Nearly 50 years ago, UT Dallas awarded its first bachelor’s degrees to 23 graduating seniors. Two A&H alumni reflect on what the campus was like during those early years.
Fifty years ago, when Collin County’s population was a tenth of what it is today, the School of Arts and Humanities (A&H) at The University of Texas at Dallas was beginning to write its history.
In June 1976, UT Dallas awarded its first 23 bachelor’s degrees. The University’s student housing, which covers the northwest corner of campus, didn’t exist, and campus life was dormant. Then, UTD was the northern outskirts of the DFW metroplex.
“It was pretty much in the country,” said Loyd Uglow BA’76. “Under the big streetlights of the campus sidewalk system, you’d often find skunks congregating in groups of three, or four, or five. As I walked to class most nights, I’d have to make sure I avoided the packs of skunks that were out there.”
Uglow, one of the early undergrads of the then-newly established A&H, was earning his bachelor’s degree in comparative literature with a minor in history.
After graduating, Uglow served four years on active duty as a naval officer, and later earned MA and PhD degrees in History. He’s authored several books and recently retired from Nelson University, formerly Southwestern Assemblies of God University, where he was chair of its history department.
“I liked both history and English. I found them enjoyable,” Uglow said. “[UTD] was one of the factors that made me make that decision. I was still not really sure of what direction I wanted to take, even when I graduated from UTD. But that understanding of what I was meant to do coalesced in the three or four years after graduating from UTD.”
UTD’s campus activity was sparse in the late ’70s, with most students arriving after 5 p.m. for evening classes. There were no computers, no student union and no events.
Sparky Sparks BA’77, an A&H English major, joined the Student Government to change that.
“Everybody agreed that it was just desolate,” he said. “Everybody was just going straight to class, then straight home. There was no hanging out. There was no sense of collegiality. So we just tried to create it with the budget that we had.”
After being elected student body president, Sparks set out to inject new life into campus. Student Government began hosting events on the first floor of the Cecil H. Green Hall during the busiest hours of the day. These gatherings often featured live music and notable guests such as Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder and master puppeteer Bruce Schwartz.
“We started bringing in music, and entertainment, and comics, and all kinds of things like that to let people sort of transition from their job before,” Sparks said. “It was kind of an entertainment happy hour. And it was a place where they could decompress and then go on to class.”
Sparks’ advocacy for student life took him to Austin, where he testified to the need for a dedicated student union building rather than relying on the Green Hall lobby. Shortly after graduating, he became the first chair of the Alumni Association.
The experience at UT Dallas had a lasting impact on Sparks. After graduating, he founded The Sparks Agency, a live entertainment and booking and planning company he has led for the past 47 years. His agency offers guests authentic Texas experiences, featuring entertainment like trick ropers, armadillo races, live line dancing, Texas music, and mechanical bull riding.
Forty-seven years after the first cohort of UTD undergrads earned their bachelor’s degrees, the University boasts an enrollment of 30,855, 61% undergraduates. Since its inception, A&H has undergone several transformations. On July 2022, A&H merged with the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, ultimately becoming the Harry W. Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. Our school alone brings more than 150 performances and exhibitions to the campus every year.
And the skunks? Well, you’ll probably find one if you look hard enough.
Communications Manager
Javier is a communications staffer who keeps the campus well-informed about the outstanding work the Bass School community produces. When he’s not at UT Dallas, Javier loves playing PS5 and indulging in his love for graphic novels.