The College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas began as a two year program in 1926 with 21 students under the direction of C.C. Fichtner. The University awarded the first Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1927. The undergraduate degree program received accreditation in 1931. Then in 1937, the program became a full four year college. The following year, enrollment for the college jumped from 138 to 434 students. Enrollment jumped again in 1946 to 734 students and again in 1947 to 1,431 students. In September 1947, a new building opened called the Business Administration Building. Along with undergraduate programs, graduate programs steadily grew during the 20th century. The Master of Science in Business Administration was established in 1930, renamed the Master of Business Administration in 1950, and accredited in 1963. A Master of Accountancy, Master of Information Systems and Master of Arts in Economics followed. The Doctor of Philosophy in economics was established in 1950 and the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration was established in 1959. With the growth in academic programs came spatial and financial growth as well.

In 1978, the college moved to a building on Ozark Avenue, and the vacated building south of Old Main was renamed Ozark Hall. In 1996, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation gave $7.4 million gift to construct and equip the Donald D. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development. In 1998, the Walton Family Charitable Foundation gave $50 million, the largest gift ever received by a public business school, to establish an endowment for the college. This endowment allowed for addition of faculty, staff, classrooms and scholarships along with the development of new programs and research centers. That same year, the college was renamed the Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration. The name was shortened to the Sam M. Walton College of Business in 2000. The college continued to expand in the 21st century with the addition of Willard J. Walker Hall in 2007.

As of 2010, the college supports 10 different research centers and offers degree programs in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, international business, marketing and logistics, and management. Bill Curington is the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Research and is co-director of the Office of Global Engagement. Dr. Curington joined the University of Arkansas faculty in the department of economics in 1980. He was promoted to professor in 1989 and promoted to his current position in 1995. He also served as Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Economics from 1986-1995. Dr. Curington was involved in the implementation of a Graduate School of Business and the Walton College Honors Program. He has served on a number of committees for the university and the business college. A few of these committees are represented in this collection.