Harding University

Harding University is a private liberal arts university with international campuses scattered across the globe and its main campus located in Searcy, Arkansas, about 50 miles (80 km) north-east of Little Rock. It is one of several institutions of higher learning associated with the Churches of Christ.

Founded in Morrilton, Arkansas, in 1924, Harding College moved to the campus of the defunct Galloway Female College in Searcy, Arkansas, ten years later. Today, the university contains forty-

eight buildings on its Searcy campus. It has satellite campuses in North Little Rock, Paragould,and Bentonville as well. In addition, Harding boasts a number of international campuses across the globe: in Brisbane, Australia; Viña del Mar, Chile; London, England; Porto Rafti, Greece; Florence, Italy; France; and Namwianga Mission, Zambia.

 The university also maintains a School of Theology in Memphis, Tennessee

. Furthermore, Harding operates Camp Tahkodah in Floral, Arkansas, and Harding Academy, also in Searcy. The fall 2014 student body of 6,075 students includes 4,492 undergraduate and 1,583 

graduate students from forty-nine states (currently missing North Dakota) and forty-four foreign countries. The fall 2014 enrollment is the 28th consecutive record fall undergraduate enrollment for the university.

Founded in Morrilton, Arkansas, in 1924, Harding College moved to the campus of the defunct Galloway Female College in Searcy, Arkansas, ten years later. Today, the university contains forty-eight buildings on its Searcy campus. It has satellite campuses in North Little Rock, Paragould,

and Bentonville as well. In addition, Harding boasts a number of international campuses across the globe: in Brisbane, Australia; Viña del Mar, Chile; London, England; Porto Rafti, Greece; Florence, Italy; France; and Namwianga Mission, Zambia.

 The university also maintains a School of Theology in Memphis, Tennessee. Furthermore, Harding operates Camp Tahkodah in Floral, Arkansas, and Harding Academy, also in Searcy. The fall 2014 student body of 6,075 students includes 4,492 undergraduate and 1,583 graduate students from forty-nine states (currently missing North Dakota) and forty-four foreign countries.

The fall 2014 enrollment is the 28th consecutive record fall undergraduate enrollment for the university.

Campus[edit]

The David B. Burks American Heritage Building on the Harding University campus

The campus comprises 48 buildings located on 350 acres (1.4 km2) near the center of Searcy.

 The campus lies roughly between Race Avenue and Beebe-Capps Expressway and includes several other minor thoroughfares, the campus of Harding Academy, Harding Place (a retirement community), and portions of surrounding neighborhoods.

The heart of the campus includes the George S. Benson Auditorium, which hosts daily chapel and sits facing the McInteer Bible and World Missions Center. Brackett Library, the American Studies Building (Education and English departments), the David B. Burks American Heritage Building (hotel and offices), Pattie Cobb Hall, and the Administration Building frame a grassy central 

commons area upon which can be found several paths, a fountain, and a bell tower made out of bricks from the institution that once stood there: Galloway Female College. Notable additions in recent years have included several dormitories. Expansions of the cafeteria, student center, art department, David B.

 Burks American Heritage Building, along with the addition of the McInteer Bible and World Missions Center, came with the closing of the road that once ran through that part of campus. It is now a pedestrian mall.

After years of competing in the Ganus Athletic Center, Harding's volleyball and basketball teams moved back to the Rhodes Memorial Field House, a round-topped airplane hangar from WWII. The "old gym" as it was once called was retrofitted to accentuate the already deafening acoustics of the

 facility, which has worked to the advantage of the home teams. The campus also has extensive intramural sports facilities.

In 2013, Harding paid for the renovation of White County Medical Center South to be remodeled into the new area for Harding's Doctor of Physical Therapy complex.