Celebrating 150 Years: Joseph Carter Corbin and UAPB

Legacies & Lunch September 2025

Join Dr. Gladys Turney Finney in conversation with Dr. Kimberley Davis to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Branch Normal College (now UAPB) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by Professor Joseph Carter Corbin.

Join Dr. Gladys Turney Finney in conversation with Dr. Kimberley Davis to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Branch Normal College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by Professor Joseph Carter Corbin. The school opened the doors to what would become a major center of learning for African Americans in Arkansas, starting with just seven students.

This talk will highlight Corbin’s groundbreaking contributions to education. The City of Pine Bluff officially recognizes September 27 as Professor Joseph Carter Corbin Day, a resolution passed by the City Council to honor his legacy on the 150th anniversary of the university's founding. Corbin's story is also featured in Joseph Carter Corbin: Educator Extraordinaire and Founder of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, published by Butler Center Books in 2017. As we reflect on Corbin’s lasting impact, this program will focus on the importance of the university's first years and its continued influence on higher education for African Americans in Arkansas and beyond.

Gladys Turner Finney, an heir to the legacy of Professor Joseph Carter Corbin, was born in rural southeast Arkansas during the Great Depression and grew up in Pine Bluff. She graduated from J.C. Corbin High School in 1953 and from the Arkansas AM&N (now UAPB) 1957. As the author of Joseph Carter Corbin, Educator Extraordinaire, she works to preserve his legacy as a pioneer in education, particularly in the Reconstruction Era. Corbin, the first African American Arkansas State Superintendent of Public Instruction, believed in education for all. In honor of his contributions, Turner Finney established the Joseph Carter Corbin Memorial Scholarship at Ohio University in 2015 and at UAPB in 2022.

Kimberley Davis, Ph.D is a Dean and Professor in the School of Education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She has a B.S. in Secondary Education-Social Studies, a M.Ed. in both Special Education and Educational Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Special Education.. Dr. Davis has served in the field of education as a special education teacher, coordinator, consultant, educational diagnostician, and Special Education director (LEA). Her research interests include multi-tiered levels of intervention and support, teacher preparation, inequities in special education, inclusive practices, and culturally responsive teaching. In 2024 she was named an Impact Academy fellow by the non-profit Deans for Impact. 

Legacies & Lunch is a hybrid program offering participants the opportunity to attend either in person or virtually via Zoom. To participate in person, join us at - NEW LOCATION - UA Little Rock Downtown (333 President Clinton Ave). Parking is available in the CALS Parking Deck which you can access from Rock Street. Parking will be validated. Bring your lunch; we will provide drinks and cookies. To participate virtually, register for the webinar using the button above. This program will be live-streamed to YouTube and the recording will be available immediately following the event.

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.

Past Legacies & Lunch Events