Reng's legacy lives on in Student Union

The smell of coffee brewing, sweat dripping off glistening muscles as the rhythmic-panting grows quicker, checks being cashed, books being purchased, silence interrupted by pages turned by students studying. Where can so many activities take place at once? The ASU Student Union provides a different environment on each floor.

And, just like the Student Union, Dr. Carl R. Reng, the person the union was named after, provided the university with many services.

According to the book "The ASU Story," Reng was born in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Buena Vista College with a bachelor of arts degree in 1932.

After he was principal and coach at Copper High School in Cooper, Iowa, Reng became superintendent of schools at Huxley, Iowa. While being Superintendent of Schools, Reng worked on his masters of science degree at Drake University, receiving his degree in 1940.

"The ASU Story," goes on to say that after serving in the Navy, Reng entered graduate school at the University of Missouri, where he received a doctor of education degree in 1948.

Reng then joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas where he established a graduate program in education administration.

He was holding this position when he was offered the Arkansas State College presidency; Reng became president of Arkansas State College in 1951.

In the "Voices of State," Reng's wife is described as not being "too happy" about coming to Jonesboro.

The couple had just bought a new home in Fayetteville.

Reng told his wife, "I think I can last one year over there, and when we retire and sit on the front porch of the poor house, you can always say I was president."

"Reng was a magician," said Robert Ferralasco, emeritus chair and professor of administrative services and computer information systems.

Ferralasco describes a time when he and Reng played a shooting game. During the game, "Reng moved the sight on the gun and I missed everything!" said Ferralasco.

In the beginning, times at the ASC were difficult for the new president, Ferralasco explained. When Reng arrived, the college was nearly broke. This did not stop Reng from working hard during his presidency. Reng gathered around him a lot of capable people, said Eugene Smith, president-emeritus of ASU.

When faculty came to him throwing in his face that they had been offered other jobs, Reng basically wished them luck in their career. To Reng, they were already gone, Ferralasco explained. "He expected full support from the faculty."

Reng did a lot to prove to the legislature that ASC was ready to become a university, Smith said. The new president and his administration had the challenge of convincing the legislature to abandon restrictive parts of Act 100. Act 100, according to "Voices of State," split revenues equally between Monticello, Russellville, Magnolia and ASC.

To tackle this problem, Reng gave Linual Cameron, director of finance, the okay to sway the state legislative officials to abandon the restrictive part of ACT 100

Because the pace of ASC enrollment increased at a faster pace than the sister colleges, Cameron's first step was to prove to the education officials that Arkansas State's enrollment statistics were valid. The officials were suspicions of the numbers, because colleges frequently exaggerate enrollment numbers to receive more money. "We never lied about enrollment; never lied to the legislature," proclaimed Cameron in the "Voices of State."

However, the state failed to see ASC as a growing college, rather than a small agricultural school. Eventually, the construction of buildings paved ASC's path to university status.

In 1961, University Hall was built, financed by the revenue from room rentals, "ASU Story" explains.

During the 1960s, Kays Hall, Seminole Twin Towers, the Fine Arts, and Radio-Journalism buildings were constructed. The Library was also built during this time.

For the college to gain university status it was essential to have an excellent library, Smith said; the Dean B. Ellis Library was built in 1963.

A year after the library was built, a new student center was complete.

The Carl R. Reng Center replaced Wilson Hall as the focal point of campus. The center cost $2.5 million. According to the ASU Centennial Web site, the center housed the Wigwam Snack Bar, which was formerly in the student center in the basement of Wilson Hall, Woodlands cafeteria, a barbershop, bowling alley, the bookstore and various meeting spaces,

In the book "Arkansas State College Carl R. Reng Center," Reng describes the center as "more than a building. It is also a organization, a program, a focal point for campus…" With the building of the Reng Center complete, the college was on its way to university status.

On July 1, 1967, ASC became ASU.

Throughout the Reng presidency, Arkansas State went from a small agriculture school to a university.

"I think that the board of trustees would have had a hard time finding someone else to contribute to ASU like he did," Smith said.

Looking around the university, one can see all the contributions Reng made during his 24-year presidency.

Though the Student Union has changed, one thing remains the same - Reng's legacy lives on with every ring of the elevator, the constant swiping of ID cards and the organizations meeting throughout the building.