It is also the only public university in the state to be named for an individual;[9] it was renamed for Charles Christopher Henderson, a trustee and prominent Arkadelphia businessman,[10] on May 23, 1904.

Jones' tenure as president was marked by a series of scandals and bad publicity and he and his senior leadership were twice the subject of no-confidence votes by the faculty.

Jones—as well as several other current and former administrators, staff, and members of the board of trustees—were called to testify before the Arkansas legislature in 2020 as part of the state's effort to understand the university's financial collapse.

[14] On May 2, 2022, 37% of faculty received phone calls from the chancellor's office that their positions had been terminated, 12 departments were excised entirely, eliminating many degree programs.

[19] On May 5, the ASUS Board dismissed the vote of no confidence and approved Chancellor Ambrose's recommendations for program and faculty cuts.

[22] In October 2019, police responded to a campus chemistry laboratory at the Reynolds Science Center following concerns of chemical odors resulting in the building's closure for several weeks.

The university is a member in the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great American Conference since the 2011–12 academic year.

[26] Henderson State shares the longest rivalry in Division II football with Ouachita Baptist University Tigers, the Battle of the Ravine, which began in 1895.