Jim Guy Tucker served as a U.S. representative of the 2nd district of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979. During his term, Tucker ran his own television and radio program, “Dialogue with Jim Guy Tucker.” The program aired on Arkansas stations, including AETN, KTHV, and KARK.
Although only a first-year representative, Tucker recruited high-profile federal officials and members of President Jimmy Carter’s cabinet for his show. Guests included the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and the Chief Energy Adviser. Tucker also included other Arkansas politicians on the show, including Dale Bumpers and Ray Thornton.
National Politics in Arkansas
Tucker used his show to investigate how national policies and legislation affected Arkansas. In his interview with Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Tucker spoke about Arkansas’s interest in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks with the Soviet Union.
"Arkansas is probably a priority target for the Soviet Union or any enemy of the United States," Tucker said. At the time, the 2nd District of Arkansas possessed 18 of the nation’s 54 TITAN II missiles. These missiles were intercontinental and could carry nuclear weapons, which made Arkansas a strategic target should a war erupt. (In 1980, one such missile exploded at a facility north of Damascus, Arkansas, destroying the complex.)
Arkansas in National Politics
Tucker also brought national attention to Arkansas’s policies and programs. Health, Education, and Welfare Department Secretary Joseph A. Califano praised Arkansas’s childhood immunization program, which was spearheaded by Betty Bumpers. “We are literally looking at the Arkansas immunization program right now to see if we can’t model a national volunteer immunization program off of that,” Califano said.
Tucker encouraged Arkansans to express their opinions to his show by writing or calling his office. Tucker emphasized in his preface, “To do a good job in the United States Congress, it’s essential that I hear your ideas... While I’m in Washington, you can help me stay in touch with Arkansas.”
"Dialogue with Jim Guy Tucker" episodes within collection:
| Date | Interviewee | Position |
| 1977 February | Bert Lance | Office of Management and Budget |
| 1977 March | Joseph A. Califano, Jr. | Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare |
| 1977 March | Robert S. Bergland; Ray Thornton | Secretary of Agriculture; U.S. Representative |
| 1977 April | Cyrus Vance | Secretary of State |
| 1977 June | Jim Schlesinger | Chief Energy Adviser |
| 1977 July | Brock Adams | Secretary of Transportation |
| 1977 September | Ray Marshall;Ernest Green | Secretary of Labor; Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training |
| 1977 November | Bruce Cardwell | Commissioner of Social Security |
| 1977 December | Harold Brown; Dale Bumpers | Secretary of Defense; Senator |
