The Winthrop Rockefeller Collection Virtual Exhibit includes the following features:

• Explore the Winthrop Rockefeller Collection allows visitors to tour Rockefeller's legacy along two axes: major themes from his work and the organization of the physical collection.  A multimedia showcase, the exhibit includes digitized photos, audio, and video from the Rockefeller's life.
• The Media Gallery offers a bird's-eye view of all of the digitized media assets available in the exhibit.
• Mapping the Collection uses an innovative tool called Historypin. Historypin allows people from around the world to pin their photos to Google Maps.  This feature allows visitors to see Rockefeller's history and legacy in the context of space and time.  In addition, we are tying digitized audio to the photos to create a rich, immersive historical experience for our visitors.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Collection is a unique collection since it holds papers covering Rockefeller's entire life. This section gives you access to

• Finding Aid
• Bibliography

Winthrop Rockefeller was committed to educating Arkansas's children.  In honor of his centennial, a number of educational materials and student projects are going on.  This section will provide access to resources for teachers to use and examples of student projects.

The UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture is proud to join its partners in celebrating 100 years of Winthrop Rockefeller's legacy.  This section provides information on

• Centennial Celebration
• Race and Ethnicity in Arkansas Conference

About the Center

Located in downtown Little Rock, the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture is located in the Central Arkansas Library System's Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art building, the state's largest facility dedicated to the study of Arkansas history and culture. Through its connection to the university, the archives benefit from the rigorous scholarship of our faculty, creating a valuable resource for students, researchers, stakeholders, and the general public.

Mission

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture collects, preserves, and enables access to Arkansas records of enduring value; prepares students and the region for the 21st century through academic leadership and education on archival practices and technologies; and engages the community through outreach, programming, and exhibitions.

Credits

The Winthrop Rockefeller Collection digital project was made possible with the help of many people:

Deborah Baldwin, associate provost for the Center of Arkansas History and Culture and dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Amy Burns, director of communications and public relations; Chad Garrett, director of technology; John Kirk, chair and Donaghey professor of history; Shannon Lausch, archivist; Kaye Lundgren, archival assistant; Monica Madey, archival assistant; Kristin Mann, associate professor; Linda Pine, senior archivist and associate professor; Amber Ramsby, graduate assistant; Andrea Ringer, graduate assistant; Charles Romney, assistant professor and graduate coordinator; Kimberly Wessels, graduate assistant; Allison Yocum, graduate assistant; and Colin Woodward, archivist.

Additional Information

Catalog Search

Through the Arkansas Studies research portal, you can search all holdings available in the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art building, regardless of whether they are maintained by the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture or the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies.

Visit the portal at arstudies.com.

Plan Your Visit

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Central Arkansas Library System have created the state's largest facility dedicated to the study of Arkansas history and culture in the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art building.

To help make the researcher's experience efficient and fulfilling, the two institutions have created a single research portal that provides all of the information you need to plan your visit to the archive, including the ability to submit questions and requests to staff.

Visit the portal at arstudies.com.

Finding Aid

The collection's finding aid is available through the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art's research portal.

The finding aid is broken into the following sections:

• Scope & Content, Biographical Information
• Administrative Information, Restrictions and Citation Notes
• Personal Papers  - Record Group 1
• Financial Papers - Record Group 2
• Governor's Papers - Record Group 3
• Public Relations - Record Group 4
• Winrock Enterprises - Record Group 5
• Winrock Farms - Record Group 6
• Audio/Visual - Record Group 7
• Memorabilia - Record Group 9*
• Jeannette E. Rockefeller Files - Record Group 10

* Record Group 8 no longer exists.

Bibliography

This select bibliography is divided into four sections: websites; monographs, theses, and dissertations; newspapers and magazine articles; and other.

Websites

Encyclopedia of Arkansas selected entries:

• Winthrop Rockefeller
• Arkansas Arts Center
• Civil Rights and Social Change
• Museum of Automobiles
• Petit Jean Mountain
• Republican Party
• Other examples include Morrilton, Politics and Government, Winrock International, etc.

Museum of Automobiles

Winrock Farms

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Winthrop Rockfeller Institute

Monographs, Theses, and Dissertations

Allard, Chester, Compiler "Rockefeller, Winthrop."  Who is Who in Arkansas.   Little Rock, Ark.:  Allard House, 1959.  v.1, pp.204-205.  [See also:  Russell, Jerry]

Bass, Jack and Walter DeVries.  The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Changes and Political Consequence Since 1945.  New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1976.

DeBoer, Marvin E., Editor.   Dreams of power & the power of dreams:  the inaugural addresses of the governors of Arkansas.  Rockefeller, Winthrop.   "First inaugural address, January 10, 1967, pp. 1103-1110"   "Second inaugural address, January 14, 1969.", pp. 1111.  Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1988.

Democrats for Rockefeller.  Cranking up the old machine: a collection of editorial humor and comment  about the Arkansas gubernatorial campaign, 1968.  Camden, Ark.:  Hurley Press, 1968.

Dillard, Tom.  "Winthrop Rockefeller."  Governors of Arkansas.  Ed. by Timothy P.Donovan and Willard B. Gatewood, Jr.  Fayetteville, Ark.:  U of A Press, 1981.  pp.226-234.

Dillard, Tom.  "Winthrop Rockefeller."  Governors of Arkansas.  Second edition.  Ed. by Timothy P. Donavan, Willard B. Gatewood and Jeannie M. Whayne.  Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1995.  pp. 236-245.

Hammons, Lyle W. Campaign communication strategies and techniques of Winthrop Rockefeller:  a  study in persuasion.  Thesis (M.A.) University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1985.   Available via Inter-Library Loan, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Ottenheimer Libary.

Hathorn, Billy Burton. The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982. Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas  A&M University, 1983.

Jones, Merrill Anway.  A Rhetorical study of Winthrop Rockefeller's political speeches, 1964-1971. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, 1984.

Morris, Joe Alex.  Those Rockefeller Brothers: An Informal Biography of Five Extraordinary Young Men.  New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1953.

Murton, Tom and Joe Hyams.  Accomplices to the crime.  New York:  Grove Press, [1970].

Pierce, J.  From McMath to Rockefeller: Arkansas Governors and Illegal Gambling in Postwar Hot Springs, 1945-1970.  Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arkansas 2008

Urwin, Cathy Ann Kunzinger.  Agenda for reform:  Winthrop Rockefeller as governor of Arkansas.Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1991

Urwin, Cathy Kunzinger.  Winthrop Rockefeller as governor of Arkansas, 1967-1971.  Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Notre Dame, 1988

Ward, John L.  The Arkansas Rockefeller.  Baton Rouge:  Louisiana State University Press, c.1978.   Author was a former member of Rockefeller's staff and director of his 1968 reelection campaign.   Reprint:  LSU Press, 2011.

Ward, John. Winthrop Rockefeller, Philanthropist: A Life of Change.  Fayetteville, Arkansas:  U of A Press, 2004.

Russell, Jerry L. and Allard, Bessie, Compilers.  "Rockefeller, Winthrop."  Who is Who in Arkansas. Little Rock, Ark.:  Allard House, 1968.  v.2, pp. 221-222.  [See also:  Allard, Chester]

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

The UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture holds the materials listed below but most are also available at academic or public libraries on microfilm or through JSTOR and Lexis/Nexis.

Bagdikian, Ben H.  "Win Rockefeller vs. Orval Faubus:  showdown in Arkansas."  Saturday Evening Post, v.237, no.32 (Spetember 19, 1966):  pp.75-[77].  UALR PAM 01884

"Burial to be at Petit Jean:  Rockefeller's ashes will be sent home."  Arkansas Democrat (February 23, 1973):  p.1.  PAM 05089

Hathorn, Billy B.  "Friendly Rivalry: Winthrop Rockefeller Challenges Orval Faubus in 1964."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 53.4 (1994): 446-473.

Galt, Ann.  "Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller calls aircraft 'invaluable tools,' his pilots are 'vital executive assistants.'"  Professional Pilot, v.2, no.8 (August 1968):  pp. 20-22.  UALR PAM 00320

Lancaster, Bob. "Fifty Who Mattered: A Roster of Those Who Helped Make Arkansas Whatever Arkansas is." Little Rock: Arkansas Writers' Project, 1985.  UALR PAM 04438

Lisenby, Foy.  "Winthrop Rockefeller and the Arkansas image."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 43 (1984):  pp. 143-152.

Morris, Joe Alex.  "The hillbilly Rockefeller."  Saturday Evening Post, v. 229 (1956).  UALR PAM 02142

Oswald, Harry L.  "Winthrop Rockefeller (1912-1973):  the big man was a big friend and a big member of the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives."  Rural Arkansas, v.27 no.6 (April 1973):  pp. 3-5.  UALR PAM 02448

"Rockefeller dies; he altered course of state politics." Arkansas Gazette (February 23, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

"3,000 pay tribute to WR at his beloved Petit Jean."  Arkansas Gazette (March 5, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

"The Transformation of Arkansas." (Alt. Title: Arkansas, Opportunity Regained) Time Magazine, v.88, No.23 (December 2, 1966):  pp.24-28.  UALR PAM 01821

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  "Executive clemency and the death penalty."  The Catholic University Law Review, v.21, no.94 (1971):  pp.[94]-102.  UALR PAM 01886

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  [Arkansas Industrial Development Commission].  Reprint.  [S.l.:  Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, 1956].  A series of three articles that originally appeared in the Christian Science Monitor.  UALR PAM 02731

Rockefeller, Winthrop. "Three major industry growth areas."  Southern Living, v.2, no.6 (July 1967):  pp.42, 45, 57.  UALR PAM 02002

"Winthrop Rockefeller dies of cancer."  Arkansas Democrat (February 22, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  "We need a rural renaissance."  Consulting Engineer (March 1968):   pp. 200-206.   Discusses the need to achieve a proper rural-urban balance of population to in the U.S.  UALR PAM 01883

"WR bequeaths most of wealth to charity, Arkansas projects."  Arkansas Gazette (February 24, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

Other

The printed items listed below were extra copies detached from the WR manuscript collection; as such there may be limited availability for researchers.

Brief resume of Win Rockefeller's personal contributions to Arkansas, 1953-1968.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1969?]  UALR PAM 05092

Press release for Rockefeller's 1964 campaign with biographical sketch.  UALR PAM 03904

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  My Commitment to Arkansas.  Little Rock, Ark.:  WR70 Campaign Headquarters, 1970.  Fold-out broadside.  Articulates WR's campaign promises for his attempted third term as governor.  UALR PAM 05090

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  A Paper on education.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1967?]  UALR PAM 02457

Rockefeller, Winthrop. Our freedom is not free.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1972] ["An address . . . delivered to the National Security Commission of the American Legion at Washington, D.C., March 2, 1972"].  UALR PAM 05093

Win Rockefeller family album.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1966?]  UALR PAM 05087

Winthrop Rockefeller, May 1, 1912 - February 22, 1973.  [S.l.:  s.n.], 1973.  "A memorial service, Sunday, the fourth of March, nineteen hundred and seventy-three... Petit Jean Mountain, Conway County, Arkansas."

W.R. Campaigner:  News of the Coming Victory in Arkansas.  Campaign newspapers for the 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970 campaigns.

The collection's finding aid is available through the Arkansas Studies Institute's research portal.

The finding aid is broken into the following sections:

• Scope & Content, Biographical Information
• Administrative Information, Restrictions and Citation Notes
• Personal Papers  - Record Group 1
• Financial Papers - Record Group 2
• Governor's Papers - Record Group 3
• Public Relations - Record Group 4
• Winrock Enterprises - Record Group 5
• Winrock Farms - Record Group 6
• Audio/Visual - Record Group 7
• Memorabilia - Record Group 9*
• Jeannette E. Rockefeller Files - Record Group 10

* Record Group 8 no longer exists.

This select bibliography is divided into four sections: websites; monographs, theses, and dissertations; newspapers and magazine articles; and other.

Websites

Encyclopedia of Arkansas selected entries:

• Winthrop Rockefeller
• Arkansas Arts Center
• Civil Rights and Social Change
• Museum of Automobiles
• Petit Jean Mountain
• Republican Party
• Other examples include Morrilton, Politics and Government, Winrock International, etc.

Museum of Automobiles

Winrock Farms

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Winthrop Rockfeller Institute

Monographs, Theses, and Dissertations

Allard, Chester, Compiler "Rockefeller, Winthrop."  Who is Who in Arkansas.   Little Rock, Ark.:  Allard House, 1959.  v.1, pp.204-205.  [See also:  Russell, Jerry]

Bass, Jack and Walter DeVries.  The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Changes and Political Consequence Since 1945.  New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1976.

DeBoer, Marvin E., Editor.   Dreams of power & the power of dreams:  the inaugural addresses of the governors of Arkansas.  Rockefeller, Winthrop.   "First inaugural address, January 10, 1967, pp. 1103-1110"   "Second inaugural address, January 14, 1969.", pp. 1111.  Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1988.

Democrats for Rockefeller.  Cranking up the old machine: a collection of editorial humor and comment  about the Arkansas gubernatorial campaign, 1968.  Camden, Ark.:  Hurley Press, 1968.

Dillard, Tom.  "Winthrop Rockefeller."  Governors of Arkansas.  Ed. by Timothy P.Donovan and Willard B. Gatewood, Jr.  Fayetteville, Ark.:  U of A Press, 1981.  pp.226-234.

Dillard, Tom.  "Winthrop Rockefeller."  Governors of Arkansas.  Second edition.  Ed. by Timothy P. Donavan, Willard B. Gatewood and Jeannie M. Whayne.  Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1995.  pp. 236-245.

Hammons, Lyle W. Campaign communication strategies and techniques of Winthrop Rockefeller:  a  study in persuasion.  Thesis (M.A.) University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1985.   Available via Inter-Library Loan, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Ottenheimer Libary.

Hathorn, Billy Burton. The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982. Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas  A&M University, 1983.

Jones, Merrill Anway.  A Rhetorical study of Winthrop Rockefeller's political speeches, 1964-1971. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, 1984.

Morris, Joe Alex.  Those Rockefeller Brothers: An Informal Biography of Five Extraordinary Young Men.  New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1953.

Murton, Tom and Joe Hyams.  Accomplices to the crime.  New York:  Grove Press, [1970].

Pierce, J.  From McMath to Rockefeller: Arkansas Governors and Illegal Gambling in Postwar Hot Springs, 1945-1970.  Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arkansas 2008

Urwin, Cathy Ann Kunzinger.  Agenda for reform:  Winthrop Rockefeller as governor of Arkansas.Fayetteville:  U of A Press, 1991

Urwin, Cathy Kunzinger.  Winthrop Rockefeller as governor of Arkansas, 1967-1971.  Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Notre Dame, 1988

Ward, John L.  The Arkansas Rockefeller.  Baton Rouge:  Louisiana State University Press, c.1978.   Author was a former member of Rockefeller's staff and director of his 1968 reelection campaign.   Reprint:  LSU Press, 2011.

Ward, John. Winthrop Rockefeller, Philanthropist: A Life of Change.  Fayetteville, Arkansas:  U of A Press, 2004.

Russell, Jerry L. and Allard, Bessie, Compilers.  "Rockefeller, Winthrop."  Who is Who in Arkansas. Little Rock, Ark.:  Allard House, 1968.  v.2, pp. 221-222.  [See also:  Allard, Chester]

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

The UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture holds the materials listed below but most are also available at academic or public libraries on microfilm or through JSTOR and Lexis/Nexis.

Bagdikian, Ben H.  "Win Rockefeller vs. Orval Faubus:  showdown in Arkansas."  Saturday Evening Post, v.237, no.32 (Spetember 19, 1966):  pp.75-[77].  UALR PAM 01884

"Burial to be at Petit Jean:  Rockefeller's ashes will be sent home."  Arkansas Democrat (February 23, 1973):  p.1.  PAM 05089

Hathorn, Billy B.  "Friendly Rivalry: Winthrop Rockefeller Challenges Orval Faubus in 1964."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 53.4 (1994): 446-473.

Galt, Ann.  "Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller calls aircraft 'invaluable tools,' his pilots are 'vital executive assistants.'"  Professional Pilot, v.2, no.8 (August 1968):  pp. 20-22.  UALR PAM 00320

Lancaster, Bob. "Fifty Who Mattered: A Roster of Those Who Helped Make Arkansas Whatever Arkansas is." Little Rock: Arkansas Writers' Project, 1985.  UALR PAM 04438

Lisenby, Foy.  "Winthrop Rockefeller and the Arkansas image."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 43 (1984):  pp. 143-152.

Morris, Joe Alex.  "The hillbilly Rockefeller."  Saturday Evening Post, v. 229 (1956).  UALR PAM 02142

Oswald, Harry L.  "Winthrop Rockefeller (1912-1973):  the big man was a big friend and a big member of the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives."  Rural Arkansas, v.27 no.6 (April 1973):  pp. 3-5.  UALR PAM 02448

"Rockefeller dies; he altered course of state politics." Arkansas Gazette (February 23, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

"3,000 pay tribute to WR at his beloved Petit Jean."  Arkansas Gazette (March 5, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

"The Transformation of Arkansas." (Alt. Title: Arkansas, Opportunity Regained) Time Magazine, v.88, No.23 (December 2, 1966):  pp.24-28.  UALR PAM 01821

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  "Executive clemency and the death penalty."  The Catholic University Law Review, v.21, no.94 (1971):  pp.[94]-102.  UALR PAM 01886

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  [Arkansas Industrial Development Commission].  Reprint.  [S.l.:  Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, 1956].  A series of three articles that originally appeared in the Christian Science Monitor.  UALR PAM 02731

Rockefeller, Winthrop. "Three major industry growth areas."  Southern Living, v.2, no.6 (July 1967):  pp.42, 45, 57.  UALR PAM 02002

"Winthrop Rockefeller dies of cancer."  Arkansas Democrat (February 22, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  "We need a rural renaissance."  Consulting Engineer (March 1968):   pp. 200-206.   Discusses the need to achieve a proper rural-urban balance of population to in the U.S.  UALR PAM 01883

"WR bequeaths most of wealth to charity, Arkansas projects."  Arkansas Gazette (February 24, 1973):  p.1.  UALR PAM 05089

Other

The printed items listed below were extra copies detached from the WR manuscript collection; as such there may be limited availability for researchers.

Brief resume of Win Rockefeller's personal contributions to Arkansas, 1953-1968.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1969?]  UALR PAM 05092

Press release for Rockefeller's 1964 campaign with biographical sketch.  UALR PAM 03904

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  My Commitment to Arkansas.  Little Rock, Ark.:  WR70 Campaign Headquarters, 1970.  Fold-out broadside.  Articulates WR's campaign promises for his attempted third term as governor.  UALR PAM 05090

Rockefeller, Winthrop.  A Paper on education.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1967?]  UALR PAM 02457

Rockefeller, Winthrop. Our freedom is not free.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1972] ["An address . . . delivered to the National Security Commission of the American Legion at Washington, D.C., March 2, 1972"].  UALR PAM 05093

Win Rockefeller family album.  [S.l.:  s.n., 1966?]  UALR PAM 05087

Winthrop Rockefeller, May 1, 1912 - February 22, 1973.  [S.l.:  s.n.], 1973.  "A memorial service, Sunday, the fourth of March, nineteen hundred and seventy-three... Petit Jean Mountain, Conway County, Arkansas."

W.R. Campaigner:  News of the Coming Victory in Arkansas.  Campaign newspapers for the 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970 campaigns.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Central Arkansas Library System have created the state's largest facility dedicated to the study of Arkansas history and culture in the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art building. 

To help make the researcher's experience efficient and fulfilling, the two institutions have created a single research portal that provides all of the information you need to plan your visit to the archive, including the ability to submit questions and requests to staff.

Visit the portal at arstudies.com.

Through the Arkansas Studies research portal, you can search all holdings available in the ASI building, regardless of whether they are maintained by the UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture or the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies.

Visit the portal at arstudies.com.

The UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture is proud to be a part of "A Centennial Celebration: The Life and Legacy of Winthrop Rockefeller," a year-long recognition of the significant legacy that Winthrop Rockefeller left on Arkansas.  The center's archives house the Winthrop Rockefeller Collection, a significant collection of papers, memorabilia, photograph, audio, and video that covers Rockefeller's entire life.

UA Little Rock joins its other partners in sponsoring the celebration.  Find out more at wr100.org.

Located in downtown Little Rock, the UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture is located in the Central Arkansas Library System's Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History and Art building, the state's largest facility dedicated to the study of Arkansas history and culture. Through its connection to the university, the archives benefit from the rigorous scholarship of our faculty, creating a valuable resource for students, researchers, stakeholders, and the general public.

Perspectives on the African American and
Latino/a Experience

Conference Details

• Conference Schedule
• Speaker Biographies
• Abstracts

About the Conference

From early boyhood holidays at the Hampton Institute in Virginia, to sitting on the board of the National Urban League, to promoting African-American equality through gubernatorial appointments, Governor Rockefeller played an important role in shaping better race relations within Arkansas and the nation. This Centennial Conference honors his interest by focusing on the question: How did African-Americans' and Latino/a's experience in the state compare to that in other states? Taking Governor Rockefeller's experience as a benchmark, the conference will examine the broader context of race and ethnicity in the state over time. This conference brings together a number of scholars to produce the first comprehensive and collaborative overview of the African-American and Latino/a experience in the state that will subsequently be published as a conference volume.

The following resources are available for teachers to use in their classes:

• Bibliography
• Timeline

The Arkansas History Hub is also a great resource for teachers.

The Rockefeller Elementary Celebrates Governor Rockefeller exhibition is a collaboration between the teachers and students of Little Rock School District's Rockefeller Elementary and the Public History Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This project was funded in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In Rockefeller Elementary Celebrates Governor Rockefeller, student-created text and artwork mix with historic photographs from the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture to narrate the life and legacy of Winthrop Rockefeller (1912-1973), former Arkansas Governor, businessman, and philanthropist. As a result of this project, teachers and students have gained an understanding of the legacy of their school's namesake, as well as an appreciation for the differences between past and present-day life in Arkansas.

Below are digital representations of the physical pieces exhibited in the Mezzanine Gallery at the Bobby L. Roberts Library.

Text Panels

[nggallery id=1]

Student Art

[nggallery id=2]

Students at Work

See the students creating the artwork that is represented on this page.

[nggallery id=3]

Digitized Photographs

Early Life

[nggallery id=6]

Life at Winrock

[nggallery id=7]

As Governor

[nggallery id=8]

Memorabilia

[nggallery id=10]

Jon Kennedy Political Cartoons (related to Rockefeller)

[nggallery id=9]

Digitized Audio

Digitized Audio from the 1983 Symposium and Banquet

HistoryPin

Race and Ethnicity in Arkansas: Perspectives on the African American and Latina/o Experience

Friday May 11 & Saturday May 12, 2012

Friday May 11

6:30 p.m.

• Keynote Speaker Douglas Blackmon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Slavery by Another Name, will deliver the Central Arkansas Library System J. N. Heiskell Distinguished Lecture. Followed by a book-signing and reception.

Saturday, May 12

9:30-10:00 - Welcome, Greetings and Introduction

• Welcome: Deborah Baldwin (Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Associate Provost of the UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture, University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
• Greetings: Chancellor Joel Anderson (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
• Introduction: John A. Kirk (Donaghey Professor and Chair of History, University of Arkansas at Little Rock): "Rockefeller, Race, and Ethnicity."

10:00-11:30 - From Slavery to Freedom in Arkansas

• Panel Moderator: Adjoa Aiyetoro (Director, UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity)
• Kelly Houston Jones (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) "Black and White on Slavery's Frontier."
• Carl Moneyhon (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) "The Limits of Freedom: Black Arkansans and the End of Slavery."
• Story Matkin-Rawn (University of Central Arkansas) "Send Forth More Laborers into the Vineyard": Understanding the African American Exodus to Arkansas."

11:30-12:30 - Lunch

 12:30-2:00 - Women, Religion and Place in the African American Struggle in Arkansas

• Panel Moderator: Sherece West (President and CEO, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation)
• Calvin White (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) "'It Should Mean More Than Just A Simple Shout': E. C. Morris and African American Religion in Post Reconstruction Arkansas."
• Cherisse Jones-Branch (Arkansas State University) "Negro Home Demonstration Agents in Arkansas, 1913-1965."
• Barclay Key (Western Illinois University) "Black and White Echoes: Richard Nathaniel Hogan and the 'Enemies of Righteousness'."

2:00-3:30 - Race and Violence in Arkansas

• Panel Moderator: David Stricklin (Head of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies)
• Grif Stockley (Independent Scholar) "Getting History Wrong: The 1959 Fire at the Negro Boys Industrial School."
• Jacqueline Froehlich (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) "An Ozarks Town Reckons with a Racist Stigma."
• Guy Lancaster (Editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies) "Racial Cleansing in the Northern Arkansas Delta."

3:30-3:45 - Refreshments Break

3:45-5:15 - The Latina/o Experience in Arkansas

• Panel Moderator: Ranko Oliver (UALR William H. Bowen School of Law)
• Julie Weise (California State University, Long Beach) "Citizens of Somewhere: Braceros, Dixiecrats, and Mexican Bureaucrats in the Arkansas Delta, 1939-64."
• Perla Guerrero (University of Maryland, College Park) "States' Rights Discourse in Late 20th Century Arkansas: A Tenuous Welcome for Latinas/os and Asians."
• Melany Bowman (Arkansas State University) "Soy el Jefe: How Hispanic Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Economic Landscape of Northeast Arkansas."

5:15-5:45 - The Rockefeller Legacy

• Jay Barth (M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Chair of Politics & International Relations, Hendrix College) "In the Shadow of WR: Arkansas Governors and Race Relations from Bumpers to Beebe."

5:45 - Finish

The Winthrop Rockefeller Collection digital project was made possible with the help of many people:

Deborah Baldwin, associate provost for the Arkansas Studies Institute and dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Amy Burns, director of communications and public relations; Chad Garrett, director of technology; John Kirk, chair and Donaghey professor of history; Shannon Lausch, archivist; Kaye Lundgren, archival assistant; Monica Madey, archival assistant; Kristin Mann, associate professor; Linda Pine, senior archivist and associate professor; Amber Ramsby, graduate assistant; Andrea Ringer, graduate assistant; Charles Romney, assistant professor and graduate coordinator; Kimberly Wessels, graduate assistant; Allison Yocum, graduate assistant; and Colin Woodward, archivist.

A PDF of this page is available for printing.

Primary Sources/ Archival Collections

"Keeping Abreast in Education."  The Phi Delta Kappan 45.2 (1963): 118-120.

Willard A. Hawkins Collections, M09-03.  Archives and Special Collections, Torreyson Library, University of Central Arkansas.

Winthrop Rockefeller Collection, UALR.MS.001.  University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture, Arkansas Studies Institute.

Secondary Sources:

Books and Articles

Bartley, N.V.  "Looking Back at Little Rock." Arkansas Historical Quarterly 25.2 (1966): 101-116.

Social Justice: Bartley's article explains the different political leaders and their actions that caused the crisis.  The article is written as if the reader knows all of the basics about the crisis of 1957, but it does give information that might not have been mentioned before.  It can be used by teachers to teach fourth and fifth grade about the crisis.

Bass, Jack and Walter DeVries.  The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Changes and Political Consequence Since 1945.  New York: Basic Books, Inc. Publishers, 1976.

Politics: Bass and DeVries focus is largely on southern politics from 1945-1965.  There is a small portion of the book that discusses Arkansas.

Billington, Monroe Lee.  The Political South in the Twentieth Century.  New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975.

Politics: Billington explains the difficulty with a two party system in the South.  The author credits Winthrop Rockefeller with breaking the solid Democratic state of Arkansas by revitalizing the Arkansas Republican Party.

Blair, Diane D. "The Big Three of Late 20^th Century Arkansas Politics: Dale Bumpers, Bill Clinton, and David Pryor."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 54.1 (1995): 53-79.

This article provides context for comparing Governor Rockefeller with other important Arkansas politicians of the late 20^th century.

Collier, Peter and David Horowitz.  The Rockefellers: An American Dynasty.  New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1976.

Timeline: Collier and Horowitz address the Rockefeller family and their influence.  There are photos in the book from the family archives from Rockefeller's childhood that are interesting.

Dillard, Tom.  Statesmen, Scoundrels, and Eccentrics: a Gallery of Amazing Arkansans.  Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2010.

Timeline: This book is a good small source of Rockefeller's timeline and work in Arkansas.

Finley, Randy.  "Crossing the White Line: SNCC in Three Delta Towns, 1963-1967."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 65.2 (2006): 116-137.

Politics and Social Justice: This article is about SNCC, it does mention that SNCC backed Rockefeller for Governor in 1966.

Harr, John Enser and Peter J. Johnson.  The Rockefeller Century.  New York: Charles and Scribner's Sons, 1988.

Timeline: Harr and Johnson created a book on the Rockefeller family for one hundred years.  The authors go into detail about Winthrop Rockefeller's childhood life.  They also discussed Winthrop Rockefeller's philanthropy efforts as an adult.

Hathorn, Billy B.  "Friendly Rivalry: Winthrop Rockefeller Challenges Orval Faubus in 1964."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 53.4 (1994): 446-473.

Politics: Hathorn's article explains about why Orval Faubus chose Rockefeller to work during his governorship.  It also talks about Rockefeller's success in his position for economic growth in Arkansas and Rockefeller's campaign for governor.

Hill, Herbert.  "Recent Effects of Racial Conflict on Southern Industrial Development."  The Phylon Quarterly 20.4 (1959): 319-326.

Social Justice and Industry: This article is about the Little Rock Crisis and how Arkansans reacted to what happened.  Hill does talk about how Arkansas industry did suffer because of the crisis and what the state should do to ensure their growth in industry.

Ledbetter, Calvin R. Jr.  "Arkansas Amendment for Voter Registration without Poll Tax Payment."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 54.2 (1995): 134-162.

Politics and Social Justice: What was Arkansas's path to the poll tax?  This article explains how African Americans were able to vote in statewide elections.  Black voters are important because they backed Rockefeller in 1966 and 1968 elections.

Lisenby, Foy.  "A Survey of Arkansas's Image Problem."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 30.1 (1971): 60-71.

Social Justice (Prison Reforms): Are Arkansas's image problems based on past lawlessness, barbarism, and social justice?  This article notes Rockefeller's work on prison reforms.

Lisenby, Foy.  "Winthrop Rockefeller and the Arkansas Image."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 43.2 (1984): 143-152.

Timeline: Lisenby discussed views of Winthrop Rockefeller from the 1950's as a millionaire who wanted to exploit the state and its resources, but then focused on his philanthropy in the state.

MacArthur, Dugald.  "Art in Arkansas."  The Drama Review 12.3 (1968): 37-39.

Arts: MacArthur wrote this article about the arts in Arkansas and he does focus on the Aransas Arts Center.

Moscow, Alvin.  The Rockefeller Inheritance.  Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1977.

"Notable Minority-Related Grants to Institutions of Higher Education."  The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education 3 (1994): 112-113.

Education and Social Justice: This journal entry explains the Rockefeller Foundation's efforts to improve teacher preparations for primary and secondary education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Perisico, Joseph E.  The Imperial Rockefeller: A Biography of Nelson A. Rockefeller.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.

Timeline: This biography about Nelson Rockefeller does have information about Winthrop Rockefeller.  The author had access to the family archives in New York and this gave some new information about Winthrop Rockefeller's childhood.

Reed, Roy.  "Orval E. Faubus: Out of Socialism into Realism."  Arkansas Historical Quarterly 66.2 (2007): 167-180.

Politics: This source provides context for Arkansas politics prior to Winthrop Rockefeller's term as governor.

Urwin, Cathy K.  Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas.  Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1991.

Politics and Social Justice: Urwin's book is focused on Winthrop Rockefeller's actions as Governor of Arkansas from 1967-1971.  The book has two separate chapters on each of Rockefeller's two terms as governor.  Urwin discusses each bill that Rockefeller worked on and whether it was successful or not.  Urwin also explains the bills that were unsuccessful with Rockefeller and later became successful laws under Governor Dale Bumpers.

Ward, John L.  The Arkansas Rockefeller.  Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1978.

This is a comprehensive biography on Governor Rockefeller

Ward, John L.  Winthrop Rockefeller Philanthropist: A Life of Change.  Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2004.

Legacy: Ward again gives a description of Winthrop Rockefeller's life.  There is an appendix that includes all of Rockefeller's philanthropic giving throughout his life and his legacies giving.  The book also explains the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

Web pages

Barth, Jay.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Republican Party," Last updated 11/18/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=594.

Politics: This entry gives a brief history of the Republican Party in Arkansas and there is a good overlook of Winthrop Rockefeller's role in this history.

Dillard, Tom.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Winthrop Rockefeller," Last updated 11/18/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=122.

Timeline: This entry is a succinct source for the biography of Winthrop Rockefeller.

Higgins, Donald.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Petit Jean Mountain," Last updated 4/1/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=6317.

Timeline and Agriculture: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia is a great source for information about the mountain, its history, its resources, and the impact on the mountain because of Winthrop Rockefeller.

Johnson, Ben.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Modern Era, 1968 through the Present," Last updated 11/4/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=405.

Timeline: This entry of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas talks about the emergence of the progressive politicians starting with Winthrop Rockefeller.  This entry explains the changes that Rockefeller made to the state and the changes that governors after Rockefeller made as well.

Johnson, Ben.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967," Last updated 11/4/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=404.

Politics: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia is a good source for teachers to understand what Arkansas was like before Winthrop Rockefeller was in Arkansas and what the politics were like in the 1950s and 60s.  Rockefeller was mentioned as the person who received votes by new voters.  The resurgence of the Republican Party is explained in this entry.

Kirk, John A.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Civil Rights and Social Change," Last updated 12/1/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=4564.

Social Justice: This entry discusses civil rights during, before, and after Governor Rockefeller's term in office.

Laurie, Mary.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Winrock International," Last Updated 8/31/2007, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=3042.

"Museum of Automobiles," Accessed September 29, 2011, http://museumofautos.com/.

Orsburn, Young M.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Museum of Automobiles," Last updated 2/5/2007, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=4096.

Legacy: This entry is about Winthrop Rockefeller's Museum of Automobiles.

Plummer, Ellen A. and Michael Preble.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Arkansas Arts Center," Last updated 4/28/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=464.

Arts: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia explains the history of the Arkansas Arts Center and Rockefeller's influence on its creation.

Rogers, Aaron W.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Morrilton (Conway County)," Last updated 5/18/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=857.

Education and Timeline: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia gives information about Morrilton, near Petit Jean Mountain.  This is a good reference to understand the community that Winthrop Rockefeller moved into in 1953.  Also it does discuss the influence that Rockefeller had on the county.

Stricklin, David and Chris Stewart.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Philanthropy," Last updated 10/3/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=4853.

Legacy: This entry explains the history of philanthropy in Arkansas.

Westerlund, Barton A. and Roger K. Chisholm.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Arkansas Planning and Development Districts," Last updated 7/14/2006, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=589.

Politics and Industrial: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia gives a good portion of information about Winthrop Rockefeller's work as governor including his work with the Arkansas legislature.

White, Adena J.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Winthrop Rockefeller Institute," Last updated 7/12/2010, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=6023.

Agriculture and Legacy: The entry explains how the Institute was established and how it is part of the University of Arkansas System.

Williams, C. Fred.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Arkansas's Image," Last updated 11/18/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=1.

Timeline and Industrial: This entry in the Arkansas Encyclopedia talks about Winthrop Rockefeller's work with the state's economic development.

Williams, Patrick G.  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Politics and Government," Last updated 9/22/2011, http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=394.

Politics: In the section about the modern era there is a portion dedicated to Winthrop Rockefeller and how moderate Democrats and African Americans gave their support to him.

"Winrock Farms," Accessed September 29, 2011, http://www.winrockfarms.com/.

Agriculture: This website is a great source for anyone who is curious about Winthrop Rockefeller's Farm.  The site includes information about the history of the farm, USDA Beef information, the type of cattle raised at the farm, and information about the associations of which the farm is part.

"Winrock International," Accessed September 29, 2011, https://www.winrock.org/about/.

Agriculture and Legacy: This site is the official website for the Winrock International.  The site includes the mission of the organization, the history, information about the staff, and the services that the organization provides internationally.

"Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation," Accessed September 29, 2011, http://www.wrfoundation.org/.

Legacy: The official site of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation includes a great timeline of Rockefeller's life.  The website also includes the history of the foundation, the goals that the foundation has for making a difference in Arkansas, and information on contacting the staff.

"Winthrop Rockefeller Institute," Accessed September 29, 2011, http://www.livethelegacy.org/.

Agriculture and Legacy: This website explains how the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute lives the legacy of Rockefeller.  The site explains who Rockefeller was, explains Rockefeller's history with Petit Jean Mountain, the mission, education programs, & agriculture and environment.

Unpublished Sources

Hathorn, Billy Burton.  The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982.  (Volumes I and II).  Diss. Texas A&M University, 1983.

Politics

Jones, Merrill Anyway.  A Rhetorical Study of Winthrop Rockefeller's Political Speeches, 1964-1971.  Diss. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 1984.

Politics, Education, Social Justice, and Agriculture: Jones's dissertation is a very useful source for quotes by Winthrop Rockefeller about his ideals as Governor.

Pierce, J. From McMath to Rockefeller: Arkansas Governors and Illegal Gambling in Postwar Host Springs, 1945-1970.  Diss. University of Arkansas, 2008.

Media

Katrosh, Kris.  Arkansas Rockefeller.  Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, 2004.

Timeline, Education, Social Justice, Politics, and Legacy: This movie is a good source for teachers to show students photographs and film footage of Winthrop Rockefeller.  Also, it is a good source to see what those closest to him say about his accomplishments and challenges.

May 1, 1912: Winthrop Rockefeller was born in New York City.  He was the fifth of six children.  He grew up with an older sister, three older brothers, and a younger brother.  Winthrop Rockefeller was the grandson of John D. Rockefeller who founded Standard Oil Company.  He grew up in New York City in a nine story town house at 10 West 54^th by Central Park.  Winthrop attended Lincoln School at Columbia University Teachers College, Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut, and was also educated by private tutors.

1931-1934: Winthrop Rockefeller attended Yale University

1936: Winthrop Rockefeller moved to Texas to work in the oil fields.  He was the first Rockefeller to work in the fields.  He worked every phase as an apprentice.  After his time in the oil fields he returned to New York to work in his family's business.

January 1941: Winthrop Rockefeller enlisted in the U.S. Army.  He joined as a private and was selected for non-commissioned officer's training school and made a sergeant.  Jan. 1942, Rockefeller became 2^nd Lieutenant at Fort Benning, Georgia and was a machine gun instructor.  When he became first Lieutenant he transferred to the 305^th infantry regiment of the famous 77^th division in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  Winthrop Rockefeller was the only Rockefeller brother to make his way up to officer by progressing through the ranks.  He served in World War II in the Pacific participating in the Battle of Guam and the invasion of Okinawa.  In 1945, a Kamikaze plane struck the ship he was on during the Okinawa invasion and injured him.  In 1946, Winthrop Rockefeller left the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel with a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.

1949: Rockefeller married Barbara "Bobo" Sears.  They had one child together, Winthrop Paul Rockefeller.  Win Paul grew up with his mother and spent summers with Winthrop Rockefeller at Winrock Farm.  Win Paul inherited Winrock Farm when Winthrop Rockefeller passes away in 1973.  Win Paul was elected Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas in 1996.  He died of cancer in 2006.

1953: Winthrop Rockefeller moved to Arkansas.  He was visiting an Army friend Frank Newell, an insurance broker in Little Rock, when he was persuaded to relocate to the state.  He purchased 927 acres of land on Petit Jean Mountain and built Winrock Farm.

1954: Rockwin Fund was established.  Mary McLeod was the first director. After Rockefeller's death Rockwin  Fund was renamed the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation in 1974.  The fund was the vehicle for Winthrop Rockefeller's philanthropy, including Morrilton's model school, the Perry County medical clinic, college scholarships, and the Arkansas Arts Center-Artmobile.

1955: Winthrop Rockefeller became the first chairman of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission.  He was the chairman for nine years and helped establish 600 new industrial plants in Arkansas.  These plants produced 90,000 jobs throughout the state.

1956: Rockefeller was voted Arkansas Man of the Year by readers of the Arkansas Democrat.

1956: Winthrop Rockefeller invested in the Morrilton School District to create a model school in Arkansas.  Rockefeller consulted the Department of Education and Arkansas State Teachers College as part of this effort.

1960: Rockefeller began meeting with the members of Little Rock Junior League about the potential for the expansion of the Arts Center.

1964: Museum of Automobiles opened at Winrock Farm.  The museum includes the 1951 Cadillac that Winthrop Rockefeller drove into Arkansas, 1967 Cadillac limousine with Santa Gertrudis bull sterling-silver hood ornament, and a 1914 Cretors popcorn wagon.

1966: Winthrop Rockefeller was elected  Governor of Arkansas.  He was the first Arkansas Republican Governor since 1874.  He served 2 terms, 1967-1971.

1967: Rockefeller passed 67 bills during the General Assembly including first minimum-wage act in Arkansas.

April 7, 1986: Governor Winthrop Rockefeller held a public ceremony on the steps of the capitol to mourn the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1970: As Governor, Winthrop Rockefeller commissioned a study of the state prison system-establishing Department of Corrections and hiring first professional penologist in Arkansas.

February 22, 1973: Winthrop Rockefeller died of pancreatic cancer at age 60.

1973: Winrock International was founded.

Jay Barth (M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Chair of Politics & International Relations, Hendrix College)

"In the Shadow of WR: Arkansas Governors and Race Relations from Bumpers to Beebe."

In his work In the Shadow of FDR, William E. Luechtenburg examined the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt in shaping the politics and policies of all the Presidents since his death in 1945.  First published in 1989 and subsequently updated to examine FDR's "shadow" on all Presidents through Obama, Luechtenburg makes the compelling case that all Presidents-Democrats and Republicans alike-have had their political careers and administrations shaped by the man who transformed American political life through a realignment of party politics in the country and a fundamental expansion of government's role in the United States.

While in most respects Winthrop Rockefeller's impact on the future of life in his adopted state was not analogous to the broad and deep Roosevelt example, in terms of race relations Rockefeller did create a new model for Arkansas's governors that has had a clear legacy for the men who have followed him to the governorship.  Following on the model of Leuchtenburg's work, his paper will examine the explicit and implicit ways in which Governors Bumpers, Pryor, Clinton, White, Tucker, Huckabee, and Beebe's public expressions on racial matters channel WR and the ways in which the biracial politics practiced by Rockefeller have shaped the state's electoral and policymaking landscape in which they have run for office and governed.

While Rockefeller helped transform how Arkansas's chief executives dealt with racial matters, I argue that Rockefeller was less transformative on race attitudes more broadly in the state as shown by contemporary public attitudes on racial matters and recent electoral dynamics in the state.

Melany Bowman (Arkansas State University)

"Soy el Jefe:  How Hispanic Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Economic Landscape of Northeast Arkansas."

A report issued by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation in 2007 noted that most immigrants, many of whom are Mexican, come to Arkansas in search of employment.  Some newcomers to the state seek manufacturing jobs.  Other less educated immigrants are employed in low wage occupations or seasonal labor.   For a growing number of Hispanics however, the path to economic success in Arkansas follows an entrepreneurial route.  While growing a new business is difficult for anyone, Hispanics entrepreneurs face unique challenges such as language barriers, business financing, and establishing a customer base, especially in areas where the Hispanic population is small but growing. "Pursuing the American Dream In the Land of Opportunity" details how several Hispanics in Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas are seeking to improve their financial well-being by owning and operating their own business.  Additionally, the growing number of Hispanic entrepreneurs is indicative of how Hispanics in this area are establishing roots in areas that once was merely a temporary stopping off point for migrant farm labor.

Jacqueline Froehlich (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)

"An Ozarks Town Reckons with a Racist Stigma."

Twelve years ago, Jacqueline Froelich compiled the first comprehensive history of Arkansas Ozarks African Americans-the culmination of five years of research and writing involving over 30 hours of taped interviews with residents descended from enslaved African Americans, scholars, and white natives. She examined census, cemetery, and property records in county courthouses, scanned decades of old news paper files, read personal correspondence, reviewed court records and studied local history accounts in order to reconstruct the black histories of Benton, Madison, Washington, Carroll and Boone Counties.  For example, she discovered that Eureka Springs had a thriving Victorian-era black community in the late 1800s; that Fayetteville and Bentonville's black districts, established in the 1870s, stood fast, despite race conflagrations taking place in both Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma.  And she also uncovered how the townspeople of Harrison in the early 1900s engaged in systematic racial purges-a history that remained buried for a century.  The culimation of that research resulted in a two-hour public radio documentary, as well as journal articles, newspaper feature stories and subject of a public television documentary. At the conference she will provide a summary, illustrated with audio clips--and report on race reconciliation efforts taking place in Harrison.

Perla Guerrero (University of Maryland, College Park)

"States' Rights Discourse in Late 20th Century Arkansas: A Tenuous Welcome for Latinas/os and Asians."

Focusing on the end of the twentieth century and using federal and state documents, newspaper articles, and letters from constituents this paper explores how states' rights rhetoric undergirded the debate between local, state, and federal officials when Latina/o and Asian refugees and immigrants arrived in Arkansas. States' rights rhetoric deployed throughout the South's history against Black struggles for equality was used against Vietnamese refugees in 1975, Cubans from Mariel in 1980, and Latina/o immigrants, mainly ethnic Mexicans, at the turn of the twenty-first century. Such analysis allows us to see how the region's racial and social dynamics and histories actively shape encounters with newcomers. In 1975 when Fort Chaffee was selected as a processing and relocation center for Vietnamese there was considerable resentment about the lack of agency the state had in deciding whether they wanted one of their federal bases to be used for such an endeavor and Arkansas government officials often asserted that it was a federal mandate that the state and Arkansans had to bear. Five years later when Fort Chaffee was once again chosen to process Cubans the state and its people resented the federal government more deeply than it had in the case of Vietnamese. However, those feelings had more to do with the Cubans themselves and what Arkansans and their government officials saw as a lack of responsibility on the part of the federal government to take care of people it admitted and the citizenry which it was accountable to. In response to Latina/o immigrants in the 1990s, Arkansans blamed the federal government for ineffectively guarding the border while the state paid-and its people suffered-the consequences. This timely exploration of Latina/o and Asian history in Arkansas provides insight into the long life of states' rights rhetoric-arguably one of the region's defining characteristics.

Kelly Houston Jones (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)

"Black and White on Slavery's Frontier."

This paper argues that within Arkansas can be found a wide spectrum of relationships between masters and slaves. Black and white people living the institution of slavery brought varying levels of power to varying situations. Individual personalities, skills, reputations, as well as time and space worked on the interactions of master and slave, white and black. In Arkansas, the over-arching influence on these interactions was the fact that the area was a developing frontier. Whites sought to generally recreate the kind of mastery they knew in older areas of the South. But in order to transform the rugged landscape into productive cotton regions, masters tweaked the institution by demanding more work while easing up or removing some restrictions when they found it useful. This meant that the slave experience in Arkansas was generally harsher than in more settled areas of the South, but that there may have been unique opportunities for autonomy for some.

Cherisse Jones-Branch (Arkansas State University)

"Negro Home Demonstration Agents in Arkansas, 1913-1965."

This paper will examine the work of African American female home demonstration agents in Arkansas.  In Arkansas and throughout the South, female home demonstration agents were trained and then employed by the Cooperative Extension Service to share their domestic science expertise with rural communities.  They sought to modernize rural homes by teaching wives and mothers to be better homemakers or, more appropriately, to behave like their middle class counterparts.  Organized in 1914 under the authority of the Smith-Lever Act, and supported by federal, state, and local funds, the Cooperative Extension Service attempted to "uplift" rural families seeking to improve their standard of living.  The Extension Service and home demonstration agents in the South were segregated by race.  Negro agents reported to white supervisors and had to work within well-established community racial boundaries.  Their efforts were further often hampered by African Americans endemic poverty and unequal funding.  I argue that despite the constraints of racial accommodationism, segregation, and severe economic privation, Negro agents often manipulated the Extension Service agenda to tailor a program to better meet the needs of rural Arkansas black communities.

Barclay Key (Western Illinois University)

"Black and White Echoes: Richard Nathaniel Hogan and the 'Enemies of Righteousness'."

Traditional narratives of African-American religion after the Civil War accentuate the creation of new churches and denominations freed from the influence and oversight of whites. However, this focus ignores numerous African Americans who chose to join or remain in predominantly white denominations, such as the Churches of Christ. This paper will explain the struggles of African Americans in Churches of Christ by tracing the career of Arkansas native Richard Nathaniel Hogan. Hogan was born in Monroe County in 1902 and began preaching in 1916, under the tutelage of a black educator named George Phillip Bowser. Hogan fully imbibed the distinct theology that emphasized the exclusivist disposition of Churches of Christ, compelling its members to conceive of themselves as the only "true church." In this manner, blacks and whites echoed each other in sermons that reinforced this self-perception and forged unlikely relationships that seemed to diminish racial identities. White churches frequently invited Hogan to preach or conduct revivals, for example, and he subsequently included white columnists in the Christian Echo, a periodical founded by Bowser and edited by Hogan after 1953. Yet Hogan also fiercely criticized racism within Churches of Christ, even as he refused to endorse "denominational preachers" who often led civil rights campaigns. Within the pages of the Christian Echo, he simultaneously devoted himself to evangelism and challenging racial discrimination within the church, particularly the "enemies of righteousness" who insisted that southern colleges remain segregated. Ironically, by the mid 1960s when civil rights legislation was dismantling Jim Crow, black and white Churches of Christ began forging separate paths. While they shared almost identical theologies, the growing economic independence of black churches enabled them to operate independently of whites, and whites were rarely interested in sustaining relationships with blacks, especially on terms that asserted black equality and power.

Guy Lancaster (Editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies)

"Racial Cleansing in the Arkansas Delta."

According to a 1987 pamphlet, "Buffalo Island: Drainage District No. 16 of Mississippi County, Arkansas… Then and Now!" an unwritten rule in place from about the year 1900 until World War II held that "black Americans were forbidden to live on Buffalo Island or even to spend the night on Buffalo Island. Blacks who visited the Island, being fearful of being mistreated, each day left the Island before sundown." Buffalo Island, a region consisting of parts of Mississippi and Craighead counties, thus appears rather unique in the picture of race relations in Arkansas in that it exhibits characteristics more often associated with the upland regions of the state, such as the Ozark Mountains where racial cleansing was a relatively common occurrence, rather than the lowland regions wherein African Americans were certainly oppressed but not usually expelled from communities en masse, given their role as cheap labor for agricultural and industrial enterprises. This presentation will survey racial cleansing in the Arkansas Delta, especially its relation to the practice of "nightriding" or "whitecapping," a form of violence in which lower-class whites attempted to drive African Americans away from industrial jobs or off plantations. Lancaster also examines the similarities between those communities which became "sundown towns" to provide the means for understanding this regionally atypical phenomenon.

Story Matkin-Rawn (University of Central Arkansas)

"'Send Forth More Laborers into the Vineyard': Understanding the African American Exodus to Arkansas."

Bishop Henry Turner's 1888 proclamation that Arkansas was 'the Great Negro State of the Country' is well-known among historians of the state and scholars of postbellum African American history. But the notion that Arkansas attracted more African American migrants than any other state in the nation until World War I strikes the average Arkansan as implausible, if not impossible.  Yet between 1870 and 1910, an estimated 200,000 African Americans migrated to Arkansas as part of a larger exodus to the western South. Because migration to the western South does not fit neatly into a narrative of progress, it has long been overlooked. Given the subversion of black citizenship rights, rising lynching rates, and state-enforcement of segregation in late 19th century Arkansas and neighboring states, what lessons should be drawn from the southwestern exodus? Was it a terrible mistake born of coercion and deception? A failed Republican plot to preserve their party's majority? The potential salvation of participatory government and rural economic independence? These same questions saw heated debate in the contemporary African American press. This paper examines these late 19th century debates in African America over the wisdom of migrating to Arkansas and the western South.

Carl Moneyhon (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)

"The Limits of Freedom: Black Arkansans and the End of Slavery."

In many respects roots of current racial issues that beset the nation and particularly the South lie in the immediate post-Civil War years. That war brought an end to slavery, but it did not bring about equality, full liberty, or economic self-sufficiency for the former slaves. These years saw a continuing struggle between whites and blacks as each maneuvered to define where those who had been enslaved fit within society. Blacks, in what might be called the first campaign to secure equal rights, sought to maximize their freedom and ensure their personal security. Whites, on the other hand, worked to limit that freedom and retain some control over the lives of the newly freed people. White success in establishing new limits on blacks meant that blacks, who never conceded those limits, would have to continue their efforts at gaining full freedom into the Twentieth Century and beyond. This paper examines the dynamics of race relations in the post-war years, focusing particularly on what took place in Arkansas.

Grif Stockley (Independent Scholar)

"Getting History Wrong: The 1959 Fire at the Negro Boys Industrial School."

On March 5, 1959, 21 African-American boys, ages 13 to 17, were burned to death inside a locked dormitory 12 miles from Little Rock. In answer to a question whether a fire like this could happen to other state institutions, at a press conference that morning Governor Orval Faubus responded, 'No, this was perhaps the worst facility of them all,' adding however that 'it would not have happened here if adequate precautions had been taken.' Though he had been governor for four years, Faubus took no responsibility for the deaths of the boys and would seek an indictment for criminal negligence of Lester Gaines, the black Superintendent. The fire raises a number of questions. No one was killed during the Little Rock Central High Crisis in 1957, and yet those events and their aftermath have been written about repeatedly, and the end is not yet in sight. After receiving initial attention from the media, locally and nationally, the fire and the deaths of the boys received no attention from the public for almost fifty years until Frank Lawerence, a brother of one of the victims, tried to make a documentary film about the fire. What responsibility, if any, did the governor and the state of Arkansas have for the deaths of these boys? Was the fire a consequence of segregation as claimed in an editorial by L.C. Bates, co-publisher with his famous wife, Daisy Bates, of the Arkansas State Press? Or was the fire more a product of long negligence and a last place finish for funds by the Arkansas legislature as suggested in an unsigned editorial in the Arkansas Democrat? As a work-in-progress my manuscript about the fire attempts to answer these questions and many more.

Julie Weise (California State University, Long Beach)

"Citizens of Somewhere: Braceros, Dixiecrats, and Mexican Bureaucrats in the Arkansas Delta, 1939-64."

The so-called bracero program brought more than 4 million Mexican men to work in the United States between 1942 and 1964.  The history of the bracero program in Arkansas has been overlooked by scholars, yet in some years Arkansas trailed only California and Texas in the number of braceros recruited. Braceros' tenure in Arkansas coincided with the decade of Jim Crow's fall.  As the structures of eugenically-based de jure segregation crumbled in the face of increasing black political power and the interventions of the federal government, battles over race and rights moved increasingly into cultural and economic territory.  The shape of New Deal liberalism with regard to race, class, and region hung in the balance, and braceros in rural Arkansas held the potential to tip it in a sub-region critical to Southern Democrats' political fortunes. In demanding the social and economic rights they felt were due them as Mexican citizens, braceros in Arkansas set off a battle among Tejano crew leaders, Mexican consuls, Arkansas white planters, and white and African American tenants and laborers over the fate of New Deal liberalism in the Arkansas Delta. The twin demands of racial equality and improved economic security for rural workers dogged white Southern conservatives facing down New Deal liberals at mid-century, and braceros challenged them on both fronts.  They rejected both poor labor conditions and social discrimination in Arkansas, calling upon the support of the local Memphis consulate of the Mexican foreign service.  White conservatives responded by steadfastly protecting their economic and political advantages over labor, even if this meant compromise in the area of race. The stories of braceros in Arkansas thus show the potential of Mexican archives and Mexican-American history to shed unique light on the central questions of twentieth-century race relations in Arkansas.

Calvin White (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)

"'It Should Mean More Than Just A Simple Shout': E. C. Morris and African American Religion in Post Reconstruction Arkansas."

Religion has always played a vital role in the lives of African Americans. Even while enslaved, blacks used religion and biblical stories to overcome the day-to-day hardships of the intuition of slavery. After the Civil War, religion within the African American community grew even stronger as churches became public spaces where education, social welfare, and public discourse all intersected, at times, simultaneously. As the black community grew, so did the importance of religion. Influenced by their churches and clergymen, blacks drew their understanding of the world from the influence their religion exerted upon them. In short, religion dictated their actions and this could be no truer than in Arkansas. Therefore, this essay will look at the early African American religious leadership in Arkansas, examining how religion influenced their decision-making and, in turn, shaped the overall history of the state. Figures such as Elias Camp Morris and Charles Harrison Mason, and the founding of Arkansas Baptist Institute for Ministers will form the core of the paper, while also looking at how different denominations' interpretation of the scriptures shaped black life.

[caption id="attachment_191" align="alignright" width="300"] Rockefeller giving speech at a rally in 1962, clearly being encouraged to run for governor[/caption]

Winthrop Rockefeller's 1966 election as the first Republican governor of Arkansas in 94 years was the defining moment in twentieth century Arkansas state politics. The defeat of Democrat and former White Citizens' Council head Jim Johnson saw off race-baiting conservative Democrats in gubernatorial races for good, and the Arkansas Democratic Party underwent root and branch reform. Ironically, Republican Rockefeller's work paved the way for more progressive Democratic governors such as Dale Bumpers, David Pryor, and Bill Clinton to emerge.

Rockefeller speaks at memorial service for Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Arkansas state capitolResearch materials for political activities are located in Record Groups I, III, IV and VII:

• Files in Record Group I, Personal, document his political activities such as the "Two Party" initiatives and his first campaign for governor in 1964.
• Materials on his campaign and legislative agendas are located in Record Group III and IV, the Governor's and Public Relations, respectively.

• Record Group VII (Photos, Audio, and Video) includes images of Rockefeller campaigning, audio sources such as speeches and press conferences, and films of campaign spots that outline WR's vision for the state.