Arkansas
Former Arkansas Governor, U.S. Senator David Pryor dies at 89 – Newstalk KZRG
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former Arkansas governor and U.S. Sen. David Pryor, a Democrat who was one of the state’s most beloved political figures and remained active in public service in the state long after he left office, has died. He was 89.
Pryor, who went undercover to investigate nursing homes while a congressman, died Saturday of natural causes in Little Rock surrounded by family, his son Mark Pryor, said. David Pryor was a heart attack and stroke survivor who was also hospitalized in 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19.
“I think he was a great model for public service. He was a great role model for politicians, but just for everyone in how we should treat each other and how we can make Arkansas better,” Mark Pryor, a former two-term Democratic U.S. senator, said.
David Pryor was considered one of the party’s giants in Arkansas, alongside former President Bill Clinton and the late U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers. He also served in the U.S. House and the Arkansas Legislature, and remained active in public life in recent years, including being appointed to the University of Arkansas’ Board of Trustees in 2009. He also attended the inauguration of Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in January 2023.
“David would be like a fish out of water if he were out of public service,” Bumpers, who served 18 years with Pryor in the Senate, said in 2006. “It’s his whole life.”
In a statement Saturday, Clinton called Pryor “one of Arkansas’ greatest servant leaders and one of the finest people I have ever known,” saying he “fought for progressive policies that helped us put the divided past behind us and move into a brighter future together.”
“David made politics personal — from his famed retail campaigning to his ability to calmly and confidently explain tough votes to his constituents,” Clinton said. “He was honest, compassionate, and full of common sense. He really loved the people he represented, and they loved him back.”
Another former Democratic Arkansas governor, Mike Beebe, said Pryor, his “close personal friend and confidant,” was “exactly the kind of honest and pragmatic person who is always needed in public office.”
“His personal style of homespun humor, quick wit, and genuine warmth, combined with his deep knowledge, gave him the ability to pass progressive legislation that was so beneficial to our state,” Beebe said in a statement. “His top priorities of Arkansas Comes First and focusing on the problems our aging population and taxpayer reform made him beloved by his colleagues and his constituents.”
Warm thoughts and condolences came from both sides of the political aisle Saturday.
Sanders mourned Pryor’s passing, saying his “charisma and moderate politics made him a force at the ballot box for decades.”
“While the Senator and I came up in different political parties, I, like all Arkansans deeply appreciated his diligent stewardship of Arkansas and our interests during his time in public life,” Sanders said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “And we can all thank him for his role in burying the divisive racial politics that infected Arkansas government before his tenure.”
Sanders’ Republican predecessor as governor, Asa Hutchinson, called Pryor “the quintessential public servant.”
“He gave up other opportunities to serve Arkansas throughout his life and the public debate was elevated because of his service,” Hutchinson wrote on X.
Arkansas Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton called Pryor “a true gentleman and a statesman.”
“His example served and will continue to serve as inspiration for our fellow Arkansans,” Cotton said.
The founder and publisher of the Ouachita Citizen weekly newspaper, Pryor started his political career in 1960 with his election to the Arkansas House. He served there through 1966, when he was elected to Congress after winning a special election to the U.S. House.
During his time in the state House, Pryor gained a reputation as one of the “Young Turks” who were interested in reforming the state’s political system. Pryor said years later that the reforms he wanted didn’t come as quickly as he had dreamed in his younger days.
“I guess I was a young reformer at the moment,” Pryor said in 2006. “I was going to change the world. I wanted it to change overnight, but it didn’t.”
He experienced his first — and only — political defeat in 1972, when he challenged U.S. Sen. John McClellan’s bid for a sixth term in the Democratic primary. Pryor was able to force a runoff with McClellan, but he lost by about 18,000 votes. It was a defeat that stung Pryor decades later.
“Following the McClellan race, I abandoned politics, or politics abandoned me,” he wrote in his 2008 autobiography, “A Pryor Commitment.” “I didn’t care who was governor or president. I avoided reading the paper for months on end. I just wanted to be left alone and, like General MacArthur, silently fade away.”
Elected governor in 1974, replacing Bumpers, Pryor served four years before being elected to the U.S. Senate, where Pryor won passage of a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in 1988. He called the legislation — which expanded citizens’ rights when dealing with the IRS — the “cornerstone” of his congressional career.
“I didn’t sponsor this bill to help Donald Trump or Lee Iacocca,” Pryor, who chaired the Finance Subcommittee on Internal Revenue Oversight, said at the time. “This is a bill that protects the average taxpayer.”
He also focused on helping the elderly and went undercover while serving in the U.S. House from 1966 to 1973 to investigate nursing homes. He said they commonly found up to 15 beds in one room.
“Even now, I recall clearly the loneliness, neglect, despair, anxiety and boredom — in particular the boredom — of those cold and sterile homes,” he wrote. “Essentially human warehouses for old people.”
Pryor decided to not seek re-election in 1996, and he retired from elective office at the end of his term in early 1997.
Arkansas
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Arkansas
Arkansas Athletics, CommunityAmerica Credit Union launch multi-year partnership including Razorback Stadium naming rights
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Department of Athletics has signed a long-term partnership with CommunityAmerica Credit Union, marking a significant step in the credit union’s growing commitment to Northwest Arkansas. Facilitated by Learfield and Razorback Sports Properties, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will become CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium beginning with the 2027 football season.
Rooted in more than 85 years of helping individuals and families achieve financial peace of mind and building on a 65-year legacy of service in Arkansas, CommunityAmerica is excited to engage with Razorback fans and support the communities they call home.
“This is so much more than a name on a stadium. It’s about becoming part of the Razorback Nation experience and helping fans, students, student-athletes and the communities we and the university serve,” said Lisa Ginter, Chief Executive Officer of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. “Our members are at the heart of everything we do and when we evaluate partnerships like this, it starts with what matters most to them. The University of Arkansas is a powerful source of pride and connection for people across the state and in many of our markets. This partnership underscores our long-term commitment to Northwest Arkansas, where we look forward to growing our presence and helping more families achieve financial peace of mind. We’re already deepening our roots with plans for a campus location and several new branches throughout the region.”
The multi-phased partnership extends beyond naming rights and designates CommunityAmerica as the Official Credit Union of Arkansas Athletics. CommunityAmerica will also serve as an official sponsor of Arkansas Athletics, supporting student-athletes and fans alike. The comprehensive partnership will also include the rebranding of the SEC Club inside Razorback Stadium as the CommunityAmerica Club, where fans enjoy premium amenities on gameday. As part of the agreement, CommunityAmerica will engage directly with Razorback student-athletes providing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, valuable financial education and programs to help them succeed both on and off the field.
“We are thrilled to welcome CommunityAmerica Credit Union as the Official Credit Union of Arkansas Athletics as one piece of a partnership that will benefit our student-athletes, fans and the state of Arkansas for years to come,” said Hunter Yurachek, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas. “Our vision in the Department of Athletics is to be our best and CommunityAmerica’s commitment to excellence as a trusted, people-driven financial institution mirrors that same vision. This partnership is just getting started but its impact will help shape our future.”
Beginning with the 2027 football season, the partnership will expand into its second phase with the naming of CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium and the launch of CommunityAmerica Razorback Checking, Debit and Credit Cards.
With a legacy of serving members across Arkansas and nationwide, CommunityAmerica is ranked among the most trusted and innovative credit unions in the country and among the largest in the Midwest. CommunityAmerica is excited to engage and serve Razorback fans and members more deeply with a variety of financial products and services that align to their passion for the University.
“Our members are proud of where they live and what they stand behind, and for so many in Arkansas and across our shared communities, that means being part of Razorback Nation,” Ginter said. “As we look ahead to launching Razorback-branded products in 2027, we’re excited to offer experiences that celebrate that pride, strengthen relationships and deliver meaningful value for the people and communities we serve.”
“This is a historic partnership featuring an innovative brand with a passion and proven track record of supporting their community, paired with one of the leading college athletics programs in the country,” said Allison Fillmore, Senior Vice President, Business Development at Learfield. “Learfield and Razorback Sports Properties are excited to collaborate with Arkansas Athletics, which will enhance fan and student-athlete experiences for years to come.”
Razorback Sports Properties is the locally based Learfield team that is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Arkansas Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Razorbacks.
About the University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
The University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics pursues its vision to “Be Our Best” while developing 465+ student-athletes into Razorbacks and Champions for Life. As members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Razorbacks consistently compete at the nation’s highest levels while proudly representing the University of Arkansas and the entire state. Arkansas has established itself as one of the most competitive programs in the nation, winning nine NCAA titles and over 50 SEC Championships in recent years.
About CommunityAmerica Credit Union
CommunityAmerica Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution committed to helping members get on a path to thrive and achieve financial peace of mind. Founded in 1940, and with Arkansas roots dating back to 1968, CommunityAmerica has grown to meet the evolving financial needs of its members. With nearly $10 billion in assets and more than 600,000 members, the credit union is ranked among the nation’s 50 largest credit unions. It is the largest credit union in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri, and one of the largest financial institutions with expanding operations in Northwest Arkansas. CommunityAmerica offers a full suite of financial products and services for individuals and businesses, including checking and savings, mortgages, loans, commercial banking, wealth management, retirement planning, and insurance. Federally chartered, CommunityAmerica serves members across multiple markets nationwide with branch locations in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas. Learn more at CommunityAmerica.com.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
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