Field (football, capacity 6,500)
  • Tucker Coliseum (basketball/volleyball, capacity 3,500)

Nicknames

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]

Notable alumni

References

External links

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