The Honors College is housed in the beautiful Roy and Christine Sturgis Hall. The 29,300 square foot facility, designed in the tradition of the halls at the finest liberal arts universities, houses up to seventy-eight honors students among its eighteen two and four-bedroom suites and two handicap-accessible suites.
The $1-million grant from The Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Education Trust, Dallas, is among the largest ever received by Henderson State. Honors College students served on the building committee and helped design the facility with an eye toward modern functionality and classic design, incorporating the tradition of the Honors College arch logo in the design of the entryways.
Featuring state-of-the-art security, the residence hall rooms are appointed with recessed lighting and space-enhancing design to allow students a feel of home within their academic disciplines. Suites also afford living rooms for the students, allowing for group study and space for socializing. Kitchens are available on each floor, and a game room is available on the first floor.
Classrooms, a computer laboratory, and administrative offices are located on the first floor of Sturgis Hall. A highlight of the design is the space for conference rooms that double as seminar classrooms, allowing small classes to meet in an intimate setting reminiscent of graduate school seminar rooms on larger university campuses.
Each suite houses four students and has a private bathroom, individual walk-in closets and a living room. In addition, each floor has a public kitchen, lounge, study rooms, trash room and laundry room. The first floor includes a computer lab, multi-media classroom, conference rooms and Honors College faculty offices.
Roy Sturgis was one of 10 children of an Arkansas farmer and homemaker. Mr. Sturgis married Texas native Christine Johns. They spent most of their lives in Arkansas, although they lived in Dallas during the 1960’s. Roy and Christine Sturgis were successful in the timber and sawmill industries of southern Arkansas and other real estate and business investments. Roy Sturgis died in 1976, and Christine Sturgis died in 1981. Christine Sturgis created the Dallas-based charitable trust that bears their names. Although neither had an opportunity to receive an advanced education, they recognized the importance of a formal education for everyone. Their generosity through the charitable trust has provided scholarships for many young people attending colleges in Texas and Arkansas.
