The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a generous $10,000 gift from Ralph C. and Margo Eubanks of Little Rock to establish the Ralph T. Eubanks Memorial Scholarship for students studying applied communication.
The scholarship honors the legacy of Dr. Ralph T. Eubanks, a highly respected professor of communication arts who left a lasting impact on students and colleagues throughout his distinguished academic career.
Dr. Eubanks served as a professor of communication arts at the University of Arkansas for 17 years before joining the University of West Florida, where he led the speech communication department for three decades. He also served as a guest professor at Louisiana State University, Henderson State, University College-Dublin, Ireland, and Florida State University’s Florence, Italy Campus. While it was a closely guarded secret during his lifetime, Dr. Eubanks was immensely proud of his ghost writing for the late Frank Broyles, former University of Arkansas football coach and athletic director.
Following his retirement in 1997, he returned to Little Rock and became deeply involved with the Applied Communication program at UA Little Rock, serving as an adjunct professor and mentor for faculty and students.
“My father became very attached to the folks in the Applied Communication department at UA Little Rock,” said Ralph C. Eubanks. “They treated him like a king, and he appreciated them so much for the opportunities they gave him to continue engaging with students and faculty. If he were alive today, I know he would be honored to have a scholarship established in his name to support the department he loved.”
Dr. Eubanks was known not only for his academic contributions but also for his engaging personality and ability to connect with people.
“He was charismatic and had a natural ability to draw people in,” Eubanks said. “He would have made a great politician, but his true passion was teaching and inspiring students. He believed in not only teaching the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ of communication.”
Dr. Eubanks’ academic journey began at the University of Arkansas in 1939, where he studied speech on an academic scholarship. His education was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and rose to the rank of captain. After the war, he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in speech communication from the University of Florida before embarking on his decades-long career in higher education.
Throughout his career, Dr. Eubanks authored and co-authored several textbooks and contributed significantly to the field of communication, including writing the history of communication discipline chapter in a widely used speech textbook at UA Little Rock. He also served as president of the Southern Speech Communication Association, editor of the Southern Speech Journal, and emeritus professor of communication arts at UA Little Rock.
The Ralph T. Eubanks Memorial Scholarship is a part of UA Little Rock’s Centennial Campaign, the university’s largest fundraising effort to celebrate its upcoming 100-year anniversary. The scholarship will assist students in the Applied Communication program, continuing Dr. Eubanks’ commitment to hands-on education and preparing students for meaningful careers in communication.
“This scholarship is a fitting tribute to Dr. Eubanks’ legacy,” said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication. “His belief in the power of education and the importance of both theory and practice in communication will live on through the students who benefit from this award.”
The Eubanks family hopes the scholarship will provide students with the same sense of inspiration and purpose that Dr. Eubanks instilled in his own students.
“He was a first-generation college student himself, and he strongly believed in the value of higher education,” Eubanks said. “If this scholarship helps students learn not just the ‘how’ but the ‘why’ of communication, then it will have fulfilled its purpose.”
UA Little Rock is a metropolitan research university in the South that provides accessibility to a quality education through flexible learning and unparalleled internship opportunities.
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Little Rock, AR 72204
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