A new exhibit is on display through June 2020 in Mullins Library Room 130. Arkansas Visionaries celebrates the work and impact of notable Arkansans on the Natural State in the areas of agriculture, business, politics, literature, international education, art and architecture. Also included are the works of those who impacted the university and Razorback Athletics.
“Drawing on this year’s date of 2020 and the idea of looking back in hindsight, the idea for this exhibit developed as the faculty and staff in Special Collections considered how to highlight key contributions to our state and university’s history,” said Lori Birrell, associate dean for Special Collections. “Intended to engage our faculty, students, staff and the public, this exhibit includes items exploring a variety of topics from the Chicken of Tomorrow Contest to childhood immunization to environmental protection, which provide visitors a glimpse into our vast collections.”
The exhibit was curated by Amy Allen, Drew Beisswenger, Birrell, Kara Flynn, Melanie Griffin, Catherine Wallack and Joshua Youngblood, and installed by Blair Hollender.
Included in the exhibit are a copy of Maya Angelou’sI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and the media playbook of John McDonnell, legendary Razorback track and field coach. Other materials featured in the exhibit come from the collections of Neil Compton, J. William Fulbright, Florence Price and Edward Durell Stone. The public is welcome to view the exhibit any time Special Collections is open.
It would be wonderful to have John McDonnell come and speak at the library in conjunction with this exhibit. I believe he still lives locally. He is very personable and an eloquent speaker. I’d love to hear him talk about his Irish roots and how they contributed to his philosophy and approach to coaching at Arkansas.