Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and was originally named Third District Agricultural School, often called by students and faculty "TDAS." Its first term began in January 1911, with its curriculum including only subjects at the secondary school level.[8] In 1925, the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work and to change its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District (Magnolia A&M). The school continued to offer both high school and junior college courses until 1937, at which time the high school courses were discontinued. In the fall of 1949, the Board of Trustees, exercising authority vested in it by the State Legislature, decided to develop the college at a four-year, degree-granting institution. The Board authorized the addition of third-year college level courses to being with the fall semester of 1950. Fourth-year courses were added in the fall semester of 1951. By Act Eleven (January 24, 1951), the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Southern State College. In 1975, the institution was approved and accredited to offer a Master of Education Degree in selected areas. Following approval of the Board of Trustees, the name of the institution was changed to Southern Arkansas University by the Board of Higher Education on July 9, 1976, in accordance with Act 343 of the General Assembly of 1975. Also in 1975, Southwest Technical Institute in Camden, Arkansas, joined the SAU system as Southern Arkansas University Tech.

The mission of Southern Arkansas University is to educate students for productive and fulfilling lives in a global environment by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill development, and meaningful career preparation. The University believes in the worth of the individual and accepts its responsibility for developing in its students those values and competencies essential for effective citizenship in an ever-changing, free, and democratic society. Further, the University encourages and supports excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative endeavors, and service.

Jordan Babineaux- NFL football player for Tennessee Titans Bruce Bennett, Arkansas attorney general (1957�1960 and 1963�1966) Joyce Elliott- Democratic member of the Arkansas Senate since 2009 Steve Forbes - Assistant basketball coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers Dan Kyle - Louisiana politician Tracy Lawrence - Award winning country music performer Nik Lewis - CFL All-Star football player for the Calgary Stampeders Lynn Lowe - Republican state party chairman, 1974�1980; Republican gubernatorial nominee, 1978 Myra McLarey- Author and former Harvard professor who currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. She co-wrote her latest novel Road to Eden's Ridge under the pen name M.L. Rose Fred Perry - CFL All-Star football player for Edmonton Eskimos Ron Simmons - Member of the Texas House of Representatives from Carrollton since 2013; reared in southern Arkansas, attended SAU, and transferred to Dallas Baptist University, from which he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree Frank Spooner - Louisiana businessman and politician, attend first two years of college at SAU in the 1950s Harry Thomason - film & television producer/director of TV series: "Fall Guy","Designing Women" Tommy Tuberville- Head football coach at University of Cincinnati. Former head football coach at Texas Tech University, Auburn University, & Ole Miss Horace M. Wade- General in the United States Air Force

Residential 1,418 Acres (574 Ha)