Southern Arkansas University

Southern Arkansas University, formerly the '''Third District Agricultural School''' serves as a public four-year institution. It is located in Magnolia, Arkansas .

HISTORY

Southern Arkansas University was founded as the Third District Agricultural School in 1909 . One of four such schools established by the Arkansas Legislature in that year. It officially opened in January 1911 as a district secondary school for southwest Arkansas . In 1925 , the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work to its curriculum and to change its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District.

It carried both high school and junior college courses until 1937 , at which time the high school courses were discontinued. In the fall of 1949 , the Board of Trustees, exercising authority vested in it by the State Legislature, decided to make the college into a four-year, degree-granting institution. The Board authorized the adding of third-year college courses to begin with the fall semester of 1950 , and fourth-year or senior courses to begin with the fall semester of 1951 . By Act Eleven, January 24 , 1951 , the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Southern State College. In 1975 , the college was approved and accredited to offer a master of education degree in selected academic areas. The name was changed to Southern Arkansas University on July 9 , 1976 . Southwest Technical Institute in Camden, Arkansas , joined the SAU system as Southern Arkansas University Tech in 1975.

LOCATION

Southern Arkansas University is located in Magnolia, Arkansas which has a population of approximately 12,000. The city is situated in the southwestern part of the state 55 miles east of Texarkana on U.S. Highways 79, 82, and 371.

EXTERNAL LINKS