UA Little Rock Archivist to Share Forgotten History of Campus Football Team at CALS Legacies & Lunch Event
James Wethington, archivist and engagement coordinator at the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC), will shine a light on a little-known chapter of university history during an upcoming Legacies & Lunch presentation.
The talk, “Chasing Glory: The Story of Little Rock Junior College Football,” will take place at noon on Wednesday, July 2, at UA Little Rock Downtown, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.
The program, part of the Central Arkansas Library System’s monthly Legacies & Lunch series, will explore the history of the Little Rock Junior College (LRJC) football team, the university’s first collegiate sports program. Established in 1930 and disbanded in 1955, the team had a brief but remarkable run, including multiple bowl appearances and a celebrated victory in the Junior Rose Bowl in 1949.
“I think the Junior Rose Bowl win is one of the crowning achievements of our institution’s athletics history,” Wethington said. “It’s fascinating that this team went undefeated in 1949 and beat a California team on the road. That’s what I consider our first national title. It built a lot of excitement around the football program.”
Wethington began researching the LRJC football team when he started working at the CAHC in 2022 and first presented on the topic at the Arkansas Historical Association’s annual conference in 2024. His work draws from university photograph collections in Ottenheimer Library, archived yearbooks, historical newspapers, and “The People’s College, Little Rock Junior College and Little Rock University, 1927-1969,” a 1987 book by Jim Lester chronicling the early history of UA Little Rock.
“My talk will give a brief overview of the program’s history and highlight its post-World War II ‘glory years,’” Wethington said. “Arkansas is a football-oriented state, and it’s a fabulous opportunity to talk about what was going on in Arkansas football in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. It’s one of those hidden gems in our history that few people know about. It’s a unique bookmark in the history of the university.”
The team was first active from 1930 to 1935 and played home games at Little Rock Central High School’s stadium. It was revived in 1947 and began playing at War Memorial Stadium after it opened in 1948. The program saw early success, making four bowl appearances and energizing campus life. However, by 1955, it was cut, along with other athletic programs, due to concerns that sports interfered with students’ academic experiences.
“It’s especially interesting because athletics are now considered a key part of the student experience,” Wethington said.
Wethington hopes his presentation will entertain and spark more interest in UA Little Rock’s early history and athletic programs. He plans to publish his research in the Pulaski County Historical Review.
Legacies & Lunch is free and open to the public. Guests can attend in person at the new location, UA Little Rock Downtown, or virtually via Zoom. Drinks and cookies will be provided; guests are welcome to bring their own lunch. Registration is available online through CALS.