W. Ellis Arnold III was elected the
12th President of Hendrix College by the Hendrix Board of Trustees on November 21, 2019 and took office on
December 31.
Message from President Arnold
Welcome to Hendrix College, one of the country’s leading liberal arts colleges.
I am honored and humbled for the
opportunity to play a role in advancing Hendrix as a national leader in engaged learning and the liberal arts.
Hendrix is recognized nationally for academic excellence, innovation, and value. We have been at the forefront of
engaged learning in American higher education, and we are the premiere institution of higher learning in our home
state.
It is a privilege to work with the Hendrix community and alongside our dedicated faculty and staff and
talented students. Together, we will lead the College confidently into the next decade and seize our opportunities with
determination and optimism.
About President Arnold
W. Ellis Arnold III was elected the 12th President of Hendrix College by the Hendrix Board of Trustees on
November 21, 2019 and took office on December 31.
A 1979 Hendrix graduate, Arnold received his juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William
H. Bowen School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review, and practiced law in Little Rock from 1982 to 1990.
In 1990, he was approached by then-Hendrix President Dr. Joe B. Hatcher to serve as Vice President for Development
and College Relations and lead the College’s church relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing, in
addition to serving as General Counsel.
In November 1996, Arnold was named President of Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., and in 1997 attended the
Harvard Seminar for New Presidents at Harvard University. He later served as President and Head of School of Pulaski
Academy in Little Rock, Ark., from 2004 until 2008, when he returned to Hendrix. He served the College as Acting
President on two occasions, in addition to his role as Senior Executive Vice President, Dean of Advancement, and
General Counsel. Under his
leadership the College successfully completed its first $100 million campaign and is now nearing completion of an
historic $150 million campaign as the college’s endowment has reached record levels at over $230 million.
Arnold is married to Kim Speak Arnold ’82, and they have two daughters: Laura Arnold Montgomery, Rhodes College Class
of ’07, and Dr. Grace Arnold, Hendrix College Class of ’13.