[1] Kays was the driving force behind the conversion of a regional agricultural training school in Jonesboro, Arkansas into a four-year university.
During his time in Alabama, he met Arkansas state senator Charles E. Bush of Antioch and, with his motivation, he helped Kays become the principal for the First District agricultural school.
As Kays nurtured the young institution and its growing student body, he emphasized instruction in advanced farming methods, such as crop rotation.
Besides his leadership in academic and financial matters, Kays was known as a "hands-on" president who was just as likely to be helping with the construction of a campus building or reviewing student behavior in the residence halls as performing his traditional duties.
By 1930, the college began offering a four-year degree program, but a major setback occurred the following year when fire destroyed the main building that housed all classrooms and offices.
Senator, Hattie Caraway of Jonesboro was often called upon by Kays with the intent of strengthening his academic programs and help with securing federal government funding for construction and special projects.
In 1936, Kays and his wife built a Tudor-style residence on Aggie Road, across from the campus, where they lived during the last seven years of his presidency and the remainder of his life.
The citation summarized his contributions to the college's early success and cited his leadership that promoted "educational opportunities and advantages to the rural, as well as the city youth, of Arkansas."