Author Archives: Scott

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About Scott

A cultural thinker with a life long interest in the arts and humanities: theatre, music, architecture, photography, history, urban planning, etc.

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Robert Francis Catterson

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R_F_Catterson_BGen_ACWOn this date in 1835, future Little Rock Mayor Robert Francis Catterson was born in Indiana, the son of Irish immigrants.  He studied medicine in Ohio and established a medical practice in Indiana upon completion of his studies.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in the Union Army.  Throughout the war, he was promoted and was eventually mustered out as a brigadier general in 1866.  During his service, he participated in the siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Following his departure from the military, Catterson decided not to return to medical practice.  He moved to Arkansas and worked for a brief time in the cotton commodities field.  He later returned to military service commanding a militia fighting the Ku Klux Klan.  Catterson was appointed US Marshal and would also command the Brooks troops during the Brooks-Baxter War in Little Rock.

In November 1871, he was elected Mayor of Little Rock. His election ended a tumultuous two-year period where the Little Rock City Council tried unsuccessfully to remove Mayor A. K. Hartman.  Mayor Catterson served a relatively quiet two year term in office until November 1873.

Following the completion of his term, Mayor Catterson moved to Minnesota. He later moved to Texas where he died on March 30, 1914 at the age of 79.  He is buried in the San Antonio National Cemetery.

MacArthur Museum hosts Cissy Rucker, Veterans Affairs Director

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macmusAlicia (Cissy) RuckerAlicia “Cissy” Rucker, the director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, will speak Saturday, March 23, at 1pm about the current state of women in the United States military.  Rucker spent thirty-three years in the Arkansas National Guard, retiring with the rank of colonel. Her assigned duties included Airfield Commander, Surface Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Manager and State Public Affairs Officer.

Rucker is a member of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee, as well the Women’s International Helicopter Pilots Association.   Prior to her appointment to Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, Rucker served as the administrator of the Arkansas Career Training Institute.

The program will commemorate “National Women’s History Month,” celebrated each March in the United States.  The 2013 theme,Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination, honors generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions.

Only a few weeks ago, the Pentagon officially lifted the ban on women in combat, but women have served this country in combat roles for years.  During the American Revolution, Mary Corbin worked a cannon in combat and was awarded a soldiers pension by the Continental Congress for her service – although she only received half pension because of her gender.  In every war this country has fought, women have been exposed to the same hardships and risk for personal injury or death as male soldiers, but it is only now that women can officially serve in combat.

Colonel Rucker will speak about her experiences as a female soldier, and on her current duties as the Director for the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.  Last year, Rucker became the first woman inducted into the Arkansas Military Academy Hall of Fame.  The event begins at 1:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

 

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History relates the military heritage of Arkansas and its citizens to a diverse and widespread audience. Located in the historic Arsenal Building in MacArthur Park–one of Central Arkansas’s oldest surviving structures and the birthplace of one of this country’s foremost military heroes–the museum collects, preserves, and interprets our state’s rich military past from its territorial period to the present.

Toure at Bless the Mic

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e1363269264.57As part of the Philander Smith College “Bless the Mic” lecture series, the Clinton School of Public Service will co-sponsor a lecture by Touré, co-host of “The Cycle” on MSNBC and author of Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means To Be Black Now.

Toure’s book was named one of the Most Notable Books of 2011 by The New York Times and the Washington Post. It was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work of Non-Fiction. He has published three previous books and is currently at work on a book about Prince that will be published in 2013.

The event will take place at 7pm at the ML Harris auditorium on the Philander Smith campus.

LR Spring Break: MOD hosts a Cat with a Hat and a Big Red Dog

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491The Museum of Discovery has partnered with the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN)  to bring the Cat in the Hat and Clifford the Big Red Dog to the museum for Family Fun Days during spring break March 21-22.

Families are invited to meet and take photos with the Cat in the Hat Thursday, March 21, and Clifford Friday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. PBS KIDS programming will be shown throughout the day, along with other educational activities and story time. Visitors are encouraged to dress as their favorite PBS KIDS characters to celebrate spring break.

The Museum of Discovery, 500 President Clinton Avenue, Suite 150, Little Rock, will be open its normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission is $10 for ages 12 and up, $8 for ages 1 to 11, and free for members and children under 1.

LR Zoo Breaks into Spring

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Little-Rock-zoo-logo-4-c-with-tagSpring starts tomorrow, but the Little Rock Zoo is ready for Spring Breakers all week.

In addition to the new Cheetah and Penguin exhibits, the Zoo is home to elephants, bears, rhinos, giraffes, lions, gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, and a host of birds and mammals.  And of course no visit to the zoo is complete without a stop off in the reptile house.

In addition, each day there are animal feedings for the public to witness.
10:30am |  Vampire Bats
1:15pm |  Penguins
1:30pm |  Great Ape Scatter Feeds

Speaking of feeding, visitors can take care of their own needs by dining at Cafe Africa.  It is located across from the Civitan Pavilion in the heart of the Little Rock Zoo.  The Cafe features menu items such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, fries, soda, ice cream, and other food items.

The Little Rock Zoo is the proud home of the Arkansas Carousel, a one-of-a-kind Over-the-Jumps antique carousel that is the only fully operational carousel of its kind in the world.

The Little Rock Zoo is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with the last admission is at 4:00pm
The front gates will close at 4:00 pm. Guests who have entered may remain in the park until 5:00pm.

Admission Price
  • Adults: $10.00
  • Seniors 60+: $8.00
  • Children 12 and Under: $8.00
  • Children Under 12 Months of age are admitted free!
  • Active Duty Military (with ID or Adult Dependent ID): $2 off regular admission

8 THE PLAY tonight at Argenta Community Theatre

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8 The Play“8” The Play is not a prequel to the musical Nine.  It is a documentary play written by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black which chronicles the federal Proposition 8 court case in California.

Since premiering in a one-night only all-star reading on Broadway in 2011, “8” The Play has been performed all over the country to wide acclaim.  It speaks to issues which are not just about California or about gay rights.  It discusses human rights and equality.  The play is written in the style of  verbatim theatre using transcripts from the federal trial, journalist records and media interviews from the plaintiffs, defendancts and proponents involved.

This reading of “8” The Play features community leaders, professional and local actors and is directed by Arkansas Repertory Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp.

There will be a pre-show reception at 6:30pm. The performance starts at 7pm.  Following the performance, there will be a post-show discussion led by Just Communities of Arkansas.

Tickets are $20 and are available at the Arkansas Rep box office in person, by phone (501-378-0405) or online at www.therep.org.

The performance will be at the Argenta Community Theatre on Main Street in North Little Rock.  The presenting sponsor is the Tenenbaum Foundation.  Judy Tenanbaum and Vincent Insalaco are producers of this production of “8” The Play.

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Pat L. Robinson

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IMG_4517On this date in 1900, future Little Rock Mayor Pat L. Robinson was born.  While I cannot verify that he was indeed named after St. Patrick, it would be fairly reasonable to assume there might be a connection, especially given the fact that he was Catholic.

Robinson was a rising star of Little Rock Democratic politics.  In April 1929, just weeks after his 29th birthday, he was elected Mayor.  He had twice been elected as City Attorney (1926 and 1928) and was one of the youngest to serve in that position.

During Mayor Robinson’s tenure, he announced plans to construct a new airport.  That project led to the creation of what is now the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.  Mayor Robinson was also involved in helping Philander Smith College secure the property where it is now located.  In addition, during his tenure, what is now the Museum of Discovery was folded into the City of Little Rock.

Single at the time he was in office and generally considered good looking, Mayor Robinson was sometimes referred to as the “Jimmy Walker of the Southwest.” Walker was the handsome and charming Mayor of New York City at the time.

Mayor Robinson ran afoul of some of the Democratic party leaders. Records don’t seem to indicate exactly what actions he took or did not take.  One thing that is brought up is that the City went into financial distress during his tenure.  Considering the Wall Street crash happened shortly after he took office, that financial state was not unique to Little Rock.

IMG_4532During this era in Little Rock, it was customary for an incumbent mayor to be given a second term. But City Clerk Horace Knowlton challenged Robinson in the primary.  It was a bitter campaign with Robinson linking Knowlton to disreputable denizens and Knowlton charging Robinson with “an orgy of spending.”  Robinson initially came out 17 votes ahead. But after a review and a lawsuit, it was found that Knowlton ended up with 10 more votes and became the nominee.  At the time, being the Democratic nominee was tantamount to election.

After he left office, Robinson practiced law for a few years in Little Rock and then left the city.  Records do not indicate where he went but he no longer appeared in the City of Little Rock directory by the early 1940s.