History of the School
About 1937,
Arkansas Congressman W.F. Norrell and Mr. Marvin Bankston,
President of Arkansas A&M College met with President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. During this meeting FDR reportedly remarked "Before I
die . . . I want to convert the worn out hill farms of Arkansas
into crops of the fastest growing and most profitable pine
forests in the nation." About that same time, Mr. L.K. Pomeroy
was appointed to the Board of Control at Arkansas A&M with the
specific purpose of helping establish a School of Forestry. With
this encouragement and two years of VA funding, President
Bankston looked for the right man to establish a forestry
program. Mr. Henry H. "Hank" Chamberlin, a graduate of Yale
University, was contacted in 1944 about starting a forestry
program in Arkansas. In 1945 Mr. Chamberlin decided to leave his
position at Louisiana State University to start a 2-yr. forestry
program at Arkansas A&M, but said he would stay only one year.
At the time Mr. Chamberlin arrived, the college catalog boasted
that "Arkansas A&M has so reduced the cost to students that the
institution is recognized as one which provides maximum service
at minimum expense." These expenses included a $1 matriculation
fee, $90-$100/semester for meals, $6-6.50/month for a dorm room,
and no tuition for Arkansans. Mr. Chamberlin arrived at Arkansas
A&M eager to build a 2-yr forestry program, but found virtually
no resources for supporting the program. So, he worked with what
he had. In Mr. Chamberlin's case this meant drawing upon his
personal qualities to make the unlikely become a reality. He was
a hard worker, pursued excellence, had a sense of urgency, was
tenacious, and blended these qualities with a sense of humor.
But perhaps most of all, he liked students, wanted to teach
students, and he wanted his students to succeed.
Everyone
recognized it would be tough to establish a forestry program.
There was no classroom space, no budget, and no equipment. When
Mr. Chamberlin arrived he received space on the 3rd floor of
what is now the Memorial Classroom Building and began the
program with 3 majors. By September enrollment was 8 and by the
end of the first semester the number had increased to 57 and
continued to rise. Budgets remained a problem, with faculty
paying out of their pockets for various items like paper for
exams and postage for correspondence. For equipment, Mr.
Chamberlin met with Mr. Pomeroy and justified each item with the
courses it would be used in, how many students would use it, and
why it was essential. There wasn't money for extras but all the
basics were covered. Students were mostly WW II veterans on the
GI Bill. Demands for graduates were high, thus, it is no
surprise that by 1948 the reputation of the program was
spreading and the first out-of-state students were admitted.
With the encouragement of students and the support of industry,
the program was expanded from the 2-yr curriculum to a 4-yr
program in 1950. Space remained a problem. In 1957 the program
moved into a new building with paneling and equipment provided
by forest industry. Faculty increased from 3 to 7 and student
enrollment was 110, making the forestry major second only to the
business major in student numbers.
Arkansas A&M became
the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) when it joined
the University of Arkansas System in 1971. Consequently, in 1973
research became a part of the School's mission, and in 1975
faculty members conducting research were placed on joint
appointments with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
In 1976, the School began its affiliation with the Cooperative
Extension Service and in 1981 the wildlife management major was
added to the program. The UAM forestry program was first
accredited by the Society of American Foresters in 1984. In
1987, the research wing of the Forest Resources Building was
opened, and soon thereafter the Arkansas Forest Resources Center
was established in an effort to enhance research and extension
programs. With the growth of the School and the Center,
graduate education became part of the program’s mission with the
addition of a Master of Science in Forest Resources in 1998.
In 2000, the spatial information systems major and the two-year
land surveying technology program were added.
The man
that said he would stay but 1 year stayed a bit longer. Mr.
Chamberlin arrived as a "pioneer" and retired a "classic" 35
years and 5 presidents later. He served as Professor and Head
until 1972 and continued to teach until 1980. During this time,
Mr. Chamberlin taught every forestry student, nearly 600 in all.
At his retirement, Dr. Blackmon stated, "Frequently students do
not realize until years later that a particular professor has
made a significant contribution to his or her educational
experience. Not so with Hank Chamberlin. His students recognize
his special qualities from their very first contact and soon
learned to respect him as a teacher and as a human being." In
1995 the Henry H. Chamberlin Forest Resources Complex was
dedicated to commemorate Hank's accomplishments and
contributions to the forestry profession and the UAM Forest
Resources Program.
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