On Jan. 21, 1872, classes began at the Arkansas Industrial University with seven boys and one girl in attendance.

In 1871, the state legislature approved establishment of a land-grant university, to be known as the Arkansas Industrial University. The University of Arkansas was subsequently founded in in Fayetteville as the Arkansas Industrial University, a land-grant institution.

Today UA is a competitive research university enrolling over 17,000 students and offering strong programs in architecture, creative writing, business, and agriculture, particularly poultry science.