Date Original
1908-1979
Description
This collection contains materials collected by the Sloan-Hendrix History Committee to write a history of the Academy in 1979. It includes correspondence to and from various committee members as well as research materials gather to write the history and a draft copy of the history.
Biographical/Historical Note
In 1891, the Board of Trustees at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, made a recommendation to the Constitution to formulate a plan to build affiliated academies for a more educated clergy. The recommendation was adopted unanimously and the amendment to the Constitution was written as Article XII. Sloan-Hendrix Academy was accepted in 1899, supported by the Methodist Church. Imboden, Arkansas was selected due to the support of the local citizens and the influence of businessman W. C. Sloan, reportedly the wealthiest man in the county. The community provided land for the campus and money for buildings and equipment. The school was established in 1899 and set to open a campus located southeast of town. The buildings were not completed on time, however, and the classes of the first session were held in city hall, with W. E. Hogan as principal. The 1900 session opened at a new two-story brick facility with a dorm that could house as many as twenty students. While the other affiliated academies suffered from financial abilities, by 1906 Sloan-Hendrix was the only one still affiliated with Hendrix College. The curriculum provided a basic preparation for college entrance. An academy graduate was admitted to Hendrix College without entrance exams. Extracurricular activities included basketball, which was begun in 1909, and football, which was begun sometime later. In 1921, the first edition of the school yearbook, The Greyhound, was published. In 1923, the first alumni banquet was held. The academy was never able to become financially independent. With the national economic troubles of the 1920s and the onset of the Great Depression, the school did not survive. By 1931, the academy closed, and the campus was sold that spring to the Imboden Public Schools; the name Sloan-Hendrix is still in use today for the elementary school and high school. During the life of the academy, some 277 students received diplomas.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Conway, Faulkner County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
SMC.030.001
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Sloan-Hendrix Academy papers, SMC.030.001
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Sloan-Hendrix Academy papers, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
