Arlington Archives Explores UTA’s Transformation

Published on May 07, 2026

By Office of Communication

The newest episode of the “Arlington Archives” podcast dives into the history of the University of Texas at Arlington, tracing the institution’s many transformations with insight from one of its leading historians.

Host OK Carter speaks with Gerald Saxon, former UTA professor and noted archivist, about how the university grew from its beginnings as a small private school into a major public research institution. The university marked its 130th anniversary in 2025, a milestone that highlighted just how far the institution has come. Saxon outlines the early challenges the school faced and the turning points that set its modern trajectory.

“We've had eight different name changes, and eight different affiliation changes,” Saxon said. “It started in 1895 when a group of Arlington citizens led by Emmett Rankin, felt the Arlington schools that were available at the time, the public schools, and that was throughout the counties, were inadequate, and underfunded. It was called Arlington College and started in 1895. It wasn't a college at all. It was a private school that dealt with primary and secondary education.”

The episode moves briskly through decades of change as Carter and Saxon discuss enrollment growth, shifting academic priorities, campus expansions and the moments that solidified UTA as a central part of Arlington’s identity.  

“UTA is an R1 research university, which is the highest-level designation from the Carnegie Foundation for any university in this country, and that happened finally in 2016,” Saxon said. There are 188-degree programs at UTA for both undergraduate and graduate degree programs.”

Produced in celebration of Arlington’s sesquicentennial in 2026, the series features voices from historians, city leaders and longtime residents. Future episodes will further explore Arlington’s history, spotlighting milestones and anniversaries in the city’s storied past.

Visit Arlington150.com for more historical articles, photos and events planned throughout 2026.

“The Evolution of UTA” offers listeners an engaging look at one of the city’s most influential institutions and the people who shaped it. The episode is now available on all major podcast platforms and the City’s social media channels including Facebook and YouTube.