FAYETTEVILLE — An assembly of pudgy, wooden Santas in varying heights greeted guests at a Dec. 7 event meant as its own greeting for University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. Daniel Rahn and his wife, Lana. The pair traveled from Little Rock with Jean Sugg, wife of UA System president Alan Sugg, for a reception at Fowler House hosted by Jane and Dave Gearhart, chancellor of the UA’s flagship campus.
The Santas, made in Indonesia for local merchant Liz Crone, can be seen in homes throughout Fayetteville. The Lizindo Imports owner says she orders a batch of 200 or so when she makes her annual trip to Bali. The Gearharts had their group of four displayed in their entryway.
The guest list included UA administrators, alumni and Fayetteville-area doctors. Fare by Chartwells included stuffed cherry tomatoes, corn and crab cakes with lemon aioli, cucumbers with Thai chicken salad, sun-dried tomato and artichoke pinwheels, silver dollar flank steak sandwiches, apricots with amaretto cream cheese, assorted mousse cups and lemon tartlets with fresh berries.
A few days later, Rahn returned the Gearharts’ welcome at UAMS. He stopped by the hospital room of the Gearharts’ daughter, Katy Hunt of Little Rock. She gave birth Dec. 9 to the chancellor’s first grandchild, a 7-pound, 14-ounce boy, Benjamin David. Hunt is married to Dr. Justin Hunt, son of Dave and Sharon Hunt, head of the department of health science, kinesiology, recreation and dance at the UA.
Northwest Profile, Pages 38 on 12/20/2009