The junior college began in 1927 with approximately 100 students, and classes met at Little Rock [Central] High School. It offered a two-year liberal arts program. In 1931 classes and administrative offices moved to the former U.M. Rose School building at 13th Street between State and Izard streets (this is the present-day site of Philander Smith College.) The Junior College (or Jaycee, as it was familiarly called) moved during the 1948-49 school year to an 80-acre tract of land on Hayes Street (now known as University Avenue) donated by businessman Raymond Rebsamen.

Photo: First graduating class of Little Rock Junior College.
From University of Arkansas at Little Rock website.

The Little Rock School District divested itself of the Junior College in 1957. That same year Little Rock Junior College expanded its curriculum and changed its name to Little Rock University, becoming a four-year institution. It merged with the University of Arkansas in 1969 and became the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Sources:

LRSD archives.
Application for National Register of Historic Places [U.M. Rose School] obtained from the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock web site; history page:
"Closed College Index, Arkansas" (web page from Prof. R. Brown of Westminster College in Missouri, charting colleges and universities in Arkansas that no longer are operating):If you have information about a Little Rock school or photographs that you would like to contribute to this project (we will return photographs if requested), please contact us!
Updated May 2008