The Butler Ebanner Newsletter of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Fall 2017 Art Exhibitions Sam Dickinson Papers Now Available Nov
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The Butler eBanner Newsletter of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Fall 2017 Art Exhibitions Sam Dickinson Papers Now Available Nov. 10, 2017–Feb. 24, 2018 Butler Center West Gallery he Samuel Dorris Dickinson Papers, in the development of the field of archaeology Arkansas Pastel Society: Seventh now available for research, contain in the United States at a time when few who National Exhibition correspondence, draft writings, and worked as archaeologists had college degrees. On view through Nov. 25, 2017 T newspaper clippings. The content of the ma- He was an editor at the Arkansas Gazette, Ar- Butler Center Underground Gallery Jim Nelson: Abstraction and Color— terial primarily pertains to archaeology, his- kansas Democrat, and Shreveport Journal for A survey of new and older works by tory, and folklore in Arkansas and the Mis- nearly thirty years. Dickinson published widely Jim Nelson sissippi River Valley from 1928 to 2002. The on his archaeological and historical research in 2FAN Dec. 8, 5–8 p.m.: collection also contains correspondence and a number of regional professional journals, and Stewart Fuell of CALS will lead a plans for renovations to the Arkansas Gazette he also wrote fiction based on Arkansas folk- painting workshop—FREE building in the 1940s and 1950s as well as lore. On view through Dec. 30, 2017 Butler Center Concordia Hall Gallery student papers from Dickinson’s brief time as Dickinson was born on February 26, 1912, The Art of Injustice : Paul Faris’s a college instructor. in Prescott, Arkansas, the only child of Samuel Photographs of Japanese Samuel Dorris Dickinson was an archae- P. Dickinson and Bessie Sue Litton Dickinson. Incarceration, Rohwer, AR 1945— Photographs capture the community ologist, historian, journalist, linguist, and He was a fifth-generation resident of Prescott. created by Japanese Americans college instructor. He was one of the early He attended the University of Arkansas in during their incarceration in Arkansas academically trained archaeologists to work Fayetteville for two years and graduated from in World War II. and teach in Arkansas. He was a participant Cont. on page 2 On view through Jan. 27, 2018 Butler Center Loft Gallery Conatus—New assemblages by Bret Aaker explore the idea of conatus, which is the innate drive of Harrison-Jones Papers Now Open something to continue to exist and he Harrison-Jones Family Papers, al- enhance itself. though they are a small collection, Exhibitions open during each month’s Tprovide insights into a surprising vari- Second Friday Art Night (2FAN), 5–8 ety of topics. Based on the personal papers of p.m. in the ASI building. Eula Ruth Jones Harrison, it documents both the Jones family of Clark County, Arkansas, and the Harrison family of Howard County. Of special interest is the material document- ing the military service of Lewis T. Harrison Jr. during and after World War II, his service in the Korean War, and his loss in action. The Arkansas Sounds collection also has material from Eula Harri- Thurs., Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m. son’s business and professional life, including CALS Sanders Library, Sherwood her time as a telephone operator. Sounds in the Stacks: Jeff Coleman— solo pop piano and vocals—FREE Eula Ruth Jones was born on March 22, 1922, in Okolona, Arkansas, to James Oscar Fri., Nov. 17, 7:00 p.m. Convention visitors trying out the Jones and Hannah Byrd Feimster Jones. Fol- CALS Ron Robinson Theater Picturephone at the Telephone Pioneers of Southern soul specialists and lowing Eula Jones’s father’s death in 1949, Arkansas annual meeting, 1972. Arkansas music legends the Cate Eula’s mother lived with her daughter, first Brothers Band—$20 in Arkadelphia and later in Little Rock. Some cific Theater until 1945. In September 1945, he Fri., Dec. 8, 8:00 p.m. CALS Ron Robinson Theater documents and correspondence in the collec- enrolled at Henderson State Teachers College, Bob Boyd Sounds: One-hour holiday tion are related to the family of Eula Jones’s where he served in the school’s ROTC pro- concert—FREE mother. gram. During this time, he also earned his pi- Tues., Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. Lewis Thomas (L. T.) Harrison Jr. was born lot’s license. The log book he kept as a student CALS Ron Robinson Theater Central Arkansas Music Awards—$5 on September 24, 1922, in Nashville, Arkan- pilot is included in the collection. sas, to Lewis Harrison Sr. and Matilda Smith Eula Ruth Jones and L. T. Harrison were mar- More events on page 5. Harrison. In December 1942, he enlisted in ried on August 9, 1947, in Arkadelphia. They the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Pa- Cont. on page 2 Cont. from Dickinson Papers, p. 1 zette’s venture into radio and television The Samuel Dorris Dickinson Papers the University of Arizona in 1933 with with KLRA. contain a wide array of materials related a bachelor’s degree in archaeology. The After writing editorials for the Shreve- to the life of Sam Dickinson, as well as a collection features correspondence from port Journal during the 1960s, he retired breadth of research on the initial explora- this period. from the paper in 1973 to travel and tion of the Mississippi River Valley and The bulk of Dickinson’s papers covers write. Many newspaper clippings from folklore in Arkansas. This collection, the time period after he gave up his brief his writing career are featured in the MSS.10.47, is available in the Research career as an archaeologist to become a collection. After retirement, Dickinson Room of the Arkansas Studies Institute journalist, working as an associate editor worked on translating the travel diaries (ASI) building, and the finding aid is and feature writer at the Arkansas Ga- of Spanish and French explorers in the available online. zette from 1944 to 1947, and then as as- southern United States. Most of the writ- For more information about Sam Dick- sociate editor at the Arkansas Democrat ings and notes in the collection are draft inson, see the entry on him in the Ency- from 1947 to 1960. In addition to draft translations of the travel diaries and let- clopedia of Arkansas History & Culture articles and published articles from his ters of Spanish and French explorers to by Kathleen H. Cande of the Arkansas time at the Gazette, the collection con- the Mississippi River Valley. Dickinson’s Archeological Survey, from which some tains information on modifications to the papers also contain drafts of fictional sto- of the biographical information for this Arkansas Gazette building, and the Ga- ries based on folklore in Arkansas. article was taken. n Cont. from Harrison-Jones Papers, p. 1 L. T. Harrison Jr. was wounded at Kum- pany employees. An interesting example had one child, Emily Anne, born March chon in August 1950, but he returned to are the images of 1972 convention-goers 30, 1948. Shortly after her third birthday, his unit. On November 8, 1950, an ob- trying out the new technology of the Pic- their daughter became ill with leukemia. servation aircraft he was flying was hit turephone (page 1). She died in August 1951, less than a year and exploded. Although he was initially Throughout her life, she was active in after her father’s death. The guest book listed as missing, a later telegram to the professional and civic organizations. The from her funeral is included in the collec- family confirmed his death. This collec- collection contains documents, photo- tion. tion includes letters of condolence from graphs, and publications from her service In January 1948, L. T. received a com- military and political officials, as well with the Pilot Club, including especially mission as second lieutenant in the Orga- as records and documents relating to his her election to leadership positions in the nized Reserve Corps. In December 1949, military service and to his death. regional organization. he was promoted to first lieutenant and Beginning as an operator in 1941, Eula Eula Ruth Harrison died in Little Rock soon after shipped out with his unit to Ja- Harrison worked for Southwestern Bell on July 31, 2011. She is buried along pan. He served as an air-ground control- Telephone Company for forty-two years, with her husband and daughter at Rose ler with the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st retiring as an office administrator at the Hill Cemetery in Arkadelphia. Cavalry Division. The couple expected Little Rock office. The bulk of the pho- The Harrison-Jones Family Papers that his family would join him, but before tographs in this collection date from her (MSS.12.21) are available in the Re- that could happen, his unit became part time as a leader in the local, state, and search Room of the Arkansas Studies In- of the first contingent of U.S. troops or- regional Telephone Pioneers, a service stitute (ASI) building, and the finding aid dered into Korea. organization made up of telephone com- is available online. n Thanks to these sponsors of the Butler Center’s monthly Arkansas Sounds Concert Series David Austin Page 2 The Butler eBanner A Word from the Center The Butler eBanner is the quarterly electronic David Stricklin, Director of the Butler Center newsletter of the As I write, we are closing in on the the winding down of baseball season, I Butler Center twentieth anniversary of the founding of picked Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean. If you for Arkansas Studies, a department of the Central the Butler Center. The official date is Oc- click here, you can see a brief video of Arkansas Library System. tober 29, 1997.