Significant Events in the History of The University of West Alabama
Feb 03, 2016
Significant Events in the History of
The University of West Alabama
Early History: 1835-1900
• 1835 Livingston Female Academy and Livingston Female
Seminary founded on February 22.
• 1839 First students admitted.• 1840 Livingston Female Academy
incorporated by Alabama Legislature; deed
recorded in Sumter County Probate Court from J. W. Hawthorn to Trustees for two acres.
July 4, 1836
Trustees electedJudge Samuel
Chapman
Dr. J. L. McCants
Seaborn Mims
William P. Beers
Willis Crenshaw
A. S. Arrington
R. F. Houston
First diploma awarded to Miss Elizabeth Houston of Livingston.
Name is changed to Livingston Collegiate Institute.
1843
1847
• Name changed to Livingston Female Academy.• Men barred from attending the Academy.
1881
Julia Strudwick Tutwiler becomes co-principal then first president• Served for 29 years, the longest of any president
• UWA’s only female president
• Wrote the Alabama state song
During Miss Julia’s tenure…
• 1882 The first Legislative appropriation is received ; it is the first from any southern state for the education of women
• 1883 – Name changes to Alabama Normal College for Girls and Livingston Female Academy
• 1886 Sumter County becomes a “dry” county as the result of Miss Julia’s involvement in the Temperance Movement.
1883
• Name is changed to Alabama Normal College for Girls and Livingston Female Academy
The 20th Century Part 1: 1900-1950
• 1900 – Men are admitted
• 1901 – First diploma is awarded to a male student, Frank L. Grove
Grove’s Diploma
Clipping of Grove’s retirement from 28 years of service to the Alabama Education Association – The Birmingham News June 17, 1956
1907 • The institution becomes a public institution controlled by the State of Alabama
1908 • First alumni association is organized
1909• The first Webb
Hall, built in 1895, burns. It is pictured at
right.
1910
Dr. G. W. Brock becomes president, serving until 1936• Dr. Brock bought the famous Webb Hall rocking
chairs
• Dr. Brock was known for rigid rules but was loved by students
During Dr. Brock’s tenure…
• The university expands from 4 to 35 acres
• Foust, Bibb Graves and Brock Halls are constructed; Webb Hall is rebuilt
• Enrollment breaks 500 for the first time in the school’s history
• Local Greek societies begin to appear on campus Students in Brock’s Era
1910• First yearbook (Calyx) is published• First alumni meeting is held
• School becomes the Alabama Normal College and School of Arts for Women, under the control of a state-wide Board of Trustees of State Normal Schools
• Men are again barred from attendance
1911
1911• Webb Hall is rebuilt in
halves, with about a year between each half
1914 • The second Webb Hall burns
1915 • Men are readmitted • Name changes to State Normal School,
Livingston, Alabama• The third and current Webb Hall is built and
occupied, though funding does not allow for it to be completed until 1926
1919 • Institution is placed under the supervision of the State Board of
Education
1922 • Kilby Hall built as a new elementary school building
1929 • The name is changed to State Teachers College (STC), Livingston, Alabama
• The College is authorized to grant Bachelor of Science degrees
1930 • Bibb Graves Hall is built to house administrative offices, classrooms, and an auditorium
1931• First football team is
formed of students and local boys
c.1934• Local Greek societies begin to appear on campus
1936
Dr. N. F. Greenhill becomes president, serving until 1944• Dr. Greenhill led faculty in the reorganization of the
teacher-education program
• The tiger mascot appeared first during his tenure.
During Dr. Greenhill’s tenure…
• STC is one of the first institutions in the State to receive accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – 1938
• First collegiate sports are played – 1938
• A Director of Athletics is added to the University facultyStudents in Greenhill’s Era
1939• First homecoming football game
is played• L-Club is formed
L-Club in 1962
1940• Baseball team wins Alabama
Inter-Collegiate Conference championship
• Tiger mascot is born when the basketball team is called the “Ramblin’ Tigers”
1940• Alma Mater is first sung at assembly• Marching band is formed• First student newspaper is published
(Livingston Life)
1944Dr. W. W. Hill becomes president, serving until 1954
Students in Hill’s era
• His efforts in recruitment helped raise enrollment from 92 to 431 within two years.
• Was known for his public relations skills.
During Dr. Hill’s tenure…• 1944 First off-campus classes are taught in
Mobile and Butler.
• 1947 The institution is authorized to grant Bachelor of Arts degrees.Faculty and course offerings are expanded.
• 1952 Tiger Stadium is built.
The 20th CenturyPart II: 1951-1999
• Birmingham News says Livingston is “known as the friendly college.”
1953
• Tiger Stadium is constructed on filled in land previously known as “Crawdad Creek.”
1952
1954
Dr. D. P. Culp becomes president, serving until 1963
Students in Culp’s era
• Had a talent for “stretching a dollar.”• Made efforts to guard students’ “moral
and ethical lives.”
During Dr. Culp’s tenure…• Many buildings are added on campus:
Faculty Apartments, Patterson Apartments, the Julia Tutwiler Library, Young Cafeteria, Sisk Hall and Pruitt Hall.
• The school achieves NCATE accreditation and SACS reaccreditation.
• The first master’s degrees are awarded in 1959.
1957 • Name is changed to Livingston State College
1958 • Graduate Division and master’s degrees in education are authorized
1961 • The institution is first in Alabama to receive accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
1963• The Society of the Golden Key is founded
1961• Julia Tutwiler Library is
constructed, opened in 1962
1963
• Dr. John E. Deloney becomes president, serving until 1972
Students in Deloney’s era
• Enrollment reaches an all-time high and faculty doubles.
• Institution divides into four colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and the Graduate School.
• During Dr. Deloney’s tenure…• Programs in Early Childhood Education and a graduate
program in Guidance and Counseling are added.• Master’s in Continuing Education and Educational
Specialist degrees are offered.• 1963–The Society of the Golden Key is founded.
• Tau Kappa Epsilon becomes the first national Tau Kappa Epsilon becomes the first national fraternity on campus and the first national fraternity on campus and the first national
fraternity on any campus of the former state fraternity on any campus of the former state normal colleges.normal colleges.
1964
Majoring in elementary education, she graduated in 1969, then earned her master’s degree in education from Livingston State University.
She retired from the Sumter County School System in 2001 after 30
dedicated years.
1966• Liza Howard is UWA’s first African-
American student
1968• James D. Crawford writes a new Alma Mater• The word “state” is removed from the official university
name
1967 • Legislature approves name change to Livingston State University
1971The Tigers win the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics Football Championship
1972• UWA’s Covered Bridge is dedicated on campus. Built in
1861, it is one of the oldest covered bridges in Alabama. It was moved to campus from the Alamuchee Creek by the Sumter County Historical society.
1973
• Dr. Asa N. Green becomes president, serving until 1993
Students in Green’s Era
• He was an avid supporter of athletics, serving on the Executive Committee of the GSC.
• He continues to be active in the community.
• During Dr.Green’s tenure…• 1981 Bachelor of Science in Technology degree is
established. • 1987 Technology Division is established. • 1993 Livingston University Foundation is established. • 1993 University is reorganized: College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics, College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, Division of Nursing, and College of Education.
1974The Division of Nursing is established and placed under the supervision of Dr. Dagmar Brodt, Frederick Brodt, Celeste Kaul and Sylvia Homan. Students have class on campus and work at the Sumter County Memorial Hospital.
1975
1978
Pictured L-R are Kaul, Homan, Dr. Brodt, and Mr. Brodt
• The institution sees its first nationally broadcast athletic event, NCAA Division II Football Playoff, on ABC
• Women’s intercollegiate athletics are established
1982• First microcomputers appear on campus
• 1984 Jody Wise is elected first female president of the Student
Government Association
• 1985 Bobby Warren is elected first African-American presidentof the Student Government Association
Bobby Warren and President Asa Green
Bobby Warren in the Homecoming Parade
1994
During Dr. Hines’s tenure…
• UWA Rodeo Team is established and rodeo complex built.
• Computers introduced for use in all aspects of student life.
• Programs developed in agribusiness, forestry, and psychology.
• Served as Dean of the UWA College of Business, 1981 to 1987.
• Promoted regional economic development.
Students in Hines’s Era
Dr. Don C. Hines becomes president, serving until 1998
• 1995 Name is changed toThe University of West Alabama.
• 1997 UWA’s Phi Kappa Phi honor society chapter is chartered.
1998
Dr. Ed D. Roach becomes president, serving until 2002
Students in Roach’s era
• Served as Provost before becoming President• Was a first-generation college graduate who
identified well with students
During Dr. Roach’s tenure…• UWA becomes the first e-Campus in the state.• The softball complex is built and facilities at Tartt Field
are enhanced.• Construction begins on an addition to the Julia Tutwiler
Library.• The university changes to semester system.
A New Millennium and Into the Future: 2000 and Beyond
• UWA converts from the quarter system to the semester system
2000
2001
• UWA has the most extensive network of wireless Internet connections in the state
• Dr. Jay Wenger (UWA faculty member) is a Fulbright Scholar
2002
Dr. Richard D. Holland becomes president• He is the first UWA alumnus to be named
President.• He began his service to UWA as a
graduate assistant in 1965.
During Dr. Holland’s tenure…• The Center for the Study of the Black Belt has been
established.
• Online graduate and undergraduate degree programs are now offered.
• The Regional Center for Community and Economic Development and the West Alabama Regional Alliance have been developed. Students in Holland’s era
2002• Regional Center for Community and Economic
Development is established • Dr. Jay Wenger, UWA faculty member, is a Fulbright
Scholar• Alfa Environmental Center opens
2003• The University’s first female football
player, Tonya Butler, joins the UWA Tigers, playing the position of kicker. Tonya becomes the first female in recorded NCAA history to successfully convert a field goal.
2003
• Bell Conference Center opens
Loraine McIlwain Bell (right), for whom the Bell Conference Center is named, sits with a friend, Ollie Odum, while enrolled at Livingston Normal College, c.1914
2004• Dr. Nol Alembong of Cameroon, Africa, is first
visiting Fulbright Scholar• Sucarnochee Folklife Festival begins• Teaching Excellence Fund is established
2005• Night football games
return to campus • UWA Baseball Team
wins Gulf South Conference
• Men’s and women’s tennis returns to UWA
• Sucarnochee Revue radio show begins
2006• Enrollment reaches 3,000+• Division of Outreach Services and
Office of Sponsored Programs are established
• Howard R. Vaughan Tennis Complex is dedicated
• Locker room and new dugout are added to Softball Complex
2007• “The University We Will Be” capital campaign began, the
first in UWA history• Program Enhancement Fund established
2008
• Division of Educational Outreach is established (Center for the Study of the Black Belt, Continuing Education, bby Publications)
• Suttles Entrepreneurship Institute and Division of Online Programs are established
• Cross Country club house opens
• Foust Gym is converted to band room
• International Education Programs begin with Chinese, South Korean, Nicaraguan and Mexican institutions
• SGA presents bronze Tiger
• Enrollment reaches 5,000+
• Named managing partner of Demopolis Higher Education Center
• University acquires Wesley Foundation and Baptist Campus Ministries properties
2009
2010• Faculty Leadership Development Program
is established• Comprehensive master facilties plan is
adopted• Celebration of UWA’s 175th Anniversary
Suggested Further Reading• Lyon, Ralph M. A History of Livingston University: 1835-1963. Livingston:
Livingston University Press, 1976. Located in the Alabama Room, UWA Julia Tutwiler Library, Call Number: 976.141 L994h
• Smith, Louis Roycraft. A History of Sumter County, Alabama, Through 1886. Ph.D. Diss., University of Alabama, 1988. Located in the Alabama Room, UWA Julia Tutwiler Library, Call Number: 378t Sm61h 1988.
• Snider, Dr. Neil, and Shelly Stapp Findley. A Biographical Guide to The Gallery of Presidential Portraits at The University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama. Livingston: UWA Department of Printing.
• Spratt, R. D. A History of the Town of Livingston, Alabama. Livingston: Livingston Press, 1997. Located in the Alabama Room, UWA Julia Tutwiler Library, Call Number: 976.1 Sp76h.
• University Records Collection (Archives), UWA Julia Tutwiler Library Vault. Web link: http://library.uwa.edu/Ala_Room/FAids/Collection_Info.asp#Univ
• Sumter County History Collection (Archives), UWA Julia Tutwiler Library Vertical Files. Web link: http://library.uwa.edu/Ala_Room/FAids/Sumter_County_History.asp
Credits• University of West Alabama Historical Timeline created by UWA
President Richard D. Holland• Significant Events in the History of the University of West Alabama
PowerPoint presentation created by Sheila Blackmon Limerick, Archives and Special Collections Librarian, UWA Julia Tutwiler Library. Slides 40-43 created by Deivid Delgado, President’s Office.
• Special thanks to Charlie Cook, Area Technology Specialist, UWA Information Systems Department, for consultation and assistance on PowerPoint design, organization and operation
• Special thanks to Martha Shirley, Information Technologies Librarian, UWA Julia Tutwiler Library, for assistance in the Julia Tutwiler Library Archives
• Special thanks to Dr. Tina Naremore Jones, Dean of the UWA Division of Outreach Services, for updates to the initial timeline by Dr. Holland
• Special thanks to Dr. Louis Smith for his presentation of this PowerPoint.
Sources for Images• UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Commencement and
Graduation, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault; digital images Web link: http://library.uwa.edu/Ala_Room/FAids/University_Diploma_Images.asp
• UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Administration – Alumni, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault, V.F2.1
• UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Buildings, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault, UWA, Livingston, AL.
• UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Miscellaneous, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault, UWA, Livingston, AL
• Paragon – Volume 78, 1988; Volume 73, 1983; Volume 65, 1975; Volume 62, 1972. UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Yearbooks, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault, UWA, Livingston, AL
• Calyx (yearbook), 1910 – UWA Archives, University Records Collection, Yearbooks, Julia Tutwiler Library Vault, UWA, Livingston, AL
• Snider, Dr. Neil, and Shelly Stapp Findley. A Biographical Guide to The Gallery of Presidential Portraits at The University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama. Livingston: UWA Department of Printing.