The Butler Banner Newsletter of the Butler Center for Studies Volume 11, Number 4 Fall 2009 Butler Center Events ASI Retail Gallery: Gifts Galore Legacies & Lunch he Central Arkansas Library Sys- spaces. December 2, 2009 Bob Lamb, longtime Arkansas tem (CALS) art program has been The ASI Main Gallery, the Atrium Gallery, and economic advocate, will making art available to the public the upcoming Mezzanine Gallery feature rotat- discuss his role in and T for more than fifty years. Now, with a per- ing visiting exhibits as well as pieces from the experiences with Arkansas manent collection of more than 1,000 pieces CALS permanent collection, while the ASI Re- advancement. and access to visiting exhibitions, CALS of- tail Gallery offers works by local Arkansas art- January 6, 2010 fers art in all eleven CALS branches and in ists. The move into the ASI has allowed the art Butler Center historian Steven the galleries located in the Arkansas Studies program to grow and to display public art such Teske looks at the ways Institute (ASI) to fulfill its mission of bring- as the ASI image panels and the Lower Arkansas Arkansans contributed to the national effort in two wars: ing the work of Arkansas River Valley Walking Map, two visually stunning the Spanish-American War artists and artisans representions of Arkansas history. and World War I, and how into public The ASI Retail Gallery, a strong retail presence these events shaped life in on President Clinton Avenue, features the works Arkansas. of more than fifty Arkansas Art News artists. Items range from pot- November 13 - February 13 tery and woodwork to paint- Arkansas Studies Institute ings, jewelry, and sculpture. Main Gallery: New Works by Sui Hoe Khoo During the holidays, artists bring in and display a large December 11, 2009 assortment of ornaments, ASI Galleries: 2nd Friday Art many of which are created Night from colorful glass bulbs and January 4 - February 27, 2010 hand-carved wood. Art ad- ASI Concordia Hall Gallery: ministrator Colin Thompson Local History Goes to School: said, “The many different Traveling the World with Mifflin W. Gibbs styles of craft and artwork Cont. on page 2 January 8, 2010 ASI Galleries: 2nd Friday Art Night

Butler Center Books Event Saturday, December 5, 2009 BASE Donates Arkansas Books 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ur state’s public high schools This year, the program has received $10,000 Authors Ray and Steven will receive free Arkansas-re- from the state legislature’s General Improvement Hanley will sign copies of lated books again this year from Fund for the purchase of books. These funds their new book, Main Street O Arkansas, at Wordsworth the Books for Arkansas Students’ Educa- have allowed BASE to supplement its usual Books & Co., Little Rock. tion (BASE) program hosted by the Butler stock of donated and remaindered books with Center for Arkansas Studies and supported new copies of the most sought-after Arkansas by the Arkansas state legislature. Since its titles for high school libraries. Some examples of beginning in 2007, BASE has distributed the most requested titles are books about colonial more than 1,800 books to public high school and territorial Arkansas by Arnold Morris, mem- libraries to assist in a statewide effort to oirs and poetry by Maya Angelou, studies of race strengthen Arkansas-based curricula. The relations in the state by Grif Stockley, and The book distribution program offers Arkansas- Wildflowers of Arkansas by Carl Hunter. based material for all academic areas, from All public high school librarians in Arkansas Visit www.butlercenter.org for art to social studies, with an emphasis on are encouraged to participate in BASE, and, to more information. state history. Cont. on page 2 Cont. from Gallery, p.1 that are on display will appeal both to discerning col- lectors or casual shoppers; this, combined with the vary- ing price points, makes the ASI Retail Gallery a perfect place for holiday shopping.” Other art news: The permanent collection continues to grow through the generosity of local artists. Two recent donations to the collection include the photograph A Solitary Place from David Mann’s recent Rural Church- es exhibit and Hands, a realistic bronze sculpture by Terry Bean. n

he many different styles of craft and artwork that are on display will “T appeal both to discerning collectors or casual shoppers; this, combined with the varying price points, makes the ASI Retail Gallery a perfect place for holiday shopping.”

The Butler Banner is the quarterly newsletter of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Arkansas Studies Institute Cont. from BASE, p.1 titles for strong Arkansas collections. Central Arkansas Library System date, 160 school libraries are registered The core lists have great value to teach- 100 S. Rock St. in the program. Each school is allotted ers who want to refer students to the best Little Rock, AR 72201 a number of points to redeem for books, of Arkansas literature. The titles in the 501.320.5700 - [email protected] and both the books and the shipping are BASE bookstore are linked by keywords www.butlercenter.org free of charge. The BASE point system to related classroom curriculum areas, www.arstudies.org favors less advantaged high schools by and the BASE program reinforces the ex- Printed and distributed with private funds. allotting more points to schools that have tensive curriculum assistance the Butler Kathryn Heller: Editor a greater number of free or reduced-price Center offers to teachers, such as class- Mike Keckhaver: Design/Layout student lunches. After registering for room lesson plans available from the BASE, a high school librarian spends the Butler Center website. school’s points on books in the BASE Anyone can support the BASE pro- online bookstore. gram with monetary donations to support BASE offers more than 670 titles se- the purchase of new books or with mate- lected by the Butler Center for high rial donations of books about Arkansas or school students. Bob Razer, the Butler written by Arkansans. To learn more, vis- Center librarian in charge of BASE, has it www.baseducation.org or call Christo- Volume 11, Number 4 created core lists of the most important pher Stewart at (501) 320-5711. n Page 2 The Butler Banner A Word from the Center David Stricklin, Head of the Butler Center The ASI n these pages, The interviews will be recorded in our Galleries you can read new interview studio we have put to- Shop Locally Iabout the gether with help from another of our fine exciting things partners in the ASI, the Clinton School This Holiday Season going on at the of Public Service. Those are just a few of Butler Center and the many things going on. at our still-new On this page, there’s a little note invit- home in the Ar- ing folks to receive the Banner by email. Studies In- This is an increasingly common offer stitute (ASI), in- by organizations that send out newslet- cluding two awards the building and the ters. Rest assured that we won’t pull the site have received. A third award, which plug on our paper newsletter. We want to might turn into yet another one, came save paper, we want to save money, and from South Central Construction, a Mc- we like email. But if you’d like to help Graw-Hill publication. The ASI tied for us keep mailing you a paper copy of the best overall project with a new structure newsletter, you could send us a check for in Louisville, Kentucky. Winners at the $10. Make it out to the Butler Center, and regional level go on to a national compe- put “Butler Banner” in the memo line. tition. We’ll keep you posted. Send your check to the address in the box We recently enjoyed the grand opening below. of the Arkansas Humanities Council’s Better yet, bring it in yourself. We’re (AHC) suite of offices in the ASI. Our still having a great time sharing the ASI lease-exchange arrangement with them with visitors, people taking tours, groups helps fund our public programming and using our meeting rooms, University of outreach efforts and gets the AHC into Arkansas at Little Rock students taking the middle of the non-profit corridor in classes in the building, and all kinds of downtown Little Rock, connecting them folks. We’d love to have you come in to to organizations with similar missions. see us! n 401 President Clinton Ave. Also, we’re looking forward to welcom- Downtown Little Rock’s ing folks who want to conduct interviews Butler Center River Market District for the National Day of Listening initia- 100 S. Rock St. www.arstudies.org tive being promoted by the StoryCorps Little Rock, AR 72201 www.butlercenter.org/art organization and National Public Radio.

Listening Day Promotion Save Paper, he Butler Center is partnering with to the public on the following dates and Reduce Waste TKUAR-FM and StoryCorps, a na- times: tional oral history project, to promote the • Saturday, November 28: The Butler Center wants to National Day of Listening. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. save paper and reduce its The Butler Center will make the new • Friday, December 4: waste. If you have an active Butler Center interview studio in the 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. email address, help us by Arkansas Studies Institute available one • Friday, December 11: day a week for four weeks for the public 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. opting to receive email-only to come in and record oral history inter- • Friday, December 18: alerts about our programs views. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and events. Contact Kathryn The interview studio will be available Heller at [email protected] or for 40-minute recording sessions, and Contact Sara Thompson at (501) 320- (501) 320-5717 to update your CDs of interviews will be available im- 5718 or [email protected] to book an mediately following the sessions. interview session or for more informa- information. The interview studio will be available tion. n

The Butler Banner Page 3 Butler Center in the Community manities Council (AHC) and was funded Awards and Recognitions by the AHC and Dr. Cal Ledbetter. The Guy Lancaster, editor of the Encyclo- Caraway exhibit was unveiled during the pedia of Arkansas History & Culture and opening of the Arkansas Studies Insti- book reviewer, has recently published tute and resided there until its move to reviews in Theological Book Review, ASU. Pioneer American Society Transactions Rhonda Stewart, genealogy and local (PAST), Journal of Religion, Conflict and history specialist for the Butler Center, is Peace, and the Southwestern Historical now serving on the planning committee Quarterly. for the campus library at Arkansas Bap- On September 22, 2009, Guy Lan- tist College. caster and Mike Polston, Encyclopedia The Lower Arkansas River Valley of Arkansas historian, went to Arkansas Walking Map, located along the south We are proud to announce that the State University for a reception in honor side of the Arkansas Studies Institute, has Arkansas Studies Institute build- of a traveling exhibit dedicated to the life been chosen as a 2009 Decorative Project ing project was given the Member’s of U.S. Senator Thaddeus Caraway. This of the Year honoree, an award given by Choice Award for 2009 by the Ar- exhibit was developed by the Butler Cen- Concrete Construction and Hanley Wood kansas Chapter of the American In- ter in cooperation with the Arkansas Hu- Publications. n stitute of Architects (AIA).

... Butler Center Events in the Spotlight

Terrence Roberts, Butler Center Books author flash and member of the Little Rock Nine, signs copies of his memoir, Lessons from Little Rock, during a book discussion at the Main Library.

Jan Ziegler, of Black River Technical College, and Tommy Jameson, local Bob Razer, Butler Center architect, are shown here Archie House Fellow, with Linda Bly, CALS throws a pitch to baseball deputy director, and David legend and Arkansas Stricklin, head of the native Hal Smith at the Butler Center. Ziegler and October Legacies & Jameson spoke during Lunch. the November Legacies & Lunch on historical renovation projects in Randolph County.

Page 4 The Butler Banner Teske believes that studying past events helps all of us understand who we are Butler Center Books News today. He said, “Whether a conflict was utler Center Books brings you its Arkansas State University–Beebe cam- right in Arkansas—as happened in the latest release: Homefront Arkan- pus located at the Little Rock Air Force Civil War and the Brooks-Baxter War— Bsas: Arkansans Face Wartime. Base in Jacksonville and has taught or whether it took Arkansans elsewhere, Written by Butler Center Books vet- classes for Pulaski Technical College at each of these wars has added another eran Velma B. Branscum Woody, along their Little Rock campus. layer to our state’s identity. Homefront with historian Steven Teske. Homefront Arkansas helps us see those layers so we Arkansas illuminates for young read- can see ourselves and each other more ers the impact of war on Arkansans. clearly.” Beginning with the Mexican War and Additionally, a recent Butler Center ending with the wars in Iraq and Afghan- Books release has gained national at- istan, the nine stories in Homefront Ar- tention. Terrence Roberts, Little Rock kansas provide a factual and compelling Nine member and author of Lessons from backdrop for Arkansas’s history as seen Little Rock, was interviewed recently on through its conflicts. Readers will follow PBS’s The Tavis Smiley Show. To view Arkansans into battle and see the effects Roberts’s appearance on PBS, go to on soldiers as well as on their loved ones www.pbs.org/tavissmiley and search for at home. Terrence Roberts. Woody grew up with a love of history; Books published by the Butler Center are her book Bandits, Bears, and Backaches available through national and local book was published by Butler Center Books sellers, including River Market Books & in 2004. Currently, Woody is an adjunct Gifts, or the Press professor at Ozarka College. in Fayetteville at (800) 626-0090 and on- Teske is a historian and fact-checker for line at www.uapress.com. Butler Center the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Books is a division of the Butler Center for Culture, a project of the Butler Center. Arkansas Studies, part of the Central Ar- He is also an adjunct instructor for the kansas Library System. n

The 2010 Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture Calendars Are Here! The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture To order your 2010 calendar(s), return this form with a check to: Encyclopedia of Arkansas Central Arkansas Library System 100 Rock Street • Little Rock, AR 72201 Or you may return this form with the credit card information portion filled out.

2010 Calendar I am ordering ______calendar(s). Enclosed is my payment of $ ______. Cost: $10 each. Please make checks payable to: Encyclopedia of Arkansas. (Please add $2 to your order total for shipping and handling). Please ship my calendar(s) to: Name ______Address ______City ______State ______Zip ______Phone ( ) ______

Cardholder Information Name ______Address ______City ______State ______Zip ______Card Type MasterCard o Visa o American Express o Card Number: ______Expires ______Amount Charged $ ______Transaction Date ______

The Butler Banner Page 5 the encyclopedia of Arkansas history & culture

WANTED: Authors and Media We need entries, photographs, documents, videos, maps, and audio clips to help make the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture the most complete resource on Arkansas history. Entries Needing Media (photographs, etc.): Stump Saw David Levering Lewis James Woodson Bates John Cecil Dorathy N. McDonald Allen Roosevelt “The Honeydripper” Sykes D. D. Glover Frances Lillian (F. L.) Blaisdell Stephen Brundidge Jr. John Garrett Whiteside Galloway Female College Grider Army Air Field Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard James Howell Street William Fewell “Casey” Laman Lorraine Albert Cranford Marty Stouffer Mercer Mayer Sidney Wallace If you have pictures or other media, please Robert Nighthawk contact Mike Keckhaver at mkeckhaver@ John Andrew Riggs encyclopediaofarkansas.net Nimrod P. Menifee Henry Merrell Entries Needing Authors: Camp Jesse Turner Soybean Industry Pickens W. Black Sr. Magnolia (Columbia County) Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton Wright v. Wright Adah Lee Pettey Roussan Maxine Temple Jones Sallie Irene Robinson-Stanfield Riley Turkey Trot Festival Dollarway Road Vince Walker Foster Jr. If you would like to write one of these entries, John Wesley Snyder please contact Anna Lancaster at Jesse Lee “Arkie” Shibley [email protected]

Guy Explorations of Arkansas History Lancaster

OLONY NEGROES FLEE The story begins with the December 28, with two sentenced to death and the third FROM WRATH OF WHITES.” 1923, rape and murder of Effie Latimer. given life in prison. Meanwhile, notices CThus read the front-page head- Shot and left for dead, Latimer lived long were posted throughout the area advising line of the Van Buren Press-Argus on enough to identify her assailants as Wil- black residents to leave, and many did. January 18, 1924, recording the flight of liam Bettis and two other unknown “col- Encyclopedias are by their nature con- African Americans from the community ored men.” Events unfolded as might servative institutions, collecting the of Catcher, situated in the cotton-produc- be expected, with Bettis and two others scholarship to date but breaking little new ing bottomlands of Crawford County. arrested, followed by white mobs sur- ground. However, so much Arkansas his- The event, now known as the Catcher rounding the jail at Fort Smith and run- tory has yet to be studied, and there exist Race Riot, has long been overlooked ning rampant through Catcher. Famed at- numerous events not yet illuminated. All by historians, though one can now read torney Scipio Jones did his best to defend people concerned with Arkansas history about it on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas the three accused men, but a very speedy are invited to help us shine a light on the website thanks to writer Wanda Gray. trial marked by spurious evidence ended hidden stories of our state. n

Page 6 The Butler Banner and contributions to the war effort. The project seeks materials that docu- ment life both on the battlefield and on the home front. The oral history com- ponent of the project allows veterans to share their personal memories of the war. All Korean War veterans who wish to be involved will be asked to fill out a ques- tionnaire regarding their experiences. Veterans and/or family members inter- ested in contributing to the project should contact the Butler Center at (501) 918- 3056 or email Brian K. Robertson at bri- [email protected]. n

Wounded American Soldier and M4 Sherman Tank, Korea. Korean War Collection Growing ORGOTTEN: The Arkansas Ko- to help future generations understand rean War Project, which began more about the war and our veterans’ ex- F in 2008, has now acquired thir- ty individual collections of Korean War materials, including dozens of letters, he Butler Center nearly 1,500 photos, and other assorted believes it is critical to documents. Our interviews of veterans— T honor our veterans’ twenty-three and counting—are all avail- service and contributions to able online at www.butlercenter.org. Col- the war effort. lection of oral histories, documents, pho- tographs, and other memorabilia ensures Members of Section IV, Battery B, 937th that the materials are preserved for edu- periences. The Butler Center believes it Field Artillery Battalion, Korea, Novem- cators, researchers, and family members is critical to honor our veterans’ service ber 25, 1951.

BuTLER CENTER dONORS

Butler Center Item Donations Frank Lawrence Nell White Arkansas Municipal League Brownie Ledbetter Gary Witt, Lausanne Collegiate Arkansas State Highway and Cherry Malus, School, Transportation Department David Mann Morris Arnold Thu Nguyen Butler Center Monetary Donations Terry Bean Residents of Parkstone Place Skip Rutherford, in memory of Phyllis Brandon Mike Polston Ike Scott John Carland, District of Columbia Jo Ella & Buddy Schultz Students, Faculty, and Staff of Dianne Fancher Irving Spitzberg Clinton School of Public Service, Lynn Frost David Stricklin in memory of Ike Scott Burnis Horton Parker Westbrook Marge Whitmore

The Butler Banner Page 7 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITTLE ROCK, AR PERMIT #183

Central Arkansas Library System 100 S. Rock Street

Little Rock, AR 72201

Refugee tents and boats on the levee at Arkansas City (Desha County), May 1, 1927. 1, May County), (Desha City Arkansas at levee the on boats and tents Refugee

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viewed relief from natural disasters and and disasters natural from relief viewed

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