Dear Friends,
During the early years the faculty, staff and students at Arkansas State Normal School ( now the University of Central Arkansas) developed creative ways to promote their institution. The primary mass media was newspapers, magazines and other types of printed material. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, radio did not come to Arkansas until 1922. So, prior to that time, promotion of Arkansas State Normal School was either by oratory, which President Doyne and President Torreyson both excelled in, or published material, mainly newspapers. Doyne and later Torreyson, traveled the state and gave speeches to promote the college.
According to The Normal Echo, the Arkansas State Normal Press Association was created in 1912, for the purpose of promoting Arkansas State Normal School. According to The Normal Echo of January 1913, “The purpose was to promote the interests of the Normal throughout the State by means of letters written by students to their various county papers. These were to be sent during the summer to the secretary; later a suitable recognition by the Student Council was to be made. Of the responses, it has been decided by the Student Council that Lod Goza’s letter, which was published in the Times Journal and Malvern Meteor was the best and deserved second honor. A copy of his letter is published below:”
In Goza’s promotion letter he emphasized several things, including the leadership of President Doyne, a growing enrollment, the quality of the main building, the family-like atmosphere of the college, sports and the various literary societies.
