Category Archives: Government

Little Rock Look Back: Charles Bussey, LR’s 65th Mayor

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Mayor BusseyFuture Little Rock Mayor Charles Bussey was born on December 18 in 1918.  Throughout his life he was a trailblazer.  He was the first African American Sheriff’s Deputy in Pulaski County and expanded the Junior Deputy program into the African American community.

In 1968 he became the first African American elected to the Little Rock City Board of Directors. He was not the first African American to run for the City Board, but he was the first to win a race.  Mr. Bussey sought support not just from the African American community, but from all sectors of Little Rock.  Apparently, while campaigning in 1968, he deliberately went into the Arkansas headquarters of segregationist presidential candidate George Wallace to see about leaving campaign literature.  A hulking man with a broad smile, he shocked the young receptionist. He was undoubtedly the first (and probably last) African American to enter that campaign headquarters.

He served from 1969-1977 and again from 1979 through 1991.  In 1981 he was selected by his fellow City Directors to serve as Little Rock’s Mayor, which made him the first African American Mayor of Little Rock.  He served as Vice Mayor of Little Rock for a total of 8.5 years which is the longest of anyone in the City’s history.

Throughout his lifetime Mayor Bussey championed youth outreach efforts.  He also was active in the Arkansas Municipal League, National League of Cities, West Little Rock Rotary Club, Elks, Shriners and many other organizations.

In 2006 he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.  The previous year, 20th Street in Little Rock was renamed in his honor.

Arkansas Chamber Singers Holiday Concert this weekend at Old State House Museum

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IMG_9317[1]The Old State House Museum with support from the Arkansas Arts Council welcomes the Arkansas Chamber Singers performing their annual holiday concert.

The annual “Christmas at the Old State House,” will feature traditional music of the season, music of new composers and music popular during the American Civil War (marking the 150th anniversary of the final Christmastime during the Civil War).

The combination of the acoustical magic of the hall and the glorious voices of the Arkansas Chamber Singers promises to pack the house for all three thrilling performances!

Performances are at 7pm on Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13.  On Sunday, December 14, the concert will be at 3pm.

Admission is free, but seating may be limited, so reserve your seats now by going to the Arkansas Chamber Singers website.

Little Rock Look Back: Gordon N. Peay, LR’s 23rd Mayor

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On this date in 1819 future Little Rock Mayor Gordon Neill Peay was born.  The Peay family arrived in Arkansas from Kentucky in 1825.  They quickly became one of Little Rock’s leading families.  Mayor Peay’s father, Nicholas Peay served on the Little Rock Board of Trustees (which existed before the town was incorporated) and later served on the City Council and was acting mayor.

Godon N. Peay served as mayor of Little Rock from 1859 to 1860.  During the Civil War, Peay served as Captain and later Colonel of the Capital Guard.  He later received a pardon from the federal government.

The Peay family owned the Peay Hotel, Little Rock’s first hotel, and were also co-founders of what became Worthen Bank.  They were also a founding family of Christ Episcopal Church. Mayor Peay later served as Pulaski County Chancery Clerk.

He died on December 14, 1876, and is buried at Mount Holly Cemetery along with many members of his family.  A nephew of his, Ashley Peay, served on the City Council in the 1920s.  Mayor Peay’s great-grandson Joseph Barber Hurst, Sr. served on the Little Rock City Board of Directors from 1967-1971. His great-great-granddaughter-in-law Stacy J. Hurst concludes twelve years of service on the City Board of Directors later this month.

“Arkansas and the Cold War: Titan II Missiles in Cow Pastures” explored at Old State House Museum today at noon

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MK6_TITAN_IIDue largely to the political largess of Wilbur D. Mills, Arkansas was home to numerous Titan II missile silos throughout the Cold War era.

Today at noon at the Old State House Museum, John Rowley explores this little-known or largely-forgotten part of Arkansas history. “Arkansas and the Cold War: Titan II Missiles in Cow Pastures,” was the basis for his master’s thesis at Arkansas Tech.

During the Cold War era, the sparsely populated, agrarian state of Arkansas seemed far removed from the realm of nuclear proliferation. Washington D.C., Moscow, New York and Havana easily come to mind when considering nuclear threat or strategic defense. Damascus, Judsonia, Antioch, Blackwell, and Searcy seemed insignificant in comparison. However, Arkansas’s role in the Cold War was more significant than one might think, playing an integral role in national defense and the United States’s policies of communist containment.

Arkansas’s Cold War involvement became apparent when eighteen Titan II missiles were commissioned and activated within the state in the early 1960’s. The arrival of these weapons coupled with mismanagement by federal agencies changed both the physical landscape and the political atmosphere of the state.

LR History, Cultural advocate Sharon Priest to retire from Downtown LR Partnership

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Photo courtesy of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership

Photo courtesy of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership

The Downtown Little Rock Partnership announced today that Sharon Priest, the Partnership’s executive director will retire at the end of January.  Priest has been a longtime advocate for and supporter of Little Rock’s cultural life since the 1980s.

“For more than a decade, Sharon has served as our executive director and under her leadership, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership has helped facilitate tremendous growth for downtown.   Her guidance and expertise has been instrumental in the Partnership’s success and set the bar high for the next director,” said Susie Smith, president of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership board of directors. “On behalf of the board, we wish to thank Sharon for all her hard work and we appreciate her dedication to the growth of downtown Little Rock.”

In January 2003, Priest was selected to serve as executive director of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership (DLRP).  Priest reorganized the DLRP during that first year including rewriting the employee handbook, establishing policies and procedures and facilitating the Partnership’s office move to Capitol and Main. After commissioning a planning study and retreat, Priest placed economic development at the center of the DLRP’s efforts.

Under her leadership, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership has spearheaded the charge for revitalization of Main Street in collaboration with its stakeholders and the City of Little Rock, focusing on the redevelopment of existing structures, streetscape and safety.  In 2011, under Priest’s leadership, the Partnership successfully held the first ever Food Truck Festival on Main Street, a festival that has grown to become a major, destination event for downtown.

On behalf of the DLRP, Priest has facilitated the MacArthur Park Group, a grassroots organization of interested public and private stakeholders in MacArthur Park, through the award-winning MacArthur Park master plan process. She has organized successful clean-up efforts for the park and served as race director for the annual MacArthur Park 5K, a fundraiser for the master plan. Recently, the group raised the money for the first dog park in downtown Little Rock, MacArthur Unleashed Dog Park.

”Throughout my years in public service, one of the accomplishments I am most proud of is the many improvements to MacArthur Park.  I have enjoyed watching this beautiful area of our city become transformed into a vibrant place for all residents to enjoy,” said Sharon Priest.  “Thank you to everyone who helps make the Downtown Little Rock Partnership such a viable organization. Without our many members, city and county leadership and our amazing staff, none of this would be possible and I will miss all of you greatly.”

During her tenure with the Partnership, Priest earned significant recognition for her leadership.  In 2010 she received the prestigious Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Arkansas Chapter for her contributions to the architectural profession. Priest was the 2012 recipient of the Sandra Wilson Cherry Award for excellence in public service. She has also received the VISTA award from Little Rock Parks and Recreation for her work with MacArthur Park.

The board of directors will begin the search for a new executive director immediately.

Little Rock Look Back: Construction on Robinson Auditorium ‘Substantially Finished’

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jtrma-bw.jpgSeveral months behind schedule, it was 75 years ago today that the construction of the Joseph Taylor Robinson Memorial Auditorium was declared “substantially finished.”

On December 8, 1939, the work of the general contractor was complete.  The building’s utilities were all fully connected as the steam line and electric transformer were hooked up.  While the work of the general contractor was through, there was still much work to be done. Though there were still unfinished portions of the structure, the exterior was complete and finished surfaces had been installed on the interior.  Until the building was officially turned over to the City, the federal Public Works Administration still had to give approval for any uses of the building.

Mayor J. V. Satterfield, Jr. told the press that he wasn’t sure when the City would formally accept the building. The connection of the utilities had used up the remaining funds, so there was uncertainty as to when the final tasks would be completed.

When it was built, Robinson Auditorium was the first municipal auditorium in the south central United States to be air conditioned.  However, the air conditioning unit was not sufficient to cool both the music hall and the convention hall at the same time.  In warm weather months concurrent events would not be able to take place on the two levels.

Holiday Open House and Sweet Potato Pie Baking Contest today at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

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mtcc-say_it_aint_saysThe Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host its annual Holiday Open House this afternoon from 2pm to 5pm.  

One of the features is the “Say It Ain’t Say’s” Sweet Potato Pie Baking Contest.  The Holiday Open House is a festive and fun opportunity to enjoy a day full of holiday cheer. We will have a wide variety of entertainment and this year’s event will feature our 3rd annual “Say It Ain’t Say’s” sweet potato pie contest, in honor of Little Rock’s black Santa, Robert “Say” McIntosh. Bring the kids to check out an awesome variety of holiday craft stations. Free and open to the public.

Two of the MTCC sister museums will also have holiday events this afternoon.  The Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum will also be hosting holiday open houses.  All three museums are programs of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.