University of the Ozarks is a private, four-year

comprehensive university located in Clarksville, Arkansas. The

universitys 30-acre (120,000 m2), tree-shaded campus sits atop
College Hill, about two blocks north of downtown Clarksville.
Enrollment averages around 650 students, representing 12
countries. U of O is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

University of the Ozarks campus

University of the Ozarks has been ranked as a top tier college in

the South Region by U.S. News & World Report for the past 16
years. In the 2016 edition of U.S. News & World Reports Americas
Best Colleges, Ozarks was ranked No. 1 Best Value in the Southern
Region. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning
Commission of the North Central Association of College and
Schools.

University of the Ozarks

Former
names

Cane Hill School,[1][2] Cane Hill

College,[1][3] Arkansas
Cumberland College,[1][4] College
of the Ozarks[1][5]

Type

Private

Establish
ed

1834[1][2]

Affiliation Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Endowme $100.5 million[6]
nt
President

Richard L. Dunsworth

Provost

Travis Feezell

Students

651[7]

Location

Clarksville, Arkansas, US
352838N 932802WCoordi
nates:

352838N 932802W

Nickname Ozarks
Mascot

Eagles

History[edit]
University of the Ozarks traces its roots back to 1834, making it the
oldest university in Arkansas and one of the oldest institutions of
higher education west of theMississippi River. It was founded
by Cumberland Presbyterians in 1834 as Cane Hill School in Cane
Hill, Arkansas in Washington County,[2] later becoming Cane Hill
College.[3] Its successor, Arkansas Cumberland College, opened in
Clarksville in September 1891.[4] The name was changed to College
of the Ozarks in 1920.[5] The university alma mater was written in

1928 by Rev. John W. Laird, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of

Rochester, New York.[1]
In 1875, the university became the first institution of higher
education in Arkansas to admit women.[1] In 1946, the university
housed the state's first pharmacy school. [1]
During the years of World War II, the enrollment decreased to the
point that the Board of Trustees decided to find a tenant for the
facilities. From January 1944 through May 1945, the United States
Navy leased the full campus for operating a Primary School in
their Electronics Training Program. An estimated total of 3,000 Navy
and Marine servicemen were trained in the three-month course. In
this period, classes for the 150 College of the Ozarks students were
held off-campus at the First Presbyterian Church; female students
were mainly housed in the church's adjoining Manse.[1]
In 1959, the university became the first predominately white
university in the state to graduate an African-American. [1]
In 1987, the name was changed to University of the Ozarks. The
university enrollment has increased significantly since the mid1990s, and the number of full-time faculty has been increased from
32 to 48. During the past decade, the university's supporters helped
increase the school's endowment by 284 percent, contributing more
than $100 million for academic programs, scholarships, faculty and
staff benefits, and facilities.[1]
In 1998, U of O received the largest single monetary donation ever
made to a private university in Arkansas - $39.5 million from the
Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.[1]

Campus[edit]

University of the Ozarks' 30-acre campus, sits at the top of College

Hill on the north edge of Clarksville, Arkansas, a town with a
population of about 10,000 in the Arkansas River Valley.
The campus has a long history at its current location, dating back to
1891. In the years since the first cornerstone was laid on the site,
the campus has undergone continued growth and improvement.
There are now more than 20 buildings on campus, with the ten
major buildings arranged around a central mall which features a
picturesque fountain. The large trees and the classically styled
buildings combine to give the campus a distinctive look.

Munger-Wilson Chapel

Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel[edit]

One of the main landmarks of the university is the Raymond

Munger Memorial Chapel, erected in 1933. The chapel was built
with one of the single largest donations ever received by the college
at the time, a $75,000 gift from Miss Jesse Munger of Planfield, N.J.
Munger donated the money to build the chapel in memory of her
father, Raymond Munger, a New York businessman who was known
for his interest in religion and education. College students were paid
to provide much of the labor for excavation, laying of the foundation
and hauling of materials. Munger Chapel, which is listed in
the National Register of Historic Places,[8]was designed by
architect A.O. Clark of Rogers, Ark. Built of limestone trimmed with

Nu-Carth stone, it is of Gothic design and follows general plans

used in largecathedrals. The stained glass windows were designed
and installed by The Willet Studios of Philadelphia. The university
holds weekly services for the campus community in the chapel. It is
also a popular wedding venue. The university celebrated the 75th
anniversary of the chapel during a special ceremony during the
2008 Alumni Weekend.
In 2014, the Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel at University of the
Ozarks received a $2 million gift from Frances E. Wilson of Tulsa,
Oklahoma for a variety of renovations and improvements that would
proceed until December 2015. The University's Board of Trustees
formally accepted the gift at its Spring Board Meeting on April 26,
2014. Wilson made the gift to the University in memory of her late
husband, Thomas D. Wilson. In accepting the gift, the board
unanimously voted to express its appreciation to Wilson by renaming the building Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel. The
sanctuary and exterior of the Chapel will underwent a great deal of
restoration and replacement of structural elements to preserve the
historic look and spiritual feel of what is an iconic landmark in this
area.[9]

Walker Hall

Walker Hall[edit]

Walker Hall was completed in 2003, funded by a gift from the

Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation of Springdale. With
its massive 24-foot limestone columns, red granite steps and
majestic wood doors, Walker Hall closely resembles its
predecessor, Hurie Hall, which occupied the same area of the
campus for almost 80 years. In continued honor of Dr. Hurie's
contributions to the university, the new facility is home to the Wiley
Lin Hurie Education Center, located on its third level. The center
contains faculty and staff offices, tutoring rooms, document storage
areas, and "smart classrooms" which will give Ozarks education
students the chance to learn teaching skills in a modern, flexible
environment. The first floor of the 36,000-square-foot facility houses
the university's communication program, which now boasts some of
the most modern and sophisticated television, radio, and multimedia equipment to be found in the entire region. The main
entrance, located on the second level, opens into a large lobby area
complete with a lounge area, large screen TV, and a view of the
magnificent spiral staircase, all in a flood of natural light coming
through the large central skylight. The second floor also houses the
Robert H. Basham Micro-Teaching Lab, named in honor of longtime University professor, Dr. Robert Basham.
Walton Fine Arts Center[edit]

The Walton Fine Arts Building, named for Mr. Sam Walton and his
wife, Dr. Helen R. Walton, was completed in 1987. The building
houses the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, and features the
700-seat Seay Theatre, the 150-seat Rowntree Recital Hall, the
Stephens Art Gallery, a black box theatre, a television studio, an art
studio, classrooms and a computer lab.

See outside

University of the Ozarks

Website
Directions

Private university in Clarksville, Arkansas

University of the Ozarks is a private, four-year comprehensive university
located in Clarksville, Arkansas. The universitys 30-acre, tree-shaded
campus sits atop College Hill, about two blocks north of downtown
Clarksville. Wikipedia
Address: 415 N College Ave, Clarksville, AR 72830, United States
Acceptance rate: 85% (2010)
Mascot: Talon the Eagle
Total enrollment: 630 (2010)
Phone: +1 479-979-1000
Notable alumni: Charlie Spoonhour, Ada Mills, Debra Hobbs, William F.
Norrell, James McLean
Colors: Purple, Gold