On this date in 1872, future Little Rock Mayor Horace A. Knowlton Jr. was born.

In April 1920, he was elected City Clerk of Little Rock.  He served in that position until April 1931.  That year, he was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Mayor, denying incumbent Mayor Pat L. Robinson a second term.  Knowlton was elected Mayor in April 1931 and served two terms as Mayor.

He oversaw the start of some of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs in Arkansas during his tenure.  One of his final acts as Mayor was to participate in the groundbreaking for the Museum of Fine Arts building in City Park (now a portion of the Arkansas Arts Center building in MacArthur Park).

Mayor Knowlton’s signature on the first City Council minutes of his Mayoral tenure.

Following his departure from public office, Mayor Knowlton and his wife eventually moved to Florida and resided in the Tampa Bay area.  He died on February 14, 1965 and is buried in the Oak Grove cemetery in Conway.