PAR T I I : I N T O T H E MODER N ER A , 1958- 1974
ed a 99-year lease on the property, which is located on the corner of Waldron Road and Kinkead Avenue. Start-up money may have come from local industry, but the idea for the technical division originated with the vision of E.T. Vines. Former Westark President Joel Stubblefield commented on Vines’ reasons for leading the institution forward in the development of vocational and technical education: Vines wanted to get young people out of the mines, the coal mines of south Sebastian County. He had been raised down there, and people died of lung problems. It was hard labor, and he wanted them to have an alternative. He wanted to provide them with technical training. An article published in the local newspaper at the time stated that the purpose of the technical division was “to upgrade the students, increasing their productivity and in two years greatly increasing their earning capacity.” The cost of the building was approximately $16,000, with some portions of the construction costs donated by local firms. The necessity of equipping the technical programs led the college president on a cross-country search for surplus federal machinery that could be acquired through the State Department of Education. The first two programs implemented by the college were in machine shop and drafting. A local group of engineers provided funds for drafting tables and supplies, but lathes and other machinery were brought from across the country. By fall 1961, the college had invested around $27,000 in its technical division for the acquisition of land, a building, and equipment. For this relatively small investment,
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the college had obtained capital holdings worth an estimated $186,000. The real value, however, must be measured in the creation of programs that could lead to a better and more prosperous life for students. The first state funding of faculty salaries came in the form of funds provided for night school instructors in the technical areas. Funding remained limited, however, until monies became available from the federal government program known as the Manpower Development and Training Act (MDTA). Passed in March 1962, the act funneled federal funds to each state for vocational training. Arkansas used these funds to start vocational-technical schools in several locations including Morrilton and Ozark. The program provided direct assistance to students attending the classes. Under the guidelines of the program, buildings and equipment could be leased, but only equipment could be purchased. Therefore, Fort Smith Junior College drew its first state support by leasing its newly formed technical division to the state. Operating funds paid for the salaries of instructors and allowed the purchase of other equipment. Despite the lease agreement with the state of Arkansas, the college retained control over the operation of the technical programs, including the hiring of faculty and staff. From 1962 until the college began to receive state funds in 1966, President Vines received a state salary of $200 a month as administrator of the MDTA program. When the school became a state institution, this stipend was
The Tech School as it appeared in the 1965 yearbook.