糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Archivist to Share Forgotten History of Campus Football Team at CALS Legacies & Lunch Event
James Wethington, archivist and engagement coordinator at the 糖心Vlog传媒 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, 鈥淐hasing Glory: The Story of Little Rock Junior College Football,鈥� will take place at noon on Wednesday, July 2, at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.
The program, part of the Central Arkansas Library System鈥檚 monthly Legacies & Lunch series, will explore the history of the Little Rock Junior College (LRJC) football team, the university鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 think the Junior Rose Bowl win is one of the crowning achievements of our institution鈥檚 athletics history,鈥� Wethington said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fascinating that this team went undefeated in 1949 and beat a California team on the road. That鈥檚 what I consider our first national title. It built a lot of excitement around the football program.鈥�
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鈥檚 annual conference in 2024. His work draws from university photograph collections in Ottenheimer Library, archived yearbooks, historical newspapers, and 鈥淭he People鈥檚 College, Little Rock Junior College and Little Rock University, 1927-1969,鈥� a 1987 book by Jim Lester chronicling the early history of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.
鈥淢y talk will give a brief overview of the program鈥檚 history and highlight its post-World War II 鈥榞lory years,鈥欌�� Wethington said. 鈥淎rkansas is a football-oriented state, and it鈥檚 a fabulous opportunity to talk about what was going on in Arkansas football in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. It鈥檚 one of those hidden gems in our history that few people know about. It鈥檚 a unique bookmark in the history of the university.鈥�
The team was first active from 1930 to 1935 and played home games at Little Rock Central High School鈥檚 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鈥� academic experiences.
鈥淚t鈥檚 especially interesting because athletics are now considered a key part of the student experience,鈥� Wethington said.
Wethington hopes his presentation will entertain and spark more interest in 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 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, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown, or virtually via Zoom. Drinks and cookies will be provided; guests are welcome to bring their own lunch. Registration is through CALS.