Historical Synopsis
1925 Dr. George S. Benson goes to China as a missionary and personally experiences Communism and Socialism1936 Dr. George S. Benson returns to Harding University as the university’s second president; Dr. Benson established his National Education Program (NEP), emphasizing Godliness and Patriotism and his three C’s of Constitutional Government, Capitalism, and Christianity (over 25 million people a week came in contact with Dr. Benson’s thoughts on these through his radio program and publications)
1936 Dr. Kimmerer of Princeton University; first American Studies speaker
1949 First Freedom’s Foundation medal awarded to Harding University by General Dwight D. Eisenhower
1952 School of American Studies established; Dr. Clifton L. Ganus named Dean
1953 First educational tour for students
1954 American Studies for Teachers program begun
1956 Youth Citizenship Seminar began for High School juniors and seniors
1965 Dr. Billy Ray Cox named Director of the American Studies program
1973 Management Seminars begun as a part of the American Studies program
1979 The Dell Belden Center for Free Enterprise Education was established
1982 Lecture Studio Library was begun; Dr. David B. Burks, Dean of the School of Business, named director of the program
1985 The Walton program was established
1987 American Studies Program changed to American Studies Institute and an advisory board was formed with Co-Chairmen Jack Stephens and Sam Walton
1987 Dr. Jim Carr named Director of the American Studies Institute and Dr. Bob Reely named Executive Associate Director
1988 American Studies Institute Conference Center was established
1988 Arkansas American Legion Auxiliary Girls’ State
1990 American Studies Distinguished Student upper level Honors program formed
1992 Arkansas State Special Olympics hosted by the American Studies Institute
1992 Stephens Scholars Program begun
1993 Youth Citizenship Seminar (YCS) changed to National Leadership Forum (NLF)
1993 Summer Economics Institute for Teachers had begun, graduating approximately 25 teachers a year for seven years totaling of 175 graduates, influencing as many as 150 students per year, giving a multiplier of possibly thousands of students to be influenced in Economic Education
1999 Arkansas Home School Conference hosted by Conference Center
2004 Sino/American Studies Institute began. Presently, 16 Chinese scholars have graduated from Harding University and there are 36 that are currently enrolled
2006 National Leadership Forum celebrating its 50th Anniversary with approximately 10,000+ High School students influenced over these years in godliness and patriotism
The American Studies Distinguished Lecture Series has had 500+ distinguished lecturers on campus over all of these years. An example of the quality of the lectures in illustrated by the following list, which is thoroughly illustrated by the attached Hall of Fame brochure: Gerald Ford, William Crowe, Dan Quayle, Lynne Cheney, Helmut Schmidt, Benazir Bhutto, Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Margaret Thatcher, George Bush, John Major, Colin Powell, Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Barbara Bush, Malcolm S. Forbes Jr., and Brian Mulroney. Further evidence of the American Studies Institute program being the marquee program of the university, it has been awarded Freedom Foundation medals from the very earliest to date to a total of over 45, for contribution to the community and country.