Hendrix College

Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. The student body averages around 1,400 and currently represents forty-three states and fourteen foreign countries. In US News and World Report's America's Best Colleges, Hendrix was ranked in 2011 as one of the top "up and coming" liberal arts colleges. In the 2008 edition Hendrix is ranked 71st in the nation. In 2009, Forbes ranked it 81st of America's Best Colleges.

The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church; however, the curriculum is secular and the student body is composed of people from many different religious backgrounds. Hendrix is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South. Its current acting president is W. Ellis Arnold III. Hendrix College is listed in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives.

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 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.

Student life

 * There are no fraternities or sororities.


 * Students from 19 foreign countries including Ireland, Korea and The Netherlands.


 * 16 Rwandan Presidential Scholars, studying at Hendrix through the Rwandan Presidential Scholarship program. Hendrix leads a consortium of 19 private and public institutions of higher education, hosting over 220 Rwandan students.


 * 65 student organizations offer a wide range of student activities, funded by a student activity fee allocated by the Hendrix Student Senate. Social Committee, or SoCo, is the largest student organization and is in charge of planning the larger events on campus. SoCo members are peer-elected each year and represent each hall and class.


 * The Office of Student Activities plans weekend and Wednesday evening events. Major social events are frequently held in "The Brick Pit" (formerly the "Brick Patio"), an outdoor area in the center of the campus. (Most famous among them is "Shirttails," a freshman dance-off that includes a serenade by the men's dorms ). The campus is located approximately 30 miles from Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas.


 * The Student Senate is the governing body of the student association. Along with campus-wide elected officers, students elect representatives from each class, residence hall and apartment building.


 * The Hendrix College Student Congress team won Arkansas Student Congress championships in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.


 * In 2010, Hendrix was named one of "The Top 50 Schools That Produce Science PhDs" by CBS MoneyWatch.com compiled from information by The National Science Foundation.

Athletics
Hendrix College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Warriors are a charter member of the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), starting effectively in the 2012-13 season. Hendrix was formerly a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Recognition
U.S. News & World Report lists Hendrix as the #1 “Up-and-coming Liberal Arts College” in its 2009, 2010, and 2011 list of colleges. Hendrix is also ranked 80th on the magazine's list of best liberal arts colleges.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges names Hendrix as one of 44 national "Best Buy" colleges and universities in its 2010 edition.

Forbes lists Hendrix as ranked #102 on the “America's Best Colleges” for 2010.

The Princeton Review lists Hendrix for academic excellence in its 2008 college guide, The Best 366 Colleges: 11th in the "professors get high marks" category, 11th in the "best classroom experience" category, 16th in the "best college theater" category, and 20th in the "lots of race/class interaction." Its 2008 edition of American’s Best Value Colleges also lists Hendrix. The Best 371 Colleges (2010) lists Hendrix 5th for “Easiest Campus to Get Around” and 13th for “Best Athletic Facilities.”

Hendrix College is featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools that Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges.

The Institute of International Education has awarded Hendrix with a 2012 Andrew Heiskell Award for International Exchange Partnerships as project coordinators of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program.

Campus buildings
Since the mid-1990s, the college has been pursuing a master plan for campus construction, developed in consultation with the architectural design firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. There are 36 buildings on campus, three of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Academic and administrative buildings

 * Admin Houses: Health services, counseling services.
 * Art Complex: Art department.
 * Charles D. Morgan Center for Physical Sciences/Acxiom Hall: Chemistry department, Physics department.
 * Olin C. Bailey Library
 * Buhler Hall: Currently vacant, due to the addition of the Student Life and Technology Center.
 * Donald W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences: Biology department, Psychology department.
 * Ellis Hall: Office of Admissions, Financial Aid, (NRoHP).
 * Fausett Hall: Office of Administration, English department, Foreign Language departments.
 * Greene Chapel: School's official chapel, venue for annual Candlelight Carol service.
 * I.T.: Information technology offices.
 * Morgan Center/John Hugh Reynolds: Mathematics and Computer Science department, Physics department, Chemistry department.
 * Mills Center: Cabe Theater, Economics and Business department, Education department, History department, Politics and International Relations department, Sociology and Anthropology department.
 * Bertie Wilson Murphy Building: Hendrix-Murphy Foundation.
 * Physical Plant: (Originally built as short-term housing and called “East Hall”)
 * Public Safety: Mainly deals with security and parking issues.
 * Raney Building: Religion and Philosophy department.
 * Staples Auditorium: Large auditorium, also houses Greene Chapel.
 * Trieschmann Building: Music department, Dance studio, Reves Recital Hall, and Trieschmann gallery.
 * Student Life and Technology Center: Office of Student Affairs, Social Committee, Master Calendar, cafeteria, the Burrow (student deli), Oathout Technology Center (computer lab), IT Help Desk, Odyssey, and Career Services. It also contains all student activities and organization offices, the KHDX radio station, the Religious Life Suite, Residence Life offices and the post office.

Residence halls

 * The Eco-House: Co-ed house with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.
 * Apartments on Clifton Street
 * Couch Hall: Co-ed residence hall named after Arkansas entrepreneur Harvey Couch.
 * The Hendrix Corner Apartments: Apartments located at the intersection of Front Street and Mill Street. (also called the Mill Street Apartments)
 * Front Street Apartments: Apartments at the intersection of Front Street and Spruce Street.
 * Galloway Hall: Female residence hall (NRoHP) named to honor Bishop Charles Betts Galloway and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
 * Hardin Hall: Male residence hall whose namesake, G.C. Hardin, was a 1905 graduate.
 * Huntington Apartments: College-owned apartments located on Clifton Street.
 * Martin Hall: Male residence hall (NRoHP) named in honor of Conway civic leader Capt. W. W. Martin, who worked to bring Hendrix to Conway
 * The Quad: Four co-ed residence houses: Cook, Dickinson, McCreight, and Browne.
 * Brown House and Stella Boyle Smith House (commonly Smith House): Two co-ed residential houses close to The Quad.
 * Language House: Single-language themed co-ed house. Rotates annually among French, German, and Spanish.
 * Raney Hall: Female residence hall named in 1960 for Alton B. Raney, a former trustee of the college.
 * Veasey Hall: Female residence hall named to honor former trustee Ruth Veasey.
 * The Village Apartments Two mixed-use buildings with commercial space on the ground floors and student apartments on the upper floors, part of the Village at Hendrix, a New Urban-style housing development project.

Recreational buildings

 * Wellness and Athletics Center: Houses the Physical Education department, basketball courts, a swimming pool, a free weights room, lacrosse field, an indoor track, a soccer field, and a baseball field. The underpass nearby, which connects the building to the main campus and runs under Harkrider Street, is the location of an interactive art exhibit by Christopher Janney titled Harmonic Fugue.

Notable alumni and faculty

 * Ashlie Atkinson: film, television, and stage actress
 * Douglas Blackmon: journalist and bureau chief with the Wall Street Journal; winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for his book Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, adapted as a PBS documentary in 2012, available online.
 * Sarah Caldwell: notable opera conductor; first female conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; winner in 1996 of the National Medal of Arts
 * Natalie Canerday: actress; notable roles in Sling Blade and October Sky
 * Hayes Carll: country singer-songwriter; Americana Music Award winner
 * Clint Catalyst: writer, spoken word performer, journalist
 * Michael Cox: Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
 * Bracken Darrell: President of Whirlpool Europe (2009-2012); Executive Vice President of Whirlpool Corporation; President Logitech (CEO beginning 2013)
 * Alexander Dawson: Nationally-known asset manager and economics commentator
 * Jay Dickey: former Congressman; author of the Dickey Amendment
 * Susan Dunn: opera singer
 * Timothy Davis Fox: Judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of the State of Arkansas
 * Randy Goodrum: popular songwriter, who wrote "You Needed Me", which was sung by Anne Murray, and many other songs including songs by the bands Toto and DeBarge, as well as solo singers such as Steve Perry (musician).
 * Tim Griffin: United States Representative for the Second District of Arkansas, Interim United States Attorney, Justice Department official, aide to Karl Rove
 * Alan W. Eastham: Senior Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador to the Republic of Congo and many other African nations, Director of Central African Affairs, Senior Fellow at Hendrix College
 * Ann Die Hasselmo: president of Hendrix College 1992-2001
 * Doyle Overton Hickey: Army officer who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
 * Derek Lowe: Pharmaceutical researcher
 * Rock F. Jones: president of Ohio Wesleyan University
 * Jo Luck: former CEO of Heifer International, a world hunger organization
 * Harry Meyer: Co-developed the vaccine for German Measles
 * Wilbur D. Mills: former United States Representative for the Second District of Arkansas; Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, played a large role in the creation of Medicare.
 * Robert L. Moore: Noted Jungian psychoanalyst, professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary
 * Ben Nichols: Lead singer of Lucero
 * Steven Ozment: McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History at Harvard University and author of several award-winning books, including ''A Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People"
 * Margaret Pittman: First female head of a National Institute of Health laboratory and pioneer in developing the vaccine for pertussis
 * William Ragsdale: Actor. Star of movie Fright Night and television series Herman's Head
 * John E. Sanders: American Christian theologian and author.
 * Benjamin Schumacher: U.S. theoretical physicist, most noted for his contributions to the field of quantum information including the development of what is now known as Schumacher compression
 * P. Allen Smith: nationally-recognized garden designer
 * Mary Steenburgen: Academy Award-winning American actress and wife of Ted Danson. She left during her sophomore year.
 * Trenton Lee Stewart: Author of The Mysterious Benedict Society books
 * Brock Thompson: Author of The Un-Natural State: Arkansas and the Queer South.
 * Wallace Townsend: Arkansas Republican national committeeman (1928-1961); Republican gubernatorial candidate in 1916 and 1920; Little Rock lawyer until he was ninety-two
 * Joan Wagnon: former mayor of Topeka, Kansas (1997–2001) and former Kansas Secretary of Revenue
 * Billy Roy Wilson: United States federal judge
 * Winston P. Wilson, United States Air Force Major General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau