calsfoundation@cals.org
April 8, 2007
When the Arkansas Industrial University opened in Fayetteville (Washington County) on January 22, 1871, the entire student body consisted of just eight students, one of them female. Seen in this photo is Noah Gates, the first president of the university, who oversaw the remodeling of an old farmhouse to be used as the first classroom, the establishment of a library of twelve books, and a faculty of three instructors. Today, the school, now known as the University of Arkansas (UA), has grown into the state’s largest university.