The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff cordially invites you to the L.A. Davis, Sr. Student Union Grand Reopening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. This ribbon cutting event, marking the next chapter in this iconic building’s history, will take place at 1301 L.A. “Prexy” Davis Drive on the UAPB campus in Pine Bluff, AR, on Friday, May 3, 2024, commencing at 11 a.m. We look forward to your presence as we celebrate this milestone with a brief program, ribbon cutting ceremony, tour of the facilities, and reception.
The L.A. Davis Sr. Student Union underwent a transformative renovation project valued at approximately $3 million. The renovated Student Union will serve as an extension to the planned $36 million Student Engagement Center. It will provide a more contemporary space for the bookstore, mailroom, print shop, and student gathering areas. AMR Architects and CDI Contractors completed the renovation project under the direction of Dr. Carla Martin, UAPB Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, and Terrell Langley, UAPB Director of Facilities.
As the University’s 151st Founders’ Week Celebration comes to a close on April 28, this reopening ceremony marks another significant moment for the University, said Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander. Seventy-two years ago, on April 27, 1952, the Lawrence A. (L.A.) Davis Student Union was dedicated with the 79th Founders’ Day Reception as the first official activity of the building. The University Museum and Cultural Center (UMCC) holds records from the period that defined the Student Union as “the community center for the University.” Chancellor Alexander added, “This building has been a hub of student life, a place for socializing, studying, and engaging in various activities, and its reopening is a testament to its enduring importance in our community.”
According to UMCC’s archived documents, the L.A. Davis Student Union was designed to welcome all members of the University family, students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and guests. It is not just a building but an organization, a program, and a well-considered plan for the University’s community life that provides social, cultural, and recreational programs aimed at making leisure-time activities a cooperative factor with study in education.
As we commemorate this renovation and reopening, the aim and tradition of the L.A. Student Union continues as a key component of the University and under the guidance of the UAPB Office of Student Involvement & Leadership, with Frank Dorsey, II, Dean, and Courtney Jackson, Director of L.A. Davis Student Union. The reopening ceremony is a free community event open to the public. Please use this link to view the official invitation and to register. If you have questions, please email development@uapb.edu.
University Museum and Cultural Center (UMCC) activity was paid in total or part by funding from the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Institutional Services Program, Title III, Part B, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program or Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.
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