2011 to present
The Young-Wise Memorial Stadium and Plaza, Sturgis Athletics Center, and the Hatcher Tennis Center opened in 2013, expanding space for fitness pursuits and for the growth of intercollegiate athletics to 21 sports, including the return of the football program.
In 2014, Dr. William M. Tsutsui became the 11th president of Hendrix College. His accomplishments have included shepherding the formation and implementation of a five-year strategic plan for the College, the approval of a Statement of Purpose to elaborate upon the long-held mission of the
College, “unto the whole person,” and the expansion of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus.
In 2015, the estate of Mary Ann Dawkins bestowed the largest gift in the College’s history, $26 million. The gift supported scholarships, promoted college affordability, and launched the fundraising effort for the new Mary Ann & David Dawkins Welcome Center at the northeast corner of the
campus, which opened in September of 2017.
Also in 2015, the addition of the Murphy Scholars Program in Literature and Language provided a new avenue for students in any major to deepen their knowledge of literature and language through a variety of enhanced experiences. Students join the program near the close of their first year at
Hendrix, select and complete program-specific activities, and graduate with an added layer of distinction in literature and language to enrich their lives and attract the notice of future employers and graduate and professional schools.
In 2016, the College named its first Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Dionne Jackson ’96, who served in that role until May 2019. The Chief Diversity Officer supports the Hendrix Aspire Scholarship partner network and develops programming to recruit
and mentor Hendrix Aspire Scholars, promoting their success and ensuring their full inclusion in the campus community; and works with constituencies across campus toward the creation of a Center for Inclusive Community to serve as the space on campus for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The new Miller Creative Quad, which began housing students in the Fall 2019 semester, is a mixed-use facility providing residence areas for students of all majors as well as space for music, film studies, and the new Windgate Museum of Art.
Hendrix student-athletes continue to compete in NCAA Division III, with the College having become a founding member of the Southern Athletic Association. The number of intercollegiate sports teams stands at 21 with the groundwork for the debut of beach volleyball in 2020.
In December 2019, President Tsutsui retired and W. Ellis Arnold III, a 1979 alumnus, was named the 12th President of Hendrix College.