Henderson Museum

Before the completion of Arkansas Hall in 1949, several persons had already noted that the plans indicated no specifically designated use for a large amount of space on the second floor above the Library's main reading room. Through the years, Henderson had accumulated on its campus many interesting materials, much of it of museum value, and “mostly, here and there in College Hall. It was not really taken care of or thought much about, some of it just gathering dust.” In the collection were "items of local and college historical interest; valuable specimens of minerals in the Chemistry Department; O. E. McKnight's large collection of Arkansas rocks and minerals; some mounted birds and animals in the Biology Department; and especially Horace Whitten's collection of mounted birds and animals which he had collected from far and wide over a period of years. In addition there was available Mr. Proctor's large collection of Caddo Indian pottery and artifacts he had excavated over a period of years and had stored in his house. Also available as gifts were the lesser collections of Indian pottery—in all, several hundred pieces of pottery, and more hundreds of arrow points, axes, pipes, etc."

Dr. Hugh Hyman, Dr. Philip G. Horton, and others were concerned about the materials and their safekeeping. The undesignated area on the second floor in Huie Library offered available space. At a faculty meeting, as Dr. Horton later recalled, "I made quite an impassioned speech explaining the need to take proper care of the above mentioned materials and a plea for this space above the Library for the establishment of a Museum. After considerable discussion, and other speeches, pro and con, a motion to that effect carried by a sizable majority. The idea had blessing and on November 3, 1948, he appointed a permanent Committee on Museum".

When the Museum started operating, Dr. Philip G. Horton and Miss Elizabeth Brinkley became Curator and Assistant Curator, respectively. At first, the Museum used three or four old display cases available. But the College “generously contracted for the purchase of twenty or more factory built museum cases” which cost about $4,000. Made by the Three Sons Manufacturing Company of Little Rock, the cases required many months to construct. When the cases arrived, the Museum had the materials assembled to fill many of them. “A Museum was born! We were in business!” On Tuesday night, December 6, 1949, the faculty toured the Museum; and on Sunday afternoon, April 16, 1950, the public had its first opportunity to visit the Museum.

In the 1970s the museum was located in a house on Henderson Street that is now the site of the northern half of the Nursing Building. In 1981, the museum moved to the Captain Henderson House. It remained there until 1998, when the Henderson House was added to the National Register of Historic Places and underwent extensive renovation to become a bed and breakfast. The museum closed, and its holdings were distributed to various departments around campus.