Fulbright Speeches Available Online From University of Arkansas Libraries

By STAFF REPORT

Posted: November 12, 2009 at 4:50 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas has made 50 speeches delivered by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright available online.

The digital library collection titled “A Calm Voice in a Strident World: Senator J.W. Fulbright Speaks,” contains the text of selected speeches, ranging from comments he made regarding his dismissal as president of the University of Arkansas in 1941, to remarks censuring Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s far-ranging investigations, and criticisms of U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam.

Fulbright, who died in 1995, served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting elected in 1942. In 1944, he won election to represent Arkansas in the U.S. Senate, a seat he held until his defeat at the hands of Dale Bumpers in 1974.

The University of Arkansas Libraries digitized the speeches, which represent a small portion of the Fulbright papers held by the special collections department.

One of the speeches available on the Web site features Fulbright giving his first speech as a freshman in the House of Representatives in 1943. His remarks refuted the flamboyant Republican Rep. Clare Booth Luce, who gave a speech regarding U.S. air policy or “sovereignty of the skies.” Fulbright said, “I am not unconscious of the sparkling beauty and suavity of manner of the Honorable Lady from Connecticut, yet I find that I am not as susceptible to her logic and her persuasion ... as some of my colleagues appear to have been.” The speech ends with a plea for world peace and avoidance of another world war.

The speeches may be viewed by visiting digitalcollections.uark.edu, clicking on the link to the “A Calm Voice in a Strident World” collection, then selecting “Browse” from the menu on the collections page.

Tom W. Dillard, head of the special collections department, said he hopes the Fulbright digitization project will encourage greater use of the Fulbright papers.

“The J. William Fulbright collection was the first large manuscript collection acquired by the special collections department after it was created in 1967, and it is a veritable window on modern American history,” Dillard said.

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