Each year, the Foundation hosts the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet, recognizing men and women from across the state who have been instrumental in expanding the use and enjoyment of Arkansas's outdoor resources and broadening conservation education. The proceeds from this event support the year-around work of the Foundation. Approximately 1,600 people attend the annual banquet that is held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock each August. The program includes auctions, dinner, Hall of Fame raffle, induction of Hall of Fame nominees, and the presentation of the Legacy Award, selected by the Foundation's Nominating Committee. The Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame began in 1992 and has inducted 109 members thus far. We are excited for the 2025 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet, presented by Banded, which will be held on August 23rd, 2025 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock! Doors open at 6:00 PM. Bid on items in our "Super Silent" auction that features the latest hunting and fishing gear, boats, ATVs, campers, hunting trips, experience packages, and more! Click the links below to purchase a table or a ticket, and to get a direct link to the Super Silent Auction! We look forward to seeing you there!
Andy Simmons* – 2024
The Legacy Award will be posthumously presented to Andy Simmons, a lifelong outdoor enthusiast who made history when he named the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation in his estate, resulting in one of the largest single gifts ever received by AGFF. As a lasting tribute, the Foundation turned the gifted property into the Andy Simmons Outdoor […]
The Mayfly Project** – 2024
The Mayfly Project was founded in 2015 in Arkansas by Jess and Laura Westbrook, with the vision of using fly fishing as an important tool to support children in foster care. In 2016, the project evolved into a national program when Jess and Laura partnered with Idaho-based mental health professional Kaitlin Barnhart, who shared the […]
Dr. Steve Lochmann – 2024
Lochmann has been a professor of Fisheries Management and Ecology at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for 30 years. Dr. Lochman’s teaching and research efforts have produced many biologists for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Division as well as AGFC Chief of Staff Chris Racey and Deputy Director Ben Batten. In […]
Shawn Daniel, Retired US Army Colonel – 2024
Daniel is the executive director of Darby’s Warrior Support, providing a lifeline for countless post-9/11 Special Operations combat veterans dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of their service to the nation. DWS delivers all-inclusive Arkansas hunting and fishing opportunities in a safe environment fulfilling its mission of giving back to these heroes by giving […]
Jim Ronquest – 2023
A lifelong outdoorsman and well-known entrepreneur, Ronquest has helped develop two of the mid-South’s Arkansas’s most iconic outdoor brands. Following a long and distinguished career with Rich-N-Tone duck calls of Stuttgart, he’s now vice president, development with Mississippi-based Drake Waterfowl, a manufacturer of technical hunting and fishing apparel. Ronquest also won the World’s Championship Duck […]
Larry & Brenda Potterfield* – 2023
Both country kids from Missouri, Larry and Brenda Potterfield turned their passion for shooting sports into a career by opening a small gun shop in 1977 that would eventually become MidwayUSA (midwayusa.com). Built on family values like honesty, integrity and respect for others, they strive to maintain this culture with each employee added to their […]
Dale Morrell** – 2023
The family behind the highly successful Morrell® Targets, the Morrell name has come to mean quality, innovation and above all, community-mindedness and commitment to the sport of archery. Recognized as the gold standard of targets in the U.S., the Morrell Corporation is relentlessly focused on investing in future generations of archers through the National Archery […]
Tom Foti — 2023
For years the state’s foremost ecologist, Tom Foti is widely credited with bringing science to the natural area preservation movement in Arkansas. His career with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission resulted in the creation of several important natural areas in the state, particularly in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of southwestern Arkansas and served as […]
Bob Barringer & Ronnie Ritter – 2023
Recognizing the problem of hunger in the state, Barringer founded Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry in 2000 to help connect a portion of harvested deer with those in need. Shortly thereafter, Ritter signed on to lead the mission-driven organization. Today, Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry has processed and distributed tens of thousands of pounds of […]
Brad Wimberly – 2022
Wimberly, a Louisiana native, moved to Arkansas in 1980, buying the iconic Turner Bend Store in Mulberry a year later. Since then, he’s worked tirelessly to preserve the area’s natural resources, co-founding the Mulberry River Society which promotes outdoor conservation, appreciation, recreation, education and stewardship.
Bennie Westphal** – 2022
Born in Fayetteville, Westphal has been a member of the Fort Smith community for most of his life. He has enjoyed more than 50 years of deer and duck hunting since his introduction to Arkansas’s great outdoors at the age of 16. He is excited to pass that opportunity to his granddaughters.
JD Simpson III* – 2022
Former Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Board Member and current Trustee of Arkansas Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, JD Simpson III has given time, talent and treasure to conservation efforts in Arkansas throughout his lifetime.
Duane Hada – 2022
Crediting his lifelong passion as artist and angler to being raised in the rural Ozarks’ Buffalo and White River country, Hada had forged an international following for his guided trout tours and watercolor paintings.
Jeff Lawrence & Bob Butler – 2022
Jeff Lawrence joined Arkansas Ducks Unlimited in 1996 leading DU’s fundraising and volunteer relations efforts. During his tenure with Duck Unlimited the funds raised for conservation equated to more than 300,000 acres impacted across North America. During his 23 years with DU, Arkansas Senior Regional Director Bob Butler has helped produce nearly 800 events across […]
The Mahony Family* – 2021
As one of the most prominent families of south Arkansas, the Mahonys distinguished themselves via the practice of law, a family legacy that has practiced continually since St. Patrick’s Day 1896. Various family members leveraged their legal knowledge toward pursuits in politics and other initiatives for the public good. Nowhere in the line was this […]
Jerrell & Penny Dodson – 2021
Jerrell and Penny never imagined their small specialty store would become the largest in a five-state area, yet that’s exactly what Archer’s Advantage has become. The expansive inventory, paired with 85 years of combined expertise, has resulted in Archer’s Advantage consistently ranking in the top 50 in sales for national brands such as Hoyt and […]
Mark Davis – 2021
Mark Davis has always carried the banner for Arkansas and its rich fishing heritage. After years as a fishing guide, he competed in his first Bassmaster tournament at age 23 and would go on to earn Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles three times (1995, 1998, 2001). In 1995, he became the first pro to […]
Hank Browne – 2021
Arkansas’s most famous furniture entrepreneur, Hank Browne’s accomplishments in the world of business are substantial. But the longtime hunter is equally respected in support of the outdoors via the Outdoor Hall of Fame and conservation initiatives of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Foundation. As a member of The Nature Conservancy Arkansas’s Last Great […]
Catherine & Tommy Murchison III – 2019
The husband and wife Murchison team “founded the Arkansas Big Buck Classic, an event that recognizes the quality of whitetail hunting available in Arkansas, as well as promoting good sportsmanship, conservation, education and ethical hunting.
The McCollum Family* – 2019
The McCollum Family is credited with the current business model of the modern duck club and thus occupies a place in the history of Arkansas duck hunting.
Mary Ann King – 2019
King, founder and owner of Pine Ridge Gardens in London, is often considered the most knowledgeable in Arkansas when it comes to using native plants in the landscape, the release said. She is credited with educating generations of amateurs and professionals on native plants and their role in bird, wildlife and butterfly habitats.
Woody Futrell – 2019
Futrell was an avid boat racer in the 1950s and took over the family business, Futrell Marine, which his father Dan Futrell established in 1948. He has since become one of the most well-known and respected businessmen in retail boating.
Randy Young – 2018
Young joined the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission as an entry-level water resource engineer in 1971; just four years later he was deputy director/chief engineer and was appointed executive director in 1985, a post he would hold under five governors over the next 31 years. Among his many accomplishments was working hand-in-hand with conservation groups to […]
Johnelle & JB Hunt* – 2018
LEGACY AWARD Legends of Arkansas’s business and philanthropic communities, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt built J.B. Transport Services from a five-truck operation into one of the largest transportation communities in the nation. The success of the company is rivaled only by the couple’s generosity, supporting innumerable worthwhile causes throughout Arkansas. Among the most recent examples, a […]
Ross Whipple – 2017
Ross Whipple, The Ross Foundation: As chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Arkadelphia-based foundation, Whipple has overseen donations of millions of dollars in support of forestry research and conservation management as well as education, historical preservation and other worthwhile causes.
Winthrop Paul Rockefeller* – 2017
LEGACY AWARD Winthrop Paul Rockefeller: Businessman, politician, conservationist and avid outdoorsman, the late Winthrop Paul Rockefeller was a man for all seasons. His legacy of public service includes being the driving force behind the creation of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas, founding the International Billfish Conservation Foundation and serving on the national board for Boy […]
U.S. Senator David Pryor – 2017
David Pryor, former Governor of Arkansas and member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, is considered one of the Big Three in the history of Arkansas politics. Pryor’s years serving at the state and federal levels resulted in landmark achievements in conservation, advancing the outdoors experience enjoyed today throughout Arkansas.
Mark Karnes – 2017
Mark Karnes, The Ross Foundation: Directing the foundation’s land management program for its 60,000 diverse acres of timber land, Karnes has helped protect unique sections of the forest and, working in partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, developed acres for use as a wildlife management area and other recreational activities.
John M. Olin – 2016
Every worthwhile effort in our society has been sparked by visionary men and women who were not satisfied with the status quo but sought a better answer or way. Such a person was John M. Olin inventor, industrialist, philanthropist, sportsman, conservationist, and champion of private enterprise1. He came along when hunting was emerging from a […]
Scott Simon – 2016
Simon worked for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Arkansas for 26 years and served as the Arkansas Director for 19 years. He also helped to develop the Arkansas Prescribed Fire Course with Martin Blaney at the AGFC
Jim Hinkle – 2016
A former Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner, Hinkle served 14 years on the board of the National Wild Turkey Federation, ultimately serving as president of the national chapter of the organization. During that time, he worked for the expansion and improvement of habitat throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada through various NWTF initiatives.
Rodney Herndon – 2016
Owner and former president of Xpress Boats, an enterprise with a family-run beginning, he revolutionized the way fishing and hunting boats were made. Herndon set new standards in strength and durability in boats for outdoors enthusiasts.
Jim Gaston* – 2015
Longtime owner of Gaston’s White River Resort, Gaston has been in the forefront of Arkansas’ world-acclaimed trout fishing activities more than 35 years, with a leading role in promotion of tourism for all the state as well as his home area.
Jerry Fisk – 2015
Jerry Fisk is a master bladesmith and internationally recognized artist. A contributing editor of Blade Magazine, Jerry’s list of accomplishments and awards for his craft is long and his work can be found in museums around the world. He serves as advisor to the Arkansas Department of Heritage, is a member of the Bladesmith Hall […]
George Dunklin – 2015
George Dunklin is a past AGFC Commissioner, the current Ducks Unlimited President, and lifelong conservationist. A third generation rice farmer, George is a strong advocate for rice agriculture in the region. He has followed his family tradition of farming, hunting and conservation. A Pine Bluff native, he has three grown daughters with his wife, Livia […]
Joel Campora – 2015
Joel Campora, AGFC Wildlife Officer First Class, alongside Sherriff Cody Carpenter responded to a 911 call during overnight flashfloods in 2013. Both officers lost their lives in the line of duty attempting to save two Y City victims trapped in their home by severe floodwaters. A wildlife officer since 2007, Joel considered a life as […]
Steve Bowman – 2015
Steve Bowman is an accomplished outdoor writer and editor, photographer, book author and television show producer. Originally from Jonesboro, Steve lives in Little Rock. In his work as the outdoor editor with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, he was instrumental in the implementation of the 3-point rule in deer hunting, ending the channelization of the White River […]
Dr. Doyne & Nancy Williams – 2014
Dr. Doyne and Nancy Williams of Little Rock are All-American competitive trapshooters, winning hundreds of state, regional and national championships. Both are members of the Arkansas Trapshooting Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Doyne was a noted cardiovascular surgeon at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and St. Vincent Infirmary, […]
C.B. Thompson Jr. – 2014
C.B. Thompson Jr. of North Little Rock founded Fort Thompson Sporting Goods, a legendary outpost for hunters across Arkansas. Under Thompson, a lifelong aficionado of bass fishing and duck hunting, what began as a grocery and general store in Rose City in 1931 has transformed into a retail haven for hunters and fishermen. Fort Thompson […]
Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt* – 2014
LEGACY AWARD The first Republican elected to Congress from Arkansas since Reconstruction, Hammerschmidt served 26 years in office. In one of his 12 campaigns, which he typically won handily, Hammerschmidt defeated a law student named Bill Clinton. Among Hammerschmidt's lasting legislative achievements was his work to designate the Buffalo River as the country's first "national […]
Sergeant Darrell Monty Carmikle – 2014
The late <strong>Sergeant Darrell Monty Carmikle of Heber Springs died in the line of duty as a wildlife officer with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Carmikle was killed in a helicopter crash the morning of Nov. 16, 2008, while investigating deer poachers in Cleburne County. A former Wildlife Officer of the Year, Carmikle created […]
Randy Wilbourn* – 2013
Randy served on the founding board of the Arkansas Nature Conservancy and later served as a board chairman. He served two terms on the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission and as a chairman was instrumental in developing regulations for in stream mining, the protection of the undammed upper Saline watershed and the start of […]
David Snowden Jr. – 2013
David Snowden Jr. has been closely involved with the Arkansas Nature Conservancy since it was launched in the 1970s. He has served as the chairman of the organization and helped with numerous land acquisitions and conservation easements for private and public use.
David Snowden Sr. – 2013
David Snowden Sr. has been closely involved with the Arkansas Nature Conservancy since it was launched in the 1970s. He has served as the chairman of the organization and helped with numerous land acquisitions and conservation easements for private and public use.
Mike Freeze – 2013
Mike Freeze of England is a fisheries biologist who has been a major national figure in aquaculture and fisheries conservation, as well as a leader of Arkansas Farm Bureau activities. He is a former Arkansas Game and Fish employee, who was later appointed to and served a seven-year term on the Arkansas Game and Fish […]
Witt Stephens Jr.* – 2012
“There is no limit to what a person can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Witt Stephens, Jr., may not have been the model for this old adage, but he fits its parameters. The Little Rock resident has quietly lent a hand in a myriad of Arkansas outdoor projects, with many of […]
Rick Evans – 2012
Rick Evans has seen major changes in wildlife in his native south Arkansas, and he’s been involved in most of them to some extent. As a member of a multi-generational timber and lumber family, the changes have been close at hand for him in his Calion surroundings a new miles north of El Dorado. Deer, […]
Bill Bridgforth – 2012
Bill Bridgforth has been involved in major developments in the Arkansas outdoors before, during and after his seven-year term as an Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner. He said at the top of the list was the 1996 campaign for the conservational sales tax then with innovations funded by it. Bridgforth was appointed to the commission […]
Scott Henderson – 2011
Scott Henderson began his career with Game and Fish as a biologist, working and “wading” in hatcheries around the state, and then advanced to Chief of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division. Scott then spent over 15 years as assistant to the Director of Game and Fish, and then served seven years as […]
Bill Barnes – 2011
Bill Barnes of Mount Ida has served for many years on the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Commission, promoting outdoor recreation and tourism in Arkansas. He also devoted many hours of active support in the effort to pass Amendment 75, better known as the Conservation Amendment in 1996. Bill developed Mountain Harbor Resort on Lake Ouachita. […]
Kim Ward – 2010
Kim Ward took over the pioneering aluminum boat manufacturing facility started by his father and his uncle at the close of World War II and led it to national prominence, first as Duracraft Boats then as War Eagle Boats. Ward paced the company through changes and trends in recreational fishing needs and those of water-connected […]
Zach McClendon Jr. – 2010
Zack McClendon Jr. has spent a lifetime building boats, beginning at age 8. He took the business launched by his father and expanded and created new markets with two branches – one for recreational boats and the other for work and military boats. McClendon has passed the 100,000 mark in boats produced, and his SeaArk […]
Tommy Sanders – 2009
Tommy Sanders of Little Rock followed his graduation from Hendrix College with energy and enthusiasm into the television outdoors world. Tommy’s promotion of Arkansas’ hunting and fishing opportunities drew the attention of outdoor enthusiasts to this state. His clear and straightforward announcing has become a fixture on the multiple programs related to hunting and fishing […]
Bert & Cheryl Haralson – 2009
Bert and Cheryl Haralson of Augusta are a husband and wife team much involved in the development of Arkansas elk on both the hunting and the tourism scenes. Long active in leadership roles with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Haralsons have been key figures in the cooperative planning and implementing of elk habitat programs […]
Greg Butts – 2009
Greg Butts of Little Rock may be a native of upstate New York , but he found a home long ago in Arkansas with its state parks system. As director of state parks, he was a key figure in the successful 1996 campaign in which voters approved a conservation sales tax. The revenue from what […]
Marion McCollum – 2008
Marion McCollum of Stuttgart is a member of a multi-generation Grand Prairie family heavily involved in duck hunting and the area’s wetlands habitat. He developed Mack’s Sport Shop into a leading national mail order sales corporation, Mack’s Prairie Wings, and its Stuttgart facility draws visitors from many states and some foreign countries. He was an […]
Gene Denton – 2008
He has been an avid turkey hunter for 58 years. He joined the National Wild Turkey Federation in 1975, not long after the organization was founded, and became a member of its board of directors in 1980. He has played a key role in the growth of NWTF into a major and effective conservation organization. […]
Rick Hampton – 2007
Rick Hampton is a farmer, waterfowl hunting enthusiast and a former Game and Fish Commission member who was a key figure in a number of wildlife-related developments in the late 1970s and 1980s – the changing of directors at the Game and Fish Commission, restoring elk to Arkansas and bringing back Canada geese to Arkansas.
Phyllis Spears – 2007
Phyllis Speer’s sideline has made her a celebrity across the state in addition to her two decades in educational work for the Game and Fish Commission. She has won renown and a following as the co-host and cooking specialist on the popular Arkansas Outdoors program on Arkansas Educational Television Network.
Kaneaster Hodges – 2006
An attorney, farmer, businessman and, most of all, a facilitator who has been instrumental in major Arkansas outdoor improvements for public use through his service with the U.S. Senate, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and The Nature Conservancy.
Kirk Dupps – 2006
He used a background of executive leadership with Wal-Mart to promote the creation of a notable trout fishery on the White River below Beaver Dam. He serves as a board member of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and has been an Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner and board member of the Arkansas Game and […]
Butch Richenback – 2005
Richenback learned the basics of duck calling from the legendary Chick Major, as did many Stuttgart youngsters. Richenback stuck with Major in learning how to make duck calls as well as how to use them. He built the successful Rich-N-Tone company but kept a focus on teaching and encouraging young people in the sport of […]
Dr. Mamie Parker – 2005
Named for a former president’s wife, grew up fishing in south Arkansas streams as the youngest of 11 children, then followed her education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to a career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, she is assistant director of the agency and is in charge of its […]
Randy Hopper – 2005
Hopper quickly moved to the top as a part of the Ranger Boats team under Forrest L. Wood. He has carried out the company’s long-time slogan of “We still build them one at a time.” He uses his time and energies to promote fishing and outdoor activities for everyone, but especially for youth. He has […]
Janet Huckabee – 2004
Huckabee has been an “enthusiast” her entire life so it was only “Natural” she became an instant champion for the Conservation Sales Tax in 1996. With the passage of Amendment 75, funding for the preservation of our state’s natural and cultural resources became a reality.
Larry Grisham – 2004
Grisham has selected artists and artwork for the Arkansas duck stamp and print program since 1982. The program has raised millions of dollars to improve wetlands and purchase critical wildlife habitat and has become the most successful in the nation.
Ron Duncan – 2004
The Central Fishing Club at Springdale Central Junior High School was the forerunner of Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs (HOFNOD). Duncan came up with the idea in the early 1980s and HOFNOD became a nationwide program. Today’s growing HOFNOD program used Duncan’s Central Fishing Club as a model.
Steve Smith – 2003
The person who launched the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame has been pushed from behind the scenes into the limelight. Steve Smith of Little Rock, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, has been added to three other 2003 inductees into the select group by the foundation’s board of directors. Smith has been with […]
Zettie Jones – 2003
Jones’ wildlife art is unique, with many paintings using ghosted superimposed images blended together to tell a story. A self-trained artist, she has blossomed into a leader among artists who specialize in wildlife subjects. In 2003-04, she was selected to provide the artwork for the 2003-04 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Stamp, the first Arkansan ever selected.
Andrew Hulsey – 2003
As a biologist, he was a key player in the development of a system of fish nursery ponds, in introducing trout into waters where cold water from dams had wiped out native fish, in introducing striped bass and in widespread stocking of channel catfish to boost angling opportunities. In the late 1960s, Hulsey was elevated […]
Charlie Hoover – 2003
Not long after graduating from college, he realized he preferred travel in a bass boat to wearying days on the road doing insurance chores. Hoover became a key figure in Ranger Boats’ taking the top spot in the fishing boat world then took the helm of an organization pushing bass tournaments into headline-grabbing payouts rivaling […]
John Selig – 2002
As an attorney who served as Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Chairman, he negotiated many key conservation agreements and was instrumental in the acquisition of the 421-acre Crooked Creek tract, opening Kelley’s slab and miles of Crooked Creek to public access.
Steve Frick – 2002
After a retiring from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he led the fund-raising activities of Ducks Unlimited in Arkansas and has been a prime mover in a number of partnership habitat purchases, including Ed Gordon/Point Remove and Raft Creek Wildlife Management Areas.
Barbara Pardue – 2002
A catalyst for such landmark conservation education projects as the Potlatch Conservation Education Center at Cook’s Lake, she led the successful efforts to protect “The Lost 40,” a remnant of virgin forest, and developed “The Classroom in the Forest.”
Joe Mosby – 2002
Having written thousands of articles on Arkansas wildlife and Arkansans’ activities in the outdoors, he is a celebrated outdoor writer. He was the long-time outdoor editor of the Arkansas Gazette and news editor with the Game and Fish Commission.
Carl Garner – 2001
After helping build Greers Ferry Lake and staying on as resident engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Garner made an even more indelible mark with his yearly clean-up campaigns on the lake which gained national acclaim.
Nancy Delamar – 2001
With her leadership, many significant areas have been protected by the Nature Conservancy, and the organization has helped public agencies with others. DeLamar lent her considerable support to the conservation sales tax campaign.
Richard Davies – 2001
As longtime state Parks Director and as Director of Arkansas Parks and Tourism, Richard Davies joined Steve N. Wilson of the Game and Fish Commission in mapping the successful 1996 campaign to put the parks system on solid financial footing.
Fred Berry – 2001
A Yellville school and college teacher, he used family banking connections to put a million dollars to use for conservation education. His gift of bank stock led to the Foundation’s purchase of a key 421-acre tract on Crooked Creek.
Steve N. Wilson – 2000
Passage of the 1/8th of one percent sales tax capped an illustrious 20-year career as director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, one of the longest tenures in the nation. Solid achievements in wildlife and its use are also his legacies.
Gov. Mike Huckabee
Following his innovative Arkansas River trip in 1996, a campaign for the conservation sales tax, he has taken the lead on programs like Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs, and the Youth and Senior’s Fishing Pond in urban Little Rock.
Mary Klaser – 2000
Her public service career was suddenly cut short, but not until after she had successfully handled the nuts and bolts of the conservation sales tax campaign, making Arkansas the second state to have solid funding for conservation efforts.
Chick Major – 1999
As the central figure in duck calling for years, Major transformed duck call manufacturing from home workshops to a significant business. His calls set a standard. The World Duck Calling Championships at Stuttgart have members of his family throughout its lists of winners.
Carol Griffee – 1999
Her intense and all-sides reporting covered controversial and heated issues of the outdoors in the 1970s and 1980s. Environmental issues at the Game and Fish Commission, the Department of Pollution Control and Ecology and the legislature were Griffee’s beat at the Arkansas Gazette.
Dr. James H. Flanagin – 1998
Dr. James H. Flanagin was instrumental in creating Lake Conway, leading efforts in the late 1940s to secure land and funding for the 6,700-acre lake. His persistence and community support brought the project to life in 1951, making Lake Conway the largest lake ever built by a state and a lasting showcase for Arkansas anglers.
U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers – 1998
A resurgence of Arkansas state parks was a legacy of his two terms as governor. Channeling vital lands into public ownership came with his years in the U.S. Senate, with national forests and national wildlife refuges getting major additions.
Rayo Breckenridge – 1998
A Greene County farmer who enjoyed fishing, he won the BASS Masters Classic in his first season as an angling professional. He developed an outdoors television program, with the teaching of fishing to young people a priority.
Bob Apple – 1998
A longtime leader of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and a staff member of the National Wildlife Federation, he has promoted wise uses of natural resources since the 1950s.
Gene Rush – 1997
A wildlife biologist, he was a hands-on participant in the restoration of Arkansas’s deer, bear and turkey populations. He pushed for acquisition of critical lands for state management areas as the Game and Fish Commission’s wildlife chief.
Cotton Cordell – 1997
He grew up at a fishing resort, learning the need for more and better equipment and especially the knowledge of using it. His first lures were assembled at a kitchen table, then his company became a major lure manufacturer.
Kay Kelley Arnold – 1997
Part of Bill Clinton’s first gubernatorial team as a young law student, she spearheaded the creation of the Arkansas Nature Conservancy. Environmental and conservation activities continue in her work with a major utility corporation.
Pat Peacock – 1996
Queen of Arkansas duck calling since her teen years, she won every available title in the Stuttgart championships, including their beauty title. Her civic endeavors are numerous, and she was the first woman to serve on the Game and Fish Commission.
Bill Norman – 1996
A Yell County farm boy, he learned manufacturing at a school bus factory then branched into fishing lures. He rode the crest of bass tournament fishing by sponsoring early stars of the game and constantly seeking new and better lures and techniques.
Joe Nix – 1996
Chemistry is his field, and water quality is his focus. A longtime professor at Ouachita Baptist University, he later became a key figure in the investigation into the mysterious dieoff of bald eagles in southwest Arkansas.
George Cochran – 1996
A railroad worker who liked to fish, he worked his way up from local bass tournaments to twice capture the prestigious BASS Masters Classic. Duck hunting is a passion, too, but a strong suit is the teaching outdoor pursuits to young people.
Dave Whitlock – 1995
A legend in the flyfishing ranks, Whitlock is a lifelong student of fish habits and habitat. He researches, analyzes, innovates, teaches and participates in all aspects of the sport, and he writes, and illustrates his findings.
Jane Ross – 1995
With a fortune in Arkansas timberlands, she put the resources to good use for present and future generations. Her Ross Foundation has backed endeavors from Arkadelphia cultural activities to investigating the die-off of bald eagles.
George Fisher – 1995
The pen is mightier than the sword, and his cartoon drawing tools have out-performed bulldozers of unrestricted land and water projects. Fisher’s cartoons in the Arkansas Gazette were a key weapon in many environmental battles.
Bill Apple – 1995
He successfully campaigned in 1944 for Amendment 35, creating the Game and Fish Commission in its present form. Other activities were with Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation and the Sport Fishing Institute.
Jane Stern – 1994
Her years of influence and accomplishments on the conservation and environmental scene illustrate the effectiveness of a small, intense, focused voice. A resident of Pine Bluff, she was a leader of the Jefferson Wildlife Association.
George Purvis – 1994
A wildlife biologist, he realized the need for informing and teaching Arkansas residents about the outdoors. His pulpit was the information office of the Game and Fish Commission and his fishing and hunting television programs.
Bobby Murray – 1994
He won the first BASS Masters Classic in 1971 on Nevada’s Lake Mead. The victory propelled him into a career of professional fishing and marketing, and he repeated his Classic championship in 1978 in Mississippi.
Charlie Craig – 1994
During the Depression, he led a campaign for small donations that bought the land for the Game and Fish Commission's Centerton Hatchery. More recently, he was a strong supporter of the drive for the Conservation Sales Tax.
Larry Nixon – 1993
Larry began guiding fishermen before he was in high school. He joined the professional bass fishermen’s ranks, won a BASS Masters Classic and became fishing’s first million-dollar winner.
Jerry McKinnis – 1993
A professional baseball player in his youth, he fell in love with fishing in North Arkansas then talked about it before a television camera. Then he went behind the camera to prominence as a developer and producer of outdoor TV programs.
Rex Hancock – 1993
The rich wildlife habitat of the Cache River today is a legacy of the determination and energy of his monumental battle against channelization of the river. His campaign to preserve these duck wintering grounds was ultimately successful.
Jane Gulley – 1993
A former teacher, she took a pastime of treating injured birds of prey to an avocation of educating people about them. “Arkansas’s Eagle Lady” became familiar in schools statewide with her entertaining lectures on raptors.
Harold Alexander – 1993
He recognized the essential role of clean water long before it became a conservation byword. He was also a leader in wetlands protection, deer management, wild turkey restoration, endangered species protection and predator control.
Forrest L. Woods – 1992
A former White River and Bull Shoals Lake fishing guide, he developed the modern bass boat. Wood’s Ranger boat operation grew hand in hand with the emergence of tournament bass fishing and safe, efficient travel on the water.
Ruth Remmel – 1992
Ducks throughout North America benefit from the enthusiastic activities of Ruth and Rollie. They are veterans of decades of fund raising for Ducks Unlimited, and their unique “Rollie Sticks” have been presented to special people worldwide. She and Rollie shared a love of nature that caused them to take on many conservation-related causes. Ducks Unlimited […]
Rollie Remmel – 1992
Ducks throughout North America benefit from the enthusiastic activities of Rollie and Ruth. They are veterans of decades of fund raising for Ducks Unlimited, and their unique “Rollie Sticks” have been presented to special people worldwide.
Ben Pearson – 1992
A boyhood hobby turned into a career of international renown for this archery expert. His instrument was the longbow, and he took it on hunting trips to several continents and into a highly successful business enterprise. He is most notable for starting the first company in the United States to mass-produce archery sets and equipment. […]
Henry Gray – 1992
From an early career as a wildlife biologist, working for the AGFC, he moved to the Arkansas Highway Department and was its longtime director. He developed the Marine fuel Tax system in which state taxes on boat fuels are used to build access to waterways. He held the position of Director of Highways from at […]
Neil Compton – 1992
Neil Ernest Compton of Bentonville was a physician of obstetrics by profession and a conservationist by avocation. He is widely recognized as the founder of the Ozark Society to Save the Buffalo River, which he and his associates initiated on May 24, 1962, at a meeting in Fayetteville. He loved the untamed Buffalo River even […]
