University Timeline (1961-1986)

1961 Full curriculum extended-day classes are offered, providing classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

1961 Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity initiates Elvis Presley as an honorary member.

1961 University Hall is built.

1963 The Dean B. Ellis Library, named after the mathematics professor who taught for more than four decades, is completed. It houses one of the region’s first museums.

1964 The Carl R. Reng Center is completed. The new student union provides a focal point for activities and incorporates game rooms, the Woodlands cafeteria and the Wigwam snack bar, as well as a barber shop, bowling alley, books store and various meeting spaces.

1964 Jerry Rook is named to the All-American team in basketball

1965 Kays Hall is built to house Arkansas State’s female students.

1965 The Administration Building is built west of Wilson Hall.

January 1, 1966 V.C. Kays dies.

January 17, 1967 The Arkansas General Assembly votes to grant Arkansas State College university status, and the name of the institution becomes Arkansas State University.

1967 The Fine Arts Center is completed. Faculty refer to it as the “Taj Mahal.”

1967 ASU-TV begins broadcasting.

1968 The Laboratory Sciences building is opened for class room and laboratory work.

1968 The Football Indians are Southland Conference Champions.

1969 ASU’s nursing program is instituted. The program is housed first in the Radio-TV Building.

1970 Lt. Col. Frederick Turner, ROTC instructor and ASU alum, becomes the first African-American instructor in military science, and Dr. C. Calvin Smith becomes the first African-American classroom instructor on the ASU campus.

1972 Freshmen are no longer required to wear beanies on campus.

1972 The 50^th anniversary of the college newspaper, The Herald, is celebrated.

1972 ASU track star Thomas Hill wins the bronze medal in hurdles at the Munich Olympics.

1974 The College of Education is fully accredited.

September 28, 1974 Indian Stadium opens for the 1975 season. The 1975 football team goes undefeated.

1975 Ross Pritchard becomes president of ASU following the retirement of Carl R. Reng.

1975 Women’s basketball is introduced to ASU.

1975 The nursing program is moved to State Hall (Commons Building) after a $1 million renovation.

1977 The Arkansas State University Foundation, Inc. is established to receive, solicit, accept, hold and administer private gifts in support of educational programs associated with Arkansas State University

1978 Carl Whillock is appointed to lead ASU as president.

January 1980 Carl Whillock resigns the presidency. Eugene W. Smith serves as interim president.

1980 ASU has its first network-televised football game on ABC.

1980 Ray Thornton becomes president of ASU and serves until 1984.

1982 The building that is home to the College of Communications and College of Education is opened.

January 1, 1984 Dr. Eugene W. Smith, a 1952 ASC alum, becomes the eighth president of ASU.

1984 ASU athletes bring home medals from the Los Angeles Olympics. Al Joyner is the gold medal winner in the triple jump, while Earl Bell brings home bronze in the pole vault.

1985 ASU celebrates its 75^th anniversary.

1986 Roger Carlisle, a member of the ASU art faculty, designs the Arkansas Sesquicentennial stamp issued by the United States Post Office.

Next 25 Years (1987-Present)