Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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This Day in Arkansas History

October 15, 1913

Nationally prominent African-American leader Booker T. Washington delivered the dedication speech for the recently completed Mosaic Templars of America building at the corner of 9th Street and Broadway to a crowd of more than 2,000 citizens—black and white. The Mosaic Templars of America was a hugely successful African-American fraternal organization founded in 1882 by two former slaves. The Mosaic Templars assisted black citizens who were unable to obtain insurance from other established organizations because of the racial policies of the time.

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Photo of the Day

ASU Runnin' Joe" Mascot

In 2005, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) declared that the use of a Native American mascot was “hostile and abusive” and thus inappropriate. Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro (Craighead County), which used an Indian mascot starting in 1931, was identified as one of eighteen schools that needed to change. The school began use of a cartoon character called Jumpin’ Joe in 1937. In the 1990s, the symbol was modified to Runnin’ Joe, shown on this 1982 football game ticket. In 2003, such cartoon characters were completely dropped from use by the university. In 2008, under threats of being banned from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion competition, the school became one of the last in the nation to retire the Indian mascot and adopted the name the Red Wolves.

 

In 2005, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) declared that the use of a Native American mascot was “hostile and abusive” and thus inappropriate. Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro (Craighead County), which used an Indian mascot starting in 1931, was identified as one of eighteen schools that needed to change. The school began use of a cartoon character called Jumpin’ Joe in 1937. In the 1990s, the symbol was modified to Runnin’ Joe, shown on this 1982 football game ticket. In 2003, such cartoon characters were completely dropped from use by the university. In 2008, under threats of being banned from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion competition, the school became one of the last in the nation to retire the Indian mascot and adopted the name the Red Wolves.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

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