Hendrix College - College History

College History

Hendrix College was founded as a primary school called Central Institute in 1876 at Altus, Arkansas, by Rev. Isham L. Burrow. In 1881 it was renamed Central Collegiate Institute when secondary and collegiate departments were added. The next year the first graduating collegiate class, composed of three women, were awarded "Mistress of English Literature" degrees. In 1884, three conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South purchased the school. This began the school's relationship with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and later The Methodist Church, and United Methodist Church. The Central Collegiate Institute was renamed Hendrix College in 1889 in honor of Rev. Eugene Russell Hendrix, a presiding bishop over three Arkansas Methodist conferences. This same year, the primary school was discontinued.

Hendrix College was initially designated a male college, but as early as 1889, the class catalog allowed for the enrollment of women who were interested in the college's course of study. In 1890, after receiving bids from seven other Arkansas towns, Hendrix Board of Trustees chose Conway as the new location for the college. By 1925 the secondary department was discontinued. A bid was accepted in 1929 to merge the college with Henderson-Brown College, a private college in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The merger briefly created Hendrix-Henderson College, until two years later when the Board of Trustees removed "Henderson" from the name. As a result of this merger, the Hendrix Bull Dogs became the Hendrix Warriors, and the college newspaper, formerly the Bull Dog, was renamed the College Profile.

The newly formed college was planning to move the school to Little Rock, Arkansas, but the city of Conway was able to raise $150,000 to keep the school located at Hendrix's campus. Two years later the name of the college reverted back to Hendrix College after a short period of being named Trinity College, which was opposed by many students and alumni. The college merged with Galloway Woman’s College in Searcy, Arkansas in 1933, during the Great Depression. Hendrix College retained its location and facilities during this merger.