Historical Milestones

1872-1898

1882 – Corbin and his students moved to a new structure, a 20 acre plot on the west side of the city between West Second and Fourth Avenues.

1892 – Branch Normal was designated as a Land Grant Institution under the Morrill Act of 1890.

1899-1924

1902 – Isaac Fisher, a graduate of Tuskegee Institute and a disciple of Booker T. Washington, headed the institution until 1911.

1911 – After Fisher’s resignation, W.S. Harris and Frederick T. Venegar both led the institution. During their administration in 1914-1915, a student strike occurred and lasted for more than two weeks, which led to the school closing and ending the Harris-Venegar administration.

1915 – Jefferson Ish became the first Arkansan to be named head of the school.  The school was organized into departments and intramural sports were initiated.

1922  – Robert Malone was named superintendent and developed the school as a multipurpose institution.

1925-1950

1927 – Branch Normal College name changed to Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N).

1928 – John Brown Watson was elected as head of the college and hired a strong faculty.28 – The first intercollegiate sports teams were organized. The Lion became the school mascot.

1943 – Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr. was named head of the college at age 29, then the youngest college president in the United States

1947 – W.E. O’Bryant Bell Tower was built.

1949-1968 – A time of unprecedented growth for the university as new facilities were built including The L. A. Davis, Sr. Student Union, Hazzard Gymnasium, Woodard Hall, Larrison Hall, the infirmary, two dormitories, the library and, the Fine Arts Center.

1951-1976

1972 – AM&N merged with the University of Arkansas system, thus becoming the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).

1972 – Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr. assumed role as UAPB’s first chancellor. Dr. Davis resigned in 1973 after having served 30 years as head of the institution.

1974 – The campus underwent a major renovation. Several older buildings were demolished and Kountz-Kyle Science Hall was constructed to house the Department of Biology.

1977-2002

1986-91– Under the direction of Chancellor Dr. Charles Walker, the Center of Excellence in Fisheries Biology on Education, Diagnostic Chemistry and Education Opportunities was established.

1991 – Following the resignation of Chancellor Charles A. Walker during the summer of 1991, Dr. Carolyn Blakely served as interim chancellor, becoming the first female to head UAPB in its 130th history. Dr. L. A. Davis, Jr. was appointed chancellor in November 1991.

1991 – Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr. was unanimously elected chancellor of UAPB.

1991 – UAPB football program is restored, leading to two national championships.

2003-Present

2012 – Ground is broken to build the STEM Academy and Conference Center.

2012-2013 – Dr. Calvin Johnson is appointed Interim Chancellor.

2013 – Dr. Laurence B. Alexander is selected as UAPB’s next Chancellor, making him the first permanent chancellor since Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr. who served for 21 years.

2014 – STEM Building is completed

2017 – An annex to the Delta Housing Complex is completed