Stately Halls and Utilitarian Shacks: A History of the Buildings of Ouachita Baptist University

When you step onto the campus of Ouachita Baptist University, you might stop to admire the lovely landscaping and trees lining 6th and Ouachita Street. You might appreciate the architectural beauty of Cone-Bottoms, once said to be the most beautiful residence hall in the South. The abundance of places to sit and relax such as the International Flag Plaza and Fountain, Daniel R. Grant Plaza, and the Katie Speer Pavilion and Gardens only embellish the peaceful atmosphere of the campus. The new state-of-the-art Hickingbotham Hall impresses with its computer labs, classrooms, and lecture halls. Although an essential part of the campus, the buildings consist of nothing more than bricks and mortar. However, the brick and mortar of those buildings come to life when the stories of the people who learned and taught within those walls are shared. The students and professors of Ouachita help give the campus its unique atmosphere. Their stories belong in the history of Ouachita Baptist University as much as the historic timeline of the school does