Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and was originally named Third District Agricultural School, often called by students and faculty "TDAS."[3] Its first term began in January 1911, with its curriculum including only subjects at the secondary school level.[4] In 1925, the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work and to change its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District (Magnolia A&M).[5][self-published source] The school continued to offer both high school and junior college courses until 1937, at which time the high school courses were discontinued.[6]