UALR History
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) is a public research institution in Arkansas' capital. The metropolitan campus sits on 150 acres of land and includes six colleges and a school of law. It is a part of the University of Arkansas System and the state's only urban university.
-
Early History
-
UALR began as Little Rock Junior College in 1927. The Little Rock Board of Education, urged by high school principal John A. Larson, launched the school in the building of what is now Little Rock Central High School. The school moved to its current main campus in 1949 on a tract of land donated by prominent local businessman Raymond Rebsamen. In 1957, the school began offering four-year degrees when it became a private institution under the name Little Rock University. In 1969, it merged with the University of Arkansas (UA) and the two schools became UALR.
Academics
-
The merger of Little Rock University with the University of Arkansas created more opportunities for graduate students at UALR. The UA's law program and its School for Social Work transferred to UALR in 1975. UALR established its graduate school in 1977. UALR currently offers over 100 undergraduate majors. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14-to-1. There are 40 graduate and professional programs plus three doctoral programs. The school's William H. Bowen School of Law is rated among U.S. News and World Report's top 20 in legal writing. It ranks at 38 among part-time programs.
-
Student Body
-
Approximately 100 students made up the first class of the UALR in the early 20th century. Currently, over 13,000 full- and part-time students are enrolled at the university. Students from outside Arkansas hail from 43 states and 62 foreign countries. There are more than 100 registered student groups, including Greek organizations and advocacy groups for minorities, women and adult learners.
Facilities
-
UALR's campus continues to grow as it expands its urban borders and builds new dorms and athletic facilities. Its current resources include a library of over 400,000 volumes. There are three art galleries that showcase traveling exhibitions, faculty work and student projects. UALR also has a learning resource center, a radio station, a television station and a speech and hearing clinic.
Athletics
-
UALR's football team had early success when it won the Junior Rose Bowl in 1949. The school began competing as a National College Athletic Association Division I school in 1979 when it joined the newly formed Trans-America Athletic Conference (now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference). In 1991 it switched affiliations and joined the SunBelt Athletic Conference. Professional basketball star Derek Fisher and National Basketball Association coach Pete Meyers are graduates of UALR. Fisher won four NBA Championships as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Arkansas state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
