Harding University: A new era Significant among the events that highlighted 1978-79 was the decision on November 3, 1978 by the Board of Trustees to advance the status of Harding College to Harding University. The action was not without deliberate consideration and evaluation . "This step was taken in order to reflect more accurately the educational role and influence of Harding in the present educational scene," President Clifton Ganus explained. "For many years we have been asked when Harding would become a University. We did not want to take such an important step until we felt that we were ready to do so. We believe now is the time." Hardy pioneers who believed that to "fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man, " envisioned a college where the word of God would be given first place in academic endeavor. The pioneers attacked the goal in a climate and atmosphere where academic excellence sometimes had to be momentarily forfeited. To these men no education at all was better than an education which terminated in spiritual death. Unfortunately , teachers with both spiritual and academic qualifications were hard to find . While dedication frequently balanced the handicap , nevertheless , Christian schools could not boast academic excellence . Years are essential to the training and assembling of highly qualified faculties. From a background of men who were unyielding in their determination to see Christian education thrive , Harding came iAto being at Morrilton , Arkansas in 1924 with the consolidation of Harper College of 'Harper, Kansas, and Arkansas Christian College at Morrilton . The newly organized college was named in honor of James A. Harding. The consolidation was advantageous in that students and support could be drawn from a larger area. J. N. Armstrong became president of Harding College in 1924 and served until 1936. In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, Harding moved to Searcy. The new plant , a place formerly occupied by Galloway College for Women, was purchased for $75 ,000. The site included 120 acres and six main bUildings. Only Patti Cobb Hall and a building now known as the Olen Hendrix building remain. In 1936, Dr. George S . Benson was called from the mission fields of China to lead his alma mater , faced with a debt of $75,000. Dr. Benson threw himself into the task and set about to lead the college to recovery and into a prosperous fut ure. The debt was li - quidated, and Thanksgiving Day 1939 became a turning point in history when the last of the debt was gone and the mortgage papers were burned in a cermonious bonfire on the campus lawn. Dr. Benson fought hard for accreditation and in 1954 Harding was recognized by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The college also came to national recognition through Dr. Benson's ability to secure support from industry. Millions of dollars were raised for Harding College. When Dr. Benson retired in 1965, the reins were passed to Dr. Clifton L. Ganus, Jr. , who announced a decade of development centered around a firmly concentrated pursuit of excellence. Through the years , changes have been made in the curriculum to keep current with the advances of the age . New majors have been added with regularity when faculty and facilities have justified the suggestion. The library has been strengthened; equipment has been added. "I feel our strong academic program is on the university level and we already have all of the elements of a university," Dr. Ganus said . Last spring the matter arose again and was discussed with the faculty , students , staff , President's Development Council and the Board of Trustees. Then a committee was selected to study the question and to make a recommendation to the administration. The committee included Dr. Jimmy Carr, chairman , Virgil Beckett , Dr. Gary Elliott, Nan - cy Leslie and Dr. J. E. Pryor from the faculty; Ross Cochran, Judy Garner and Curtis Dupriest from the student body; Miss Pat Young and Miss. Edwina Pace from the staff ; Mrs. Nancy Walker , Mrs . Sara Jouett and Mrs. Jane Mitchell of Associated Women for Harding; Don Brown , James Lamb and Elray Wilson of the President ' s Developme nt Council ; F. W. Mattox , Sam Yeager and Annie May Alston Lewis of the Alumni Association; and James Cone , Richard Burt and Harold Cogburn of the Board of Trustees. The group sought comments and suggestions from students , staff, alumni and friends. Then a recommendation was made that Harding change to university status. The study was presented to the Board November 3. H~rding is no longer a small Liberal Arts college. The record fall enrollment of 1978 included students from 47 states and 25 foreign countries. They were enrolled not only in Liberal Arts but in professional training and graduate programs. Harding has grown to become the largest private school in Arkansas and is the only school that offers graduate work in Arkansas that is not a university. Current degrees offered on the main campus in Searcy are the Associate of Arts (in secretarial science only) , Bachelor of Arts , Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Education. Cooperative programs for the Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology exist with Baptist Hospital and St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock and several additional hospitals approved in other cities. At the Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis are conferred the Master of Arts , Master of Arts in Religion , Master of Theology and the Doctor of Ministry. A committee was appointed to study administration and staff changes in structure for the university status. The committee has worked to make the change as smooth as possible . " I don't anticipate much change in our operation as a result of the decision," Dr. Ganus noted. So with the close of the spring semester and summer school , and as of August 27, 1979, Harding will be officially Harding University . University ~ 181
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