Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967). In the summer of 1948, Stephens raised money and spent heavily for the election of Governor Sid McMath, who promised major efforts to build highways and improve schools. In the 1990s they helped bankroll Arkansas Gov. Little Rock: August House, 1983. Don Tyson focused on charitable activities after his retirement and John has followed suit, investing some of the companys success back into the state and American culture at large. Governor Winthrop P. Rockefeller (photo courtesy of the Winrock Group); William Rockefeller and his mother, Lisenne Rockefeller, the widow of Lt. Dale Spartas. Over the next 17 years, Witt turns Arkla into one of the best performing utility companies in the U.S. Witt is elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives, fulfilling a promise he made to his father to serve the State of Arkansas as his father had, The Stephens Family furthers its relationship with the Ford Family, providing advice and support to Allied Telephone when Joe Ford was an employee. [email protected], Toll Free: (888) 322-6397 Charles H. Murphy Sr. already held timber and banking interests in Union County when oil was discovered in the Caddo Field north of Shreveport, Louisiana. See 30 photos and 4 tips from 254 visitors to Witt Stephens, Jr. Don't miss the big stories. Through the years, Jack Stephens and his son Warren, who took over as Stephens Inc. CEO in 1986, have donated tens of millions to local projects and causes. Gavin Newsom (D) blocked the move. 1A , 14A, . Biden said he believes his plan to forgive millions of borrowers student loans is on the right side of the law, a day after the courts conservative majority seemed highly skeptical of the Bidens Administrations argument for the debt relief program. Since 1991, he has supported the management team of Stephens Natural Resources, a wholly-owned Stephens subsidiary and . Creasey grew up around there while helping his uncle, the late Harvey Shue, who was club manager for four decades. With an eye toward innovation and expansion, he had opened 24 stores by the end of the decade and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., was incorporated in 1969 and was publicly traded by 1970. The creation of this program is an effort to preserve the contributions of those individuals who have gone above and beyond through dedicated time, resources and other work to enhance the waterfowl industry in Arkansas. W. R. (Witt) Stephens, an Arkansas political leader and financier who helped build one of the largest investment houses off Wall Street, died on Monday at the St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center . So it was that William T. Dillard started a small department store in Arkansas that became one of the fastest-growing department store chains in the country. After you do it for several years it just kind of becomes routine.. He was selected second overall by the Royals in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft . Forest-inspired dcor greets guests to the Georgian-style residence of outdoorsman Witt Stephens Jr., his wife, Carol, and their family. The Witt Stephens Jr. Stephens served a seven-year term on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1993 . Jackson Thomas Stephens was one of the most successful, high-profile business figures in Arkansas during the twentieth century, joining his older brother Wilton R. "Witt" Stephens in building Stephens Inc. of Little Rock (Pulaski County) into one of the nation's largest brokerage firms. Staying hid is a big factor as well; everybody wants to watch the ducks work.. Mr. Stephens was born in Clio, Barbour County, Alabama. He once said, "I may not have a five-year plan, but I have a hundred-year plan." When Warren Stephens became CEO of Stephens Inc . In June, Warren Stephens, the 42-year-old president and chief executive of Stephens Inc., a Little Rock, Ark.-based investment firm, signed a deal to buy a five-story town house at 48 East 65th Str 2023 Five Legged Stool LLC. He was the son of John Witt and Lucy (possibly Littlebury or Abney, but no primary source has been found). Witt Stephens, his older brother, was successful enough selling Bibles and belt buckles to help pay for Jack to finish high school at Columbia Military Academy. Dale Spartas. With my age Im not able to do a whole bunch of stuff anymore and we hired him to help me out and take over a lot of the day to day transactions.. Since 1991 . Stephens was recently named President Emeritus of the Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation for which he has served various terms over 25 years. The bank had good reason to crow. 602 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201 Stephens Media, the newspaper chain jointly owned by Warren Stephens and his cousins, Witt Stephens Jr. and Elizabeth Stephens Campbell, has been downsizing since a new CEO arrived last December. The company has endured criticism for employee treatment, including its payment policies, among other things, but it has also tried to be a leader through community service and innovation. We hunted people from all over the world, a different group every two or three days, he said. Designers Gail Connor and Johanna Oswald of The Accessory in Little Rock created the garland and wreaths using pine, cedar, magnolia and holly branches, with sugar pine cones, rustic antlers and pheasant . Alice Waltons own altruism was manifested in her love of the arts, a passion shed had since childhood, though her exposure to the arts was limited during her childhood. Johnelle Hunt was most recently honored at the inaugural Arkansas Womens Hall of Fame ceremony, a joint project of Arkansas Business and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of Stephens Inc. Current Tyson Foods Chairman of the Board John H. Tyson and his father, the late Don Tyson. An extraordinary salesman, his sharp business acumen led to quick success, Witt invests his own capital in and begins trading Arkansas Highway bonds which were selling at Depression Era lows. In waterfowl season, my day consists of waking the members and their guests, preparing the coffee, and appointing everyone to their guides for that morning, Turner said. (clockwise from top left): William P. Lauder, executive chairman, The Este Lauder Companies Inc., and Bill Dillard III were honored in 2012 by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the FIT Foundation at the colleges annual gala in New York. Duck hunting is a year round job, he said. Witts family would own AOG for over 70 years until its sale in 2017, Witts younger brother, Jackson T. Jack Stephens, joins the firm, beginning what would be a 60-year, handshake business partnership between Witt Sr., Jack and their immediate families, Stephens sells Grant County Telephone Co. to Hugh Wilbourn and Charlie Miller, launching a 50-year relationship that would lead to one of Stephens most successful investments, global telecom giant Alltel, Stephens buys Oklahoma Production Company, beginning a relationship with the Walker family spanning three generations and over 60 years. Daughters Drue and Denise and third son Mike all became vice presidents, while Bill Dillard III joined the business through a regional division based in Phoenix in 1994. It will be five full years and six summers ago this year. Turner is also responsible for general maintenance of all club equipment such as tractors and ATVs and directing the duties of a housekeeper and groundskeeper as well. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. March 5, 2011 - 2:01 am. Theyre all really great guys. It is now a private club but Stephens kept the same routines that make the place special. When I . The Stephens name adorns a 25-story office building downtown, a medical tower on the midtown campus of UAMS, the downtown campus of the Episcopal Collegiate School, the basketball arena at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a baseball stadium, and the heart center at the CHI St. Vincent campus. Witt Stephens Jr. began looking at the property in 2005. For the next quarter-century, Stephens would play a key role in every campaign for governor and U.S. Senate, notably those of Governor Orval E. Faubus and Senators J. William Fulbright and John L. McClellan, and for scores of lower offices. Pulling the trigger is the easy part but getting the ducks at your feet in the timber, so close they are splashing water on you, is the real thrill.. Ive long thought that one of Arkansas biggest challenges was to think higher of ourselves. Clients were entertained there often and soon people were referring to it as that Coca-Cola place. Current owner John Dobbs Jr., made the name official when he bought the property several years ago. "The owners wanted to sell the property in a private manner and knowing of Witt's longstanding interest, they sent a cryptic message through a mutual friend, Mike's brother, Steve Smith, and soon the deal was sealed. Stolen bases. Mayhue said this is just the beginning of preparations for the season. Once fall comes and the hunting seasons begin Turners focus is on the members and their needs. I actually do some subcontracting in food plot management for a couple of other clubs around, Turner said. An earlier version of this story appeared in August 2021. Witt's typical offseason workout day, like this one, begins at 8:15 a.m. in Fort Worth. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. His father, A.J. My uncle was a dog trainer and manager of the club for about 40 years, he said. He managed the land and duck hunts for Russell McCollum, Russell's daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Mike Smith, and for Witt Stephens." Mayhue told Schadt: "It's like going to the office. The company owned no gas reserves, so in 1953, Stephens bought the Oklahoma Producing Co. for $6.5 million and assigned its transmission property to his new gas company and the rest to Stephens Production Co., a new natural gas exploration company. Golf is a Stephens family passion (Jack is a former chairman of Augusta National Golf Club), and a $5 million gift brought the First Tee program to Little Rock, where it teaches values to young people while introducing them to golf. On the advice of his father, he returned to Arkansas in 1932 and set up a partnership with W. H. Thurmond in Little Rock (Pulaski County), trading municipal bonds. Johnelle and the late J.B. Hunt, founders of J.B. Hunt Co. (from top): The late Sam Walton; Alice, Jim and Rob Walton at the 2013 Walmart Shareholders meeting; Philanthropist and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Board Chair Alice Walton, at Crystal Bridges with the painting No. We hunt until 10 or 10:30 and return to the lodge for breakfast, then myself and the other guides clean ducks and light the fireplaces. He is preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Alys Varian Robinson Stephens, who died on the same day, 1996, and by his five . This is truly an honor for me, she said at the awards banquet. At the time of his death in 2011, Tyson Foods was still the worlds leader, with revenues of more than $25 billion and more than 300 facilities around the globe. When Bobby Witt Jr., the newly named No. Then it falls into place. In 1933, Stephens founded the W. R. Stephens Investment Company. The Stephens EmpireI, Brothers Envy of Wall Street. Arkansas Gazette. After leading the sale of Alltel, he formed Westrock Capital Partners and later Westrock Coffee and Rwanda Trading Co. to export coffee and build agribusiness in the east African nation. Dale Spartas. He is the son of Jackson T. Stephens and the older brother of Warren Stephens. Other than that is the mental strain that comes with making sure all of my employees are here doing their jobs.. After World War II, Stephens began to acquire extensive natural gas interests and, in a few years, controlled most of the gas production and distribution in the state. June 26, 1977, pp. Jack Stephens was known for having a long-term perspective. The younger Murphy took over the company at age 21, and in 1944, after a stint in the Army during WWII, he and his three sisters combined their interests into C.H. Theyre like a family; we look forward to them coming every year. Witt leaves his post at Arkla after 17 years to return to Stephens Inc. Witts daughter Elizabeth S. Campbell joins the family firm in 1981, Stephens steps in to recapitalize struggling Worthen Banking Corporation, an investment that will ultimately become part of Bank of America. National Crafts soon made him regional manager working out of Colorado. Here, Greentree members celebrate a successful morning. Relationships Interlocks Giving . All rights reserved. The people, I guess you might say, is what attracted me to it a lot along with being in the outdoors.. Warren was named Chairman in 2005 . When John W. Tyson set out on a trip to Chicago in the mid 1930s to seek a better price for his Arkansas chickens than he could get at home, he triggered the birth of an empire that stands as one of the pillars of business in Arkansas and around the world. The family staked its claim in Arkansas when Winthrop Rockefeller, grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, moved from New York in 1953 following his divorce from his wife Barbara. Witt Stephens was a die-hard Democrat and influential supporter of Bill Clinton during his rise to prominence. In January 2007, Murphy Oil Corp. president and CEO Claiborne Deming, Charles Sr.s grandson, made the El Dorado Promise, a pledge of $50 million over 20 years to help pay college tuition for the citys high school grads. Stephens began selling belt buckles and other jewelry for the National Crafts Co. of Providence, Rhode Island, and sold Bibles on the side. It was a perfect fit. Johnnie Bryan J.B. Hunt and his wife Johnelle founded J.B. Hunt Co., a rice hull packaging firm, in 1961, and from that came J.B. Hunt Transport in 1969, today one of the worlds largest trucking companies with revenues exceeding $3 million. 1 prospect in the sport, was picked second overall in the 2019 Draft, it earned him and his father some pretty hefty bragging rights: They became the first father . His first wife died of cancer in 1954, and in August 1956, he married Bess Chisum. 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