Inductees: Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Each year, four new members are inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.  An event is held at the Statehouse Convention Center, honoring the new inductees. 


 
 

2024 Inductees

John Conner Jr

John L. Conner Jr.

President
Holden-Conner Company

Gary C George

Gary C. George

Chairman
George's, Inc.

Eric Jackson

Eric Jackson

Senior Vice President
Oaklawn

Dhu Thompson

Dhu C. Thompson

Owner
US Irrigation
Former Owner/President of Delta Plastics and Revolution Bag

2023 Inductees

Curt Bradbury

Curt Bradbury

Chief Operating Officer
Stephens Inc.

E. Fletcher Lord Jr.

E. Fletcher Lord Jr.

Chairman of the Board
Bumper to Bumper/Crow-Burlingame Co.

Judy R. McReynolds

Judy R. McReynolds

Chairman, President and CEO
ArcBest

Ross M. Whipple

Ross M. Whipple

President and CEO, Horizon Capital Partners, LLLP;
President, Horizon Timber Services, Inc.
Chairman, Board of Trustees for The Ross Foundation

2022 Inductees

Peggy Clark

Peggy J. Clark

Owner and Managing General Partner
Clark Timberlands

Tom Faust

Thomas E. Faust Jr.

Chairman, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Former Chairman/CEO, Eaton Vance 

Charles Nabholz

George G. Gleason II

Chairman and CEO
Bank OZK

Ginger L. Graham

Ginger L. Graham

Founder/Owner, Ginger and Baker 
Former President/CEO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals

2020 Inductees

Gerald Alley

Gerald Alley

President and CEO
Con-Real, LP

Olivia Farrell

Olivia Farrell

Retired CEO
Arkansas Business Publishing Group 

Charles Nabholz

Charles Nabholz

Chairman Emeritus
Nabholz Corporation

Reynie Rutledge

Reynie Rutledge

Chairman and CEO
First Security Bancorp

 

2019 Inductees

Claiborne Deming

Claiborne P. Deming

Chairman
Murphy Oil Corporation

Joe Steele

Joe M. Steele

(1905 - 1976)
Co-Founder 
Steele Canning Company & Springdale Canning Company
Founding Director
Beaver Water District

Warren Stephens

Warren A. Stephens

Chairman, President & CEO
Stephens Inc.

John W. Tyson

John W. Tyson

(1905 - 1967)
Founder
Tyson Foods, Inc.

2018 Inductees

Jim Bottin

James A. " Jim" Bottin

Founder & Chairman
ABC Financial

John Correnti

John D. Correnti

(1947 - 2015)
Former Chairman & CEO 
Big River Steel

Herbert McAdams

Herbert H. McAdams II

(1915 - 2001)
Former Chairman & CEO
Citizens Bank of Jonesboro
Union National Bank of Arkansas

Kirk Thompson

James Kirk Thompson

Chairman
J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

2017 Inductees

Charles Scharlau

Charles E. Scharlau

(1927 - 2021)
Retired Chairman, President & CEO
Southwestern Energy Co.

Thomas Schueck

Thomas B. Schueck

(1941 - 2020)
Chairman 
Lexicon, Inc.

Sherman Tate

Sherman E. Tate

President & CEO
Tate & Associates Management

Gus Vratsinas

Gus M. Vratsinas

Chairman
Bailey Construction and Consulting, LLC

2016 Inductees

William Dillard II

William T. Dillard, II

Dillard's Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

George Mitchell

George K. Mitchell

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield 
Little Rock, Arkansas

Winthrop Rockefeller

Winthrop Rockefeller

(1912 - 1973)
Former Governor of Arkansas
Winrock Farms
Little Rock, Arkansas

Patricia Upton

Patricia P. Upton

(1938 - 2017)
Aromatique Inc.
Heber Springs, Arkansas

2015 Inductees

Al Bell

Al Bell

Stax Records
North Little Rock, Arkansas

Stephen L. LaFrance, Sr.

Stephen L. LaFrance, Sr.

(1941 - 2013)
USA Drug
Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Millie Ward

Millie Ward

Stone Ward
Little Rock, Arkansas

Donald E. "Buddy" Wray

Donald E. "Buddy" Wray

(1937 - 2016)
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Springdale, Arkansas

2014 Inductees

James H. Faulkner

James H. Faulkner

(1932 - 2021)
Faulkner & Associates

Falcon Productions & Falcon Publications
Jimco, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty

Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty

McLarty Associates
McLarty Companies
Arkla
Little Rock, Arkansas

Stanley E. Reed

Stanley E. Reed

(1951 - 2011)
Lawyer

Farmer
Arkansas Farm Bureau
Marianna, Arkansas

Donald E. "Buddy" Wray

Mark C. Simmons

Simmons Foods, Inc. & Affiliates
Siloam Springs, Arkansas

2013 Inductees

Tommy Boyer

Thomas E. "Tommy" Boyer

Micro Images
Amarillo, Texas

W. C. “Buddy” Coleman, Jr.

W. C. “Buddy” Coleman, Jr.

(1928 – 2011)
Coleman Dairy
Little Rock, Arkansas

William L. Cravens

William L. Cravens

Oaklawn Jockey Club
Little Rock, Arkansas

Frank Fletcher, Jr.

Frank Fletcher, Jr.

Frank Fletcher Companies
Little Rock, Arkansas

2012 Inductees

John Ed Anthony

John Ed Anthony

Anthony Timberlands, Inc. 
Bearden, Arkansas

Wayne Cranford

Wayne Cranford

(1933 - 2020)
Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods 

Little Rock, Arkansas

Walter E. Hussman, Jr.E

Walter E. Hussman, Jr.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 
WEHCO Media, Inc. 
Little Rock, Arkansas

Jack C. Shewmaker

Jack C. Shewmaker

(1938 - 2010)  
Walmart 
Bentonville, Arkansas

2011 Inductees

L. Dickson Flake

L. Dickson Flake

(1938 - 2020)
Colliers International | Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas

Wallace W. Fowler

Wallace W. Fowler

(1935 - 2022)
Liberty Bank of Arkansas

Fowler Foods, Inc.
Jonesboro, Arkansas

Donald G. Soderquist

Donald G. Soderquist

(1934 - 2016)
Walmart
Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics
Rogers, Arkansas

Leland E. Tollett

Leland E. Tollett

Tyson Foods, Inc.
Springdale, Arkansas

2010 Inductees

William E. "Bill" Clark

William E. "Bill" Clark

(1943 - 2007)
CDI Contractors
Little Rock, Arkansas

Jerral Wayne "Jerry" Jones

Jerral Wayne "Jerry" Jones

Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Inc. 
Arlington, Texas

Stephen L. LaFrance Sr.

James E. "Jim" Lindsey

Lindsey Management, Inc.
Lindsey & Associates, Inc. 
Fayetteville, Arkansas

J. Thomas "Tommy" May

J. Thomas "Tommy" May

Simmons First National Bank and Simmons First National Corp., 
Pine Bluff, Arkansas

2009 Inductees

Chesley Pruet

Chesley Pruet

(1915 - 2001)
Pruet Drilling Co.
El Dorado, Arkansas

Raymond Rebsamen

Raymond Rebsamen

(1898 - 1975)
Rebsamen Companies, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Willis Shaw

Willis Shaw

(1918 - 2014)
Willis Shaw Express, Inc.
Elm Springs, Arkansas

Jim E. Yates

Jim E. Yates

(1941 - 1998)
E-Z Mart Stores, Inc.
Texarkana, Texas

2008 Inductees

Lee Bodenhamer

Lee Bodenhamer

Meridian Management Company
Little Rock, Arkansas

William H. Bowen

William H. Bowen

(1923 - 2014) 
First Commercial Bank and First Commercial Corporation
Little Rock, Arkansas

Harvey C. Couch

Harvey C. Couch

(1877 - 1941)
Arkansas Power & Light Company (now Entergy)
Pine Bluff/Little Rock, Arkansas

William H. Kennedy, Jr.

William H. Kennedy, Jr.

(1917 - 1991)
National Bank of Commerce
Pine Bluff, Arkansas

2007 Inductees

Delbert E. Allen, Sr.

Delbert E. Allen, Sr.

(1919 - 1988)
Allen Canning Company
Siloam Springs, Arkansas

Thelma L. Joshua and the late Ernest P. "Josh" Joshua, Sr

Thelma L. Joshua and the late Ernest P. "Josh" Joshua, Sr.

J.M. Products Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Kenneth Pat Wilson

Kenneth Pat Wilson

(1919 - 2002)
First Arkansas BancShares, Inc.
Jacksonville, Arkansas

Albert R. Yarnell

Albert R. Yarnell

(1923 - 2018) 
Yarnell Ice Cream Co.
Searcy, Arkansas

2006 Inductees

Frank D. Hickingbotham

Frank D. Hickingbotham

TCBY Enterprises, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

William F. "Billy" Rector

William F. "Billy" Rector

(1913 - 1975) 
Rector Phillips Morse Inc. (RPM)
Little Rock, Arkansas

Doyle Rogers, Sr.

Doyle Rogers, Sr.

(1918 - 2013)
Metropolitan National Bank

Little Rock, Arkansas

Forrest L. Wood

Forrest L. Wood

(1932 - 2020)
Wood Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Flippin, Arkansas

2005 Inductees

Dave Grundfest, Sr.

Dave Grundfest, Sr.

(1901 - 1974)
Sterling Stores Company, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

James T. "Red" Hudson

James T. "Red" Hudson

(1924 - 2003)
Hudson Foods, Inc.
Rogers, Arkansas

Donald Munro

Donald Munro

(1927 - 2022)
Munro & Company, Inc.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Edward M. Penick, Sr.

Edward M. Penick, Sr.

(1922 - 2014)
Worthen Banking Corporation
Little Rock, Arkansas

2004 Inductees

John A. Cooper, Sr.

John A. Cooper, Sr.

(1906 - 1998)
Cooper Communities, Inc.
Rogers, Arkansas

Stephen L. LaFrance Sr.

Frank Lyon, Sr.

(1910 - 1998)
Frank Lyon Company
Little Rock, Arkansas

Charles D. Morgan

Charles D. Morgan

Acxiom Corporation
Little Rock, Arkansas

Robert A. Young, Jr.

Robert A. Young, Jr.

(1908 - 1973)
Arkansas Best Corporation
Fort Smith, Arkansas

2003 Inductees

Richard E. Bell

Richard E. Bell

(1934 - 2015)
Riceland Foods, Inc.

Stuttgart, Arkansas

David D. Glass

David D. Glass

(1935 - 2020)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas

Robert D. Nabholz, Sr.

Robert D. Nabholz, Sr.

(1924 - 2002)
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Conway, Arkansas

Louis L. Ramsay, Jr.

Louis L. Ramsay, Jr.

(1918 - 2004)
Simmons First National Corporation
Pine Bluff, Arkansas

2002 Inductees

Roland S. Boreham, Jr.

Roland S. Boreham, Jr.

(1924 - 2006)
Baldor Electric Company
Fort Smith, Arkansas

F. Sheridan Garrison

F. Sheridan Garrison

(1934 - 2004)
American Freightways, Inc.
Harrison, Arkansas

Gene George

Gene George

(1922 - 2010)
George's, Inc.
Springdale, Arkansas

Donald E. "Buddy" Wray

Walter V. Smiley

Smiley Investment Company
Little Rock, Arkansas

2001 Inductees

Colonel Thomas H. Barton

Colonel Thomas H. Barton

(1881 - 1960)
Lion Oil Company
El Dorado, Arkansas

William E. Darby

William E. Darby

(1904 - 1979)
National Old Line Insurance Company
Little Rock, Arkansas

Johnelle and the late J.B. Hunt

Johnelle and the late J.B. Hunt

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.
Lowell, Arkansas

John H. Johnson

John H. Johnson

(1918 - 2005)
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois

2000 Inductees

Joe T. Ford

Joe T. Ford

ALLTEL Corporation
Little Rock, Arkansas

Harvey Jones

Harvey Jones

(1900 - 1989)
Jones Truck Lines
Springdale, Arkansas

Donald W. Reynold

Donald W. Reynolds

(1906 - 1993)
Donrey Media Group
Las Vegas, Nevada

Don J. Tyson

Don J. Tyson

(1930 - 2011)
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Springdale, Arkansas

1999 Inductees

William T. Dillard, Sr.

William T. Dillard

(1914 - 2002)
Dillard's, Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Charles H. Murphy, Jr.

Charles H. Murphy, Jr.

(1920 - 2002)
Murphy Oil Corporation
El Dorado, Arkansas

Jackson T. Stephens

Jackson T. Stephens

(1923 - 2005)
Stephens Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Sam M. Walton

Sam M. Walton

(1918 - 1992)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas