The University of West Alabama’s Livingston campus fosters a rich history dating back to the early 1800s when the school was established as an all-female academy. Many of the students who walk the campus and who are enrolled in UWA’s online courses are likely unaware of how UWA’s roots where established.
Learning about your university is one way to feel proud of your status as a UWA Tiger, no matter where in the world you are located!
Check out this timeline detailing UWA’s progression from then to now!
1835: Livingston Female Academy was chartered as a church-related female institution.
1839: The school admitted its first students.
1860s-70s: After being closed due to hardships during the Civil War and Reconstruction, the school reopened in the late 1860s to early 1870s.
1881-1910: The school was under the direction of noted educator and reformer Julia Tutwiler.
1883: Tutwiler succeeded in getting a small appropriation from the State Legislature to establish normal school training for girls at the academy. This is believed to be the first state appropriation in Alabama made exclusively for women’s education.
1886: The first normal school diplomas were granted.
1907: The state assumed full control of Livingston Female Academy and State Normal College.
1910: Dr. G.W. Brock succeeds Tutwiler as president.
1911: The Alabama Legislature creates a State Board of Trustees for all normal schools.
1919: The State Board of Trustees was abolished, and all state normal schools are placed under the State Board of Education.
1929: The school becomes State Teachers College and is able to grant Bachelor of Science degrees.
1947: The Bachelor of Arts degree was authorized.
1957: The Alabama legislature changes the school’s name to Livingston State College.
1958: The school is authorized to confer master’s degrees in professional education.
1967: The school becomes Livingston University, governed by its own board of trustees.
1995: The school’s name changes to the University of West Alabama.
2016: Today, the University of West Alabama is a regional institution that strives to meet the educational needs of the area by offering associate, baccalaureate, master’s and educational specialist degrees.
As a UWA student, you will play a part in shaping the school’s future and paving the way for future generations of students. Want to join us? UWA Online is launching its all-new continuing education program starting Jan. 9, 2017! Contact us today to learn how you can enroll. Call us at 205-652-5100 or email us at [email protected]! #UWAHistory #UWAOnline #ContinuingEducation #LivingstonUniversity