July 16, 1852

The trustees of St. Johns’ College purchased 100 acres of land, for $5,500, to establish the college, which was the first college chartered in Arkansas (though the third to open its doors). Little Rock (Pulaski County) had been chosen for the college’s location in 1851. The land was located east of the Federal Arsenal (now MacArthur Park). Some years later, James and William Vance donated an additional five acres, giving the college a campus of 105 acres. Of the purchased land, forty acres were set aside for the college, while the remainder was platted for sale to provide an endowment for the college. It was five years before enough funds had been raised to begin constructing buildings on the campus.