Category Archives: Government

Little Rock Look Back: First City Auditorium Approved

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1906 auditoriumOn August 20, 1906, the Little Rock City Council approved plans for the City’s first municipal auditorium.

A week earlier, businessman A. C. Read petitioned the City for the right to construct a skating rink.  The matter was referred to the Street & Fire Committee, the Superintendent of Public Works and Aldermen Louis Volmer and Benjamin S. Thalheimer, who represented the Sixth Ward, in which the structure would be located.

Neither the Gazette nor the Democrat carried a mention of this petition in their coverage of that meeting.  By the next Council meeting a week later, the committee had reported back with a recommendation for approval.  Resolution 288 was adopted giving Mr. Read the right to build the skating rink.  Interestingly, the resolution did not contain the words “skating rink” though the original petition had.  Instead it permitted Mr. Read to construct a building “suitable for purposes as defined” by the City.  The resolution also stated that within three years the building would become property of the City.

Based on photos and postcards, the exterior of the building appears to have been covered in stucco.  It was said to be modeled after San Antonio’s Alamo, but what that really meant was that it was in the Spanish Revival style.  It was shorter and had more entrances than the Texas building did.  The Markham Street façade featured faux windows and a front portico which extended the length of the building only interrupted by three entrance archways. The center one was taller and wider than the eastern and western entrances.  All three, which projected southward from the building, mimicked the outline of the auditorium building.

The building was located on the western half of the City Hall property (and was constructed before City Hall).  In 1912, the new Little Rock Central Fire Station (now the City Hall West Wing) was built between the auditorium and Markham Street.  The auditorium stood until 1920.  During that time it was used as a roller rink, opera house, rifle range, National Guard armory, convention hall, and gymnasium.

The Arkansas Arts Council wants to hear from you! Take their Strategic Planning survey

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The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, is in the process of developing a new strategic plan that will guide the agency for the next five years. To help us understand the needs and issues of our constituents,

Got a few minutes to spare? The Arkansas Arts Council would appreciate your input by taking their short survey.

Your feedback will help them better understand how they can continue to advance and empower the arts for the benefit of all Arkansans. Thanks for your support of the arts in Arkansas!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHVH33P

Happy Birthday Maureen O’Hara – In 1940 she set off a stampede of fans at Robinson Center

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Mayor J V Satterfield escorting actress Maureen O'Hara at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Democrat)

Mayor J V Satterfield escorting actress Maureen O’Hara at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Democrat)

Oscar winner Maureen O’Hara turns 95 today.  With her elegance and beauty, she still turns heads. Seventy-five years ago, in February 1940, a nineteen year old Miss O’Hara turned many heads and set off a frenzy of autograph seekers when she came to Little Rock to attend a series of events.

In conjunction with a meeting of film executives and movie theatre owners sponsored by Robb and Rowley Theaters (which later became the United Artists theatre chain), several Hollywood actors were in Little Rock and headlined a Movie Ball. While in Little Rock, Maureen O’Hara, Phyllis Brooks, Arleen Whelan, Tim Holt and Gene Autry had also made a variety of public appearances.

On the evening of February 1, 1940, Robb and Rowley hosted the Movie Ball in the lower level of Robinson Auditorium. So many of the attendees crowded around for autographs that the evening’s grand march could not take place (a newspaper headline in the Democrat innocently used the word “orgy” to describe the crowd). After two attempts, Little Rock Mayor J. V. Satterfield (who was escorting Miss O’Hara) and the other members of the Little Rock host delegation led the Hollywood stars to their reserved table. For quite a while that evening, the table was besieged by autograph seekers.

Though it is unknown as to whether he sought an autograph, photos from the evening showed a very satisfied Mayor Satterfield with Miss O’Hara on his arm. Satterfield family lore joked that Mrs. Satterfield (who had stayed home that night to tend to a sick son) was not a fan of Miss O’Hara’s films after that evening.

The Movie Ball showed Little Rock citizens the value of Robinson Auditorium even before it had been officially dedicated. The film industry meetings had taken place at the Albert Pike Hotel which did not feature a ballroom large enough to host the ball. Without the auditorium’s availability for the gala, organizers might not have chosen Little Rock for the meeting.

Remember end of WWII with a visit to MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

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With this month marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is a good time to remember the museum in Little Rock dedicated to preserving Arkansas’ rich military history.

Located in the historic Arsenal Tower in MacArthur Park, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History honors the Arkansans who have served in the armed forces.  Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty:
Japanese American Soldiers in World War II
This exhibit focuses on the military experience of Japanese Americans during World War II including stories from veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service. To prove their loyalty to the United States government, many Japanese American men joined the army as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team or as part of the Military Intelligence Service.

Other exhibits include:

  • From Turbulence to Tranquility: The Little Rock Arsenal
  • Capital In Crisis and Celebration: Little Rock and the Civil War
  • Alger Cadet Gun
  • Camden Expedition
  • David Owen Dodd
  • Through the Camera’s Eye: The Allison Collection of World War II Photographs
  • By the President in the Name of Congress: Arkansas’ Medal of Honor Recipients
  • Conflict and Crisis: The MacArthur- Truman Controversy
  • Duty, Honor and Country: General Douglas MacArthur
  • The Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep: The Jeep During World War II
  • War and Remembrance: The 1911 United Confederate Veterans Reunion
  • First Call – American Posters of World War I

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is a museum of the City of Little Rock.  It is led by executive director Stephan McAteer who works with the MacArthur Military History Museum Commission.

Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday; 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Go GOOD WILL HUNTING at 10pm tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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RRT Good WillThe 1997 Oscar winning GOOD WILL HUNTING will be shown at 10pm tonight at the Ron Robinson Theater.  Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor), Matt Damon & Ben Affleck (Original Screenplay) took home the golden statuettes for their work on this film.

The movie also stars Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Casey Affleck, and Cole Hauser. Directed by Gus Van Sant, it tells the story of a janitor at MIT who is a math savant.  As he tries to embrace his genius, he must also grapple with the impact this has on his own self-value and his relationships.

Filmed for an estimated $10 million, it grossed over $138 million in its initial release.

Admission is $5, with refreshments available for purchase.

 

 

DR. STRANGELOVE tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater at 7pm

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RRT Dr StrangeStop worrying and learn to love the bomb with Stanley Kubrick’s black (& white) comedy Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. It will be shown this evening at 7pm at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

This 1964 film both satirizes and foreshadows Cold War mentality and decisions.  It stars George C. Scott and Peter Sellers (who essays three roles including the title Edward Teller-inspired character).  Others in the cast include Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynne, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones and Slim Pickens – who has the ride of his life.

The film was produced and directed by Kubrick from a script he wrote with Terry Southern and Peter George.  Kubrick was nominated for three Oscars (producer, director and adapted screenplay).  The film’s fourth Oscar nomination went to Sellers as Best Actor.

In 1989, the United States Library of Congress included it in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Admission is $5, with refreshments available for purchase.

 

Clinton Center admission is FREE today for President Clinton’s Birthday

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Clinton DinosPresident Clinton’s birthday is next week.  But the Clinton Presidential Center is offering visitors the present.  Today from 9am to 5pm, the Clinton Presidential Center admission fees will be waived.  Also offered for free will be the audiotour featuring President Clinton’s narration.

In addition to the chance to visit the Dinosaurs exhibit and the permanent exhibits, the Clinton Center is hosting a special event today from 9am to 2pm.

Kick off the new school year at our Annual Head of the Class Bash. The first 1,500 students will receive FREE backpacks and back-to-school supplies! The Clinton Center will also provide immunizations, haircuts, fun activities, ACT/SAT/PSAT prep coupons, and much more. New this year, there will be “Hour of Code” computer science tutorials. The Head of the Class Bash is sponsored by the Clinton Foundation in partnership with the 3M Company, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas STEM Coalition, AT&T Arkansas, New Tyler Barber College, and the Office of Governor Asa Hutchinson.

WHEN:
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Head of the Class Bash: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Free Admission Day: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.