A Historical Sketch of the School
Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and was originally named Third District Agricultural School (TDAS). Students and faculty often called the school “TDAS.” Its first term began in January of 1911 and until 1925 its curriculum included only subjects at the secondary school level. In 1925, the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work and to change its name from “Third District Agricultural School” to “Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District.” The school offered both high school and junior college courses until 1937, at which time 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 develop the college as a four-year, degree-granting institution. The Board authorized the addition of third-year college level courses to begin with the fall semester of 1950. Fourth-year courses were added in the fall semester of 1951. By Act Eleven, dated January 24, 1951, the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Southern State College. In 1975, the institution was approved and accredited to offer a Master of Education Degree in selected areas. Following approval of the Board of Trustees, the name of the institution was changed to Southern Arkansas University by the Board of Higher Education on July 9, 1976, in accordance with Act 343 of the General Assembly of 1975.
Presidents
D. J. Burleson, January to June 1911 - Third District Agricultural School
H. K. Sanders, 1911 - 1913 - Third District Agricultural School
W. S. Johnson, 1913 - 1914, Third District Agricultural School
E. E. Austin, 1914 - 1921, Third District Agricultural School
Charles A. Overstreet, 1921 - 1945, Agricultural & Mechanical College, Third District
Charles S. Wilkins, 1945- 1950, Agricultural & Mechanical College, Third District
Dolph Camp, 1950 - 1959, Southern State College
Imon E. Bruce, 1959 - 1976, Southern State College
Harold T. Brinson, 1976 - 1991, Southern Arkansas University
Steven G. Gamble, 1992 - 2002, Southern Arkansas University
Louis Blanchard, June 2002 - December 2002, Southern Arkansas University
David F. Rankin, 2003 - present, Southern Arkansas University