An Arkansas Tech University building with a distinctive name and almost a century of history will soon get a makeover through a $810,445 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC).
Improvements to the Techionery building will include roof replacement, new entry double doors, frames and transoms, painting non-primary doors, brick repair, replacement of the insulated glazing on windows, replacement of a light fixture above a primary entry, handrail enhancements and cosmetic improvements to the building’s exterior.
The scope of the forthcoming project will also include relocating heating, ventilation and air conditioning refrigerant lines and electrical conduit to the interior of the building.
It is anticipated that the renovation project will begin in mid-October 2024 and be completed by the end of June 2025.
According to Dr. Thomas A. DeBlack’s “A Century Forward: The Centennial History of Arkansas Tech University,” Arkansas Tech received a $30,272 Public Works Administration grant and a loan of approximately $37,000 in November 1936 to construct a new physical education and student commons facility. It was built by the Manhattan Construction Company and opened at what is now the corner of North El Paso Ave. and West O Street in September 1937.
Dr. Kenneth Walker reported in “History of Arkansas Tech University: 1909-90” that the original design of the facility included a gymnasium, offices for the physical education program, a confectionery, bookstore, post office, barber shop, beauty parlor and classrooms.
A contest was conducted to select the name for the student commons area upon the building’s opening in 1937. Arkansas Tech student Eugene Rowden won $1 for suggesting Techionery. Over time, the name came to represent the entire building.
Today, the Techionery is home to the ATU theatre and film program under the auspices of the ATU Department of Communication and Media Studies as well as the ATU Center for Heritage and Culture, which supports the study of archeology and anthropology.
The Techionery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 10, 1992.
Editor’s note: Below are several photos depicting the Techionery and activities that took place there in the 1950s and 1960s.
