Our Mission

The University of Arkansas Press advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by publishing peer-reviewed scholarship and literature of enduring value. We curate a list of books by authors of diverse backgrounds writing for specialty as well as general audiences in Arkansas and throughout the world.

The University of Arkansas Press was established in May 1980 as the publishing arm of the University of Arkansas by the Board of Trustees of the University. Miller Williams was named the first director of the press, and Dr. Willard Gatewood was named the chairman of the first Press Committee. In December of 1980, the McIlroy House was formally opened as the home for the Press. In 1981 the Press published its first three books: The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography, edited by Timothy P. Donovan and Willard B. Gatewood, Jr.; In the Land of Dreamy Dreams by Ellen Gilchrist; and The Hound of Conscience: A History of the No-Conscription Fellowship, 1914–1919 by Thomas C. Kennedy.

The University of Arkansas Press is a member of the Association of University Presses.