Monticello was known as a center for education in south Arkansas long before what's now the University of Arkansas at Monticello held its first classes in 1910. In 1890, for example, Hinemon University School was established by the Monticello Educational Society, an organization of business and civic leaders.

"As a semi-private and nonsectarian preparatory boarding school, Hinemon offered white boys and girls from across the Delta an opportunity to obtain a quality secondary-level education," Paul Edwards writes for the Central Arkansas Library System's Encyclopedia of Arkansas. "The school's stated purpose was to 'prepare pupils for university' and give them 'sufficient knowledge for good educational work as teachers or in other professions.'

"Students at Hinemon were immersed in the study of English, mathematics, Latin, science, Greek, music and the visual arts. They were introduced to the discipline of philosophy and to languages such as German and French. Some courses were designed for students who upon graduation wished to seek employment in the field of business. The school was named for John H. Hinemon, one of its founding members."

Hinemon served as the school's director before leaving to become public school superintendent in Pine Bluff. He later served as the state superintendent of public instruction.

"During an era when Arkansas public schools suffered from a lack of trained and qualified teachers, Hinemon University School found its niche," Edwards writes. "Its faculty included graduates from the nation's finest colleges and universities. Moreover, the school enjoyed a supportive relationship with Monticello residents, who were credited with donating 250 volumes to the school, boosting the library's holdings to more than 1,000 volumes.

"Prior to the 1904-05 school year, the city of Monticello provided a dormitory for the school. After Beauvoir College in nearby Wilmar closed, Beauvoir's founder and president, John L. Spence, took over Hinemon and had the girls' dormitory at Beauvoir moved to the Hinemon campus. Boarders at Hinemon were treated to an array of conveniences. In 1907, boarders enjoyed electric lights, artesian water, bathrooms and telephones. Boarding fees and tuition rates remained relatively........

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