Today is the first full day of the 80th Arkansas Municipal League convention here in Little Rock.  It is at the Statehouse Convention Center which stands on the site of the Hotel Marion, which was the site of the first meeting.

Five Little Rock leaders have led the AML as President. On Friday, Mayor Mark Stodola will become the sixth Little Rock city official to be president of the Arkansas Municipal League.

Today’s feature spotlights Henry Clay Graham. Known officially as H. C. Graham, his nickname was “Sport.”  H. C. Graham was the first, and to date, only City Clerk to have served as AML President. He was president in 1954, serving as the 22nd President.

Graham was first appointed City Clerk in August 1934 to fill out the term of John Krumm, who had died that month. Graham ran for election in 1936 and was re-elected every two years through 1954. He was not afraid to challenge the Mayor or City Council members in meetings or in the press if he felt that rules were not being followed. He openly criticized Mayor Overman over spending habits in the late 1930s and sided with Mayor Satterfield when members of the City Council were being held in contempt of court for disobeying a judge’s order.

In October 1954, Little Rock Mayor Pratt Remmel, a Republican, was running for Governor. Graham supported Orval Faubus, who was the Democratic nominee.  On a Friday evening, he appeared on KATV promoting Faubus’ campaign.  He went home that night after the program complaining he did not feel well. On Sunday, he was having dinner at his nephew’s house in Little Rock and collapsed and died. It was a few days before the Municipal League annual meeting at which he was supposed to preside.  The decision was made to continue with the meeting as a tribute to him.

Graham’s 20 years and two months as City Clerk is the second longest in the City’s history and the longest of any elected City Clerk.

Graham’s sister, Pauline Graham Beeson, was appointed to fill out the remainder of his term. She did not seek election. In 1958, however, she was appointed the first City Clerk of Little Rock under the City Manager form of government and served in that capacity until December 1968.