Methodist Episcopal Church, South unsuccessfully tried to lure Hendrix College to Arkadelphia.
On September 3, 1890, Arkadelphia Methodist College opened its doors to 110 students and 10 faculty members. The college also served as an academy, providing high school–level education, until 1925.
In 1913, the university football team's name began to shift from "Reds" and/or "Red Jackets" to "Reddies." The Henderson State athletic programs and student body are affectionately called Reddies to this day.
In 1929, the university, known then as Henderson Brown College, was pressured to merge with Hendrix College by the Arkansas Methodist Conferences. However, Arkadelphians and southern Arkansan leaders refused to let the institution leave and offered it to the State of Arkansas. The Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 46 to "establish a standard Teachers College in Arkadelphia," turning Henderson Brown College into Henderson State Teachers College.
=== Presidents and chancellors ===
Presidents and chancellors of the …
