Day Armory

The Day Armory, now part of the Garrison Center, was named in honor of Lt. Col. Joseph A. Day and dedicated to those students of the College who gave their lives in World War II. Day was president of Henderson from 1938 until 1941, when he was recalled to active duty for World War II.

On October 18, 1940, the Trustees authorized President Day "to execute and file an application on behalf of the Board of Trustees [...] with the Works Progress Administration for aid in financing and constructing an Armory for the benefit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps". The College received approval for the construction in February, 1941; however, because of numerous delays, construction did not begin until the summer months.

The Armory was finally completed in 1945 at a cost of over $150,000. Described by the Star as a "magnificent addition to the college plant", the Day Armory contained a modern rifle range, band room, film room, ordnance room, classrooms, dressing rooms, offices, and a large hall for indoor drills, and faced on a large outdoor drill field. A large flag pole in front of the Armory was a gift of Mr. I. L. Pesses of the Arkansas Pipe and Scrap Material Company. It was installed under the supervision of Mr. Leon Bond, Arkadelphia Manager of the Arkansas Power and Light Company.

In the early 1950s, a wing of the armory building became the new gymnasium. It provided "a basketball floor as fine and as large as any in the state, with bleachers capable of seating two thousand spectators". It could be used as an auditorium.

In 1991, the Day Armory underwent renovation to become a component of the Garrison Center. It serves as a meeting place for banquets, conferences, and large gatherings. In 2011, the College constructed a Vietnam War memorial on the wall of the former Armory to honor nine Henderson ROTC graduates who died while serving their country