This article also partially published in Northwest
Arkansas Living™ Magazine
Apartments Edition |
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Honor & Grace: |
Saluting Arkansas Icons; |
2007 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame |
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Elegance, style, grace, and honor are four words which I hereby summon to describe the
atmosphere and ambiance on the evening of Friday, February 9th, 2007. The evening played
host to an important milestone in the lives of five very special Arkansans and their
contributions to our society. Business titans, courageous entrepreneurs, as well as
government brass and university officials alike, all descended into party and favor if
only for a brief moment on that very special evening to acknowledge and bestow lasting
FAME upon the legacy, hard work, crowning achievements and the NAMES of five very
prominent and notable Arkansans. Seven-hundred special guests were on hand to witness and
celebrate the induction of the business leaders into the Arkansas Business
Hall of Fame 2007 Induction Ceremony. The swanky high society monumental
affair was a "black tie 'optional'" social gathering which was held at the
spacious statehouse convention center located in the capital city of Little Rock. |
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The event which is hosted annually by the University of Arkansas, Sam M. Walton
College of Business (my alma mater) began in 1999 with the induction of four very
prominent Arkansas pioneers (William Dillard, Sr., Charles Murphy, Jr., Jackson
Stephens, and the late GREAT: Sam M. Walton - in a class of
his own). This year marks the ninth class of honorees to graduate into this prestigious
group of movers and shakers who have brought significant economic impact, respect and |
| FAME to the great state of Arkansas. As I have noted in so many of
my previous tributes and articles of some of our society's most interesting notables,
"the truest measure of a life well led is if one reaches the pinnacle of success in
ones chosen field during their lifetime," and oh did this years inductees really |
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| meet that criteria. Below are some interesting highlights from the
ceremony, including a few socialites who were good to grace us with their presence, food
fit for royalty, a complete list of prior inductees, this years selection committee, the
nominating process, a few "Arkansas Anchors" who all chipped in to insure event
success, as well as the names and biographical sketches of this years inductees. Notables
in Attendance
For a
brief moment, I had to stop and check my surroundings, because I wanted to be absolutely
certain that I was in the right place. Upon stepping into the main entry way and running
into Mary Ann Greenwood of Greenwood and Associates, which is a very well ... |
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