NOTABLE ARKANSANS
STEVE STEPHENS AND CLYDE SNIDER
Special to the Democrat-Gazette
He was born in Louisiana but when he was 2 his family moved to Lapile, near El Dorado. When he was in his 20s, he worked as a cowboy on the Chisholm Trail, but by 1880 lived in Conway with his uncle. He got married and became a skilled carpenter. By 1890 he was a full-time contractor.
A supporter of higher education, he contributed $1,500, a third of his assets, to a fund to bring Hendrix College to Conway. Later he was in charge of raising money to bring Arkansas State Normal School, now the University of Central Arkansas, to the town. He was elected town marshal in 1884.
When the Indian Territory (aka Oklahoma) was opened for settlement he became a wealthy railroad contractor. In 1908, after moving to Little Rock, he entered the race for governor and won with 71% of the vote.
He funded the establishment of four agricultural high schools that would eventually become Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech University, Southern Arkansas University and the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
He was mainly responsible for the successful completion of the new state Capitol. Before he left office after his second term, he pardoned 37% of the state's prison population in protest of the state's policy of convict leasing, a policy that forced inmates to work under inhumane conditions.
In 1929 his family transferred property valued at nearly $2 million to Little Rock Junior College, now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Notable Arkansans is written by Steve Stephens and produced by Clyde Snider.
Who was this politician and entrepreneur who brought about the development of six state universities?
See NOTABLE ARKANSANS--Answer
Style on 05/19/2019