Alumni | Business and Industry | NewsMay 01, 2026

UAFS History Through the Eyes of Sharon Winn

Written By: Ian Silvester

The world witnessed the start and end of a second world war, came to the brink of mutually assured destruction, brought down a wall to signify the end of communism, welcomed the dawn of the digital age, and much more over the last 100 years. For nearly all of it, the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has remained a pillar of the River Valley community. 

UAFS has educated hundreds of thousands of men and women over the last 98 years, undergoing four name changes before officially becoming UAFS in 2002, and only a few have witnessed every iteration. In fact, according to her husband Jim, Sharon Winn is the only person to have attended and taught under all five names. 

The world was abuzz when Winn first came to UAFS, when the school was still known as Fort Smith Junior College (FSJC). The year was 1958. Elvis had come to Fort Chaffee in the spring; by summer, NASA was established; and in the fall, Winn began working on her associate’s degree. 

“I really wanted to be a teacher,” Winn recalled. “I had a brother who was 18 months older than me, and he was already in college, and I didn’t know if I would get to go on and get my bachelor’s degree, so I really did a dual thing here (FSJC). I took a lot of secretarial courses along with courses that would transfer.” 

Two years later, she accepted her degree and headed to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., to complete her bachelor’s degree in education. Winn put her degree to use as a teacher in Greenwood from 1962-63 and accepted a teaching position at FSJC in 1963. 

“At Greenwood, I taught business courses, like bookkeeping, shorthand, and typewriting. When I came here, there were two full-time faculty members. I’d had both as instructors when I was a student here, so I knew them well. I was the third full-time faculty member in the business division,” she said. 

In these early days for Winn, she said it was great to see the department and university growing in unison. 

“To see new buildings going up and enrollment increasing, that was great, and it’s continuing to do that,” Winn said. 

The early years for Winn also meant stepping into roles and duties beyond being an educator. 

From making copies by hand on a mimeograph machine to handwriting tests for others and painting rooms, Winn said everyone helped everyone. But it was the community these activities fostered that kept Winn at UAFS for nearly 40 years, including her time as a student. 

Winn taught at UAFS from 1963 until 1970, when she and Jim moved out of state for his work. She continued teaching during her seven-year hiatus from UAFS, but was thrilled to return when the couple had the opportunity to return to Fort Smith in 1977.  

Winn would remain at UAFS until her retirement in 2004. Over the course of those 27 years, she recalled when the university received its first computer, which revolutionized class registration—she said with a laugh—and being part of the final two name changes. 

From NASA to the launch of Facebook, Winn’s 36 years at UAFS were as prolific as the history that went on around her. 

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