Long-time faculty member, Joan Henry completed her last semester teaching at National
Park College (NPC) this week.
Henry grew up and graduated high school in Newport, Arkansas. She has two children
and four grandchildren. She comes from a family dedicated to learning and a long line
of educators. She, her parents and each of her four siblings graduated from the Arkansas
Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College (Arkansas AM&N), now known as the University
of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB), where she majored in English. She went on to complete
her master’s degree from Henderson State Teachers College, now Henderson State University.
She shared about her parents’ journey to attend high school away from home as the
segregated schools in most communities ended after eighth grade. Only a small number
of African-American high schools were available across the state at the time. Her
father went on to complete a master’s degree. The NPC Library has a book about her
mother’s family titled, The Seed of Sally Good’n, a book about the Polk family from
Howard County. “My mother was my first teacher,” said Henry. She spoke proudly about
her mother going to summer school to become a teacher, and about her grandfather who
was also a teacher. “I am so proud of them,” she noted. She said if she had one thing
to do over she would have loved to have followed in her elder sister’s footsteps and
pursued a law degree or a doctorate degree.
Henry came to Hot Springs to student teach in 1964. She took her first teaching job
in Malvern at Wilson High School, before the integration of the Malvern School District.
Wilson High School was required to integrate with Malvern High School in 1969. “I
was selected to integrate the faculty at Malvern Junior High School,” said Henry.
She recalled the memories of an assistant superintendent observing her class before
selecting her for the role. She accepted a teaching position at Southwest Junior High
School in Hot Springs and join the faculty at Garland County Community College in
February 1974, shortly after the College opened in August 1973.
Construction for the current NPC campus began in 1975. Before moving to campus in
1976, offices and classrooms were established in St. Gabriel's School at 220 Silver
Street. They later moved to the First Federal Building at Central and Bridge Street,
and the First Methodist Church at Central and Orange Street. Henry recalled the shared
office spaces and the struggle of being spread out all over town, “We were all over
the place. It was hard to keep up with us.” She remembered Trustee Don Harris advocating
for office spaces for faculty at the newly built campus.
Communications and Arts Division Chair, Roger Fox, reminisced with Henry about memories
they have experienced over the years and comradery among the faculty. “We have made
some great memories,” said Henry. Fox sat in Henry’s class as a student before completing
his master’s degree and joining the NPC faculty in 1979. “He was the ideal student
and that’s the way he has been as a boss,” said Henry. She said people have asked
her how it feels working for her student. “It feels good,” she added. “Joan was very
popular,” said Fox. “I use things I learned in her class almost every day when I teach
literature.”
NPC Dean of Students, John Tucker also had Henry as an instructor. “I entered college
as a non-traditional, undecided, veteran student. Joan Henry, through her dynamic
and thought-provoking lectures, made me want to teach English. She has a way of bringing
alive literature’s words, themes, and characters. I remember leaving her classroom
and thinking, ‘That is what I want to do!’ It is hard to imagine the number of students
she has inspired to read more, write more, and learn more. It is also hard to imagine
National Park College without her,” he said.
When asked how the campus has changed over the years, Henry stated, “It should change.
Everything changes in our lifetime. I embrace change, myself. I love it.” She believes
the College has grown for the better over time. She said she would like to see a theatre
in the College’s future. “There are still some powerful messages to be learned through
the arts,” she said.
Henry said she is most proud of all that she has learned during her years in education.
“I learned a lot and I am going to continue to learn, but I am going to try to learn
more about the Bible.” She plans to join her Bible class and exercise more. She said
she wants to “just be healthy and have fun, and enjoy more of life.” Henry added,
“My mother told me, ‘Don’t wait until you retire to do anything. You travel as you
go’.”
She said she will miss her colleagues and students the most. In her passionate teacher’s
voice, Henry shared some parting advice for her students. “You need to take advantage
of it now. You need to take your education into your own hands. Look at your grades.
Check your absences. Use everything you can find to succeed.”
