Willard B. G
atewood Jr., a renowned professor of history at the University of Arkansas, passed away October 23, 2011. Since joining the University in 1970 as the Distinguished Professor of History, Dr. Gatewood had a profound impact on Arkansas and its people. In addition to shaping a generation of historians, Dr. Gatewood touched the University and the community in a myriad of ways.
Realizing that very little had been written about the state, Dr. Gatewood urged his students to conduct pioneering research on Arkansas topics. He co-founded the University of Arkansas Press, which was a major factor in a renaissance in Arkansas studies.
Dr. Gatewood was an unflagging supporter of the University of Arkansas Libraries, and the Special Collections Department in particular. The Library is pleased to present the following information on this very remarkable man, Willard Badgett Gatewood, Jr.
Special Collections has made available an article by James S. Chase published in the Ozark Historical Review upon Dr. Gatewood’s assumption of emeritus status in 1998.
A partial bibliography of Dr. Gatewood’s publications has also been provided. The bibliography includes Dr. Gatewood’s books available in the University of Arkansas Libraries and the numerous theses and dissertations he supervised.
For more information on the life and legacy of Dr. Gatewood, see the tribute in the University of Arkansas Newswire.