Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

September 10, 1941

A liberal arts college, then known as Southern Baptist College, was opened in Pocahontas (Lawrence County) by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. The college opened as a two-year institution whose students mostly became ministers or public school teachers. The school, renamed Williams Baptist College, later moved to Walnut Ridge (Lawrence County) and began offering baccalaureate programs in 1980. It was formally adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1968. The school, now called Williams Baptist University, enrolls over 500 students, the majority of whom are from Arkansas.

Browse the Encyclopedia

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

New to Arkansas?
New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

See Overview