Harding University

WhiteCo AR courthouse

Harding College was founded in Morrilton, Arkansas, in April 1924 after the merging of two separate colleges: Arkansas Christian College of Morrilton, Arkansas, and Harper College of Harper, Kansas.[3] It was named after James A. Harding, a minister and educator associated with Churches of Christ.[4] Harding College moved to the campus of the defunct Galloway Female College in Searcy, Arkansas, ten years later.

James A. Harding

Harding University first advocated for pacifism and political disengagement, in line with its own founding influences like James A. Harding and David Lipscomb as well as with wider trends in many other evangelical Christian movements during late 19th- and early 20th-century America. This trajectory shifted during the Cold War, however. Harding thus became involved in the production of a series of animated cartoons extolling the virtues of free-market capitalism. This series, including "Make Mine Freedom" (1948) as well as "Meet King Joe" (1949), were all produced by John Southerland Productions as part of a concerted campaign to fight against the threats of communism at the beginning of the Cold War using popular media. The animations contrast mainstream American values with the values of Soviet communism.[5] The initiative represented a central concern of Harding president George S. Benson, who believed that fighting socialism was a moral imperative.

Dr George S Benson

During segregation in the United States, the school remained racially segregated under the leadership of president George S. Benson, a staunch segregationist. In spite of the overwhelming disagreement of the school's students and faculty, Benson maintained that mixing of the races was against the divine order. In 1963, when the Civil Rights Act would threaten a cutoff of federal funding, Benson acquiesced and a few black students were admitted.[6] While it was the second private college in Arkansas to integrate, by 1969 it had only 20 black students out of a student body of over 2000. While President Ganus stated that he did not "see any Biblical injunction against it", he discouraged interracial relationships. Under his leadership, the Harding administration allowed students to enter into interracial relationships, but made it policy to caution them against it and informed their parents in writing. The policy of allowing such relationships was the focus of much anger from the families of some white students. In 1969, three black students who protested racism at the university were expelled.[7] Bowing to pressure from student groups in 1969, Ganus made plans to hire Negro teachers.[8] In 1980, Richard King became the first African-American Faculty Member.[9]

• J.N. Armstrong (1924–1936)
• George S. Benson (1936–1965)
• Clifton L. Ganus Jr. (1965–1987)
• David B. Burks (1987–2013)
• Bruce McLarty (2013–present)

Structurally, the university comprises nine separate colleges: the College of Allied Health, the College of Arts & Humanities, the College of Bible & Ministry, the Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, the Cannon-Clary College of Education, the Carr College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Sciences, and the Honors College. Each college then has its own subdivisions of departments or other sections.[15] The university also has a School of Theology in Memphis. Between these nine colleges, the university provides ninety-seven majors, ten undergraduate degrees, fourteen pre-professional programs, and twenty-one graduate and professional degrees.[16]

The Administration Building of Harding University.

Harding houses the American Studies Institute (ASI), a center designed to supplement students' academic training and promote "a complete understanding of the institutions, values, and ideas of liberty and democracy."[17] In doing so, the ASI exhibits a generally conservative political stance, focused on going "back to the fundamental values that made this country great." The formal roots of this program date back to 1953, when Harding formed the School of American Studies.[18] Currently, the ASI sponsors a number of programs aimed at promoting these values. These include entrepreneurial and leadership programs, a distinguished student honors program, the Belden Center for Private Enterprise Education, and participation in the Walton Scholars Program, which brings in qualified students from Hispanic countries to Arkansas colleges and universities.

Harding University's primary campus houses the Brackett Library, which includes the Ann Cowan Dixon Archives & Special Collections. The library holds more than 340,000 print volumes and nearly 300,000 electronic resources.[19] It also houses the English Department Writing Center and the Media Center. Its School of Theology, in Memphis, maintains a well-respected theological library, the L. M. Graves Memorial Library.

Harding University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Specific colleges and programs have received further accreditation by specialized agencies as well.[20]

In 2019, Harding University ranked #240 overall in the "national universities" category by U.S. News & World Report.[21]

The David B. Burks American Heritage Building on the Harding University campus.

The university sponsors student-led "social clubs" that serve a similar social networking function to the Greek system, as Harding forbids formation of local chapters of national social fraternities and sororities. Most of these organizations have adopted Greek letter names that are similar to national fraternity and sorority names. Currently there are 15 women's social clubs and 15 men's social clubs at Harding. Social clubs are open to all academically eligible students and serve as some of the university's most visible student-led organizations. The clubs are a prominent part of student life with slightly more than half of all undergraduate students participating as social club members.

The social club induction process begins when clubs host "receptions" in the fall to recruit new members. Prospective members then complete a "visitation", which requires that they meet and interview every current member of the club. The membership process culminates in Club Week, when each prospective member bonds with the other members of the club through a series of scheduled activities throughout the week.

Once a student is accepted into the club, they attend biweekly meetings and can participate in club-sponsored sports, service projects, and Spring Sing.

Harding's social clubs have been involved in hazing controversies over the years. As a result, some have been forced to disband, including the Seminoles (2010), Kappa Sigma Kappa (2005),[22] Mohicans (1982),[23][24] and most recently Pi Kappa Epsilon (2015).[25]

Harding has competed in the NCAA at the Division II level since 1997, beginning in the Lone Star Conference moving in 2000 to the Gulf South Conference and then moving to the newly formed Great American Conference (GAC) in 2011. Men's sports include Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Tennis, and Track and Field. Women's sports include Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, and Volleyball.

The facilities for the sporting events are: First Security Stadium, Ganus Activities Complex,[26] Stevens Soccer Complex,[27] Jerry Moore Field (baseball),[28] Berry Family Grandstand (softball),[29] Harding Tennis Complex,[30] and the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.[31] On October 19, 2019, the new indoor football facility was dedicated in honor of longtime football head coach Ronnie Huckeba. The Huckeba Field House is the largest indoor practice facility in NCAA Division II and one of the largest in the country for any level.[32]

In keeping with the university's expectation of the "highest standards of morality, integrity, orderliness, and personal honor," Harding has a number of rules that were designed to foster these standards on campus.[33]

Each weekday morning, students are required to attend chapel service. Chapel presentations are usually led by students or faculty, but special events and guest speakers take place on a regular basis. Classes on biblical studies are also mandatory for students taking at least 8 hours for credit in a given semester. Additionally, students must complete at least 8 hours of Bible courses in order to complete the Liberal Arts curriculum.

Most students are required to live on campus, and those who do are required to be in their residence halls by midnight (00:00) during the week and 1 a.m. (01:00) on weekends; except in certain open house events, men and women are not allowed to visit one another's dorm rooms. In addition, Harding prohibits premarital, extramarital, and homosexual sex.[34]

The consumption of alcohol is also prohibited for students and faculty both on and off campus. A violation of this policy usually results in expulsion for one semester. (Searcy, Arkansas, lies in White County, which is also a dry county.) Harding has had a no smoking policy on campus since August 1978. More broadly, disciplinary action may be taken against students who use illegal drugs whether on or off campus.

Harding requires faculty to dress professionally when attending class, chapel, lyceum, and American Studies programs. Prior to August 1979, female students were required to wear dresses to class and are still required to dress "modestly." In recent years, there has been a controversy regarding the wearing of yoga pants on campus.

Spring Sing is an annual musical production held during Easter Weekend, featuring performances by the social clubs. It is widely attended by current and prospective students, alumni, and Searcy residents. An estimated 12,000 people attend the show each year.[35] Each year, an overall theme is selected, and each club develops music and choreographed routines for the show. Rehearsals begin as early as January. Spring Sing also typically features two hosts, two hostesses, and a general song and choreography ensemble, with these roles chosen by audition. The ensemble performs to music played by the University Jazz Band. Each club act is judged and, according to their performance, awarded a certain sum of money. The clubs then donate this money to charities of their choice.

Alongside publications of the University itself, such as the alumni newsletter Harding Magazine and the yearbook The Petit Jean, students produce their own periodical during the academic year, called The Bison. This student-run publication is printed in nine issues per semester and made available through its multimedia website The Link.

In 2011 and 2018, LGBT students at Harding produced an unauthorised magazine called HUQueer Press, whose website was blocked by the University.[36] This decision by the administration – which aligned with those of similar universities – gained attention from national newspapers like The New York Times and online platforms like Jezebel.[37][38]