Arkansas Democrat Project

The Arkansas Democrat oral history project was launched in Spring 2005 to capture the history of the publication's operations in the late twentieth century with a focus on the famous newspaper war with the Arkansas Gazette. Democrat publisher Walter Hussman Jr. renamed the newspaper the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette when he bought the Gazette's assets in 1991. The Hussman Foundation has provided generous funding for this project.

Jerry McConnell, who has had a distinguished career in print journalism, has served as the project director. He took his first newspaper job with the Arkansas Democrat in 1951 before moving to the Gazette in 1955. He returned to the Democrat in 1971 as managing editor and remained there until 1978 when he moved to Oklahoma to work for both the Oklahoman and the Oklahoma City Times. He retired in 1991 and moved to Greenwood, Arkansas.

Interviewee Interviewer Date
A Adams, GregoryJerry McConnell 11/08/2007
Allbright, CharlesJerry McConnell 05/15/2005
Allen, AmandaCarol Stogsdill 08/12/2006
Allen, JimJerry McConnell 02/01/2007
Anderson, PhillipJerry McConnell 02/27/2007
Arnold, GeorgeTim Hackler 04/20/2005
B Bailey, JimJerry McConnell 06/14/2005
Baldridge speed, JulieMel White 06/29/2005
Baldwin, RalphJerry McConnell 02/09/2007
Berry, AllenJerry McConnell 05/04/2006
Berry, ArmintaJerry McConnell 06/03/2005
Bradburn, CaryJerry McConnell 11/08/2007
Brandon, PhyllisJerry McConnell 07/02/2005
Burnham, RonJerry McConnell 09/04/2005
C Campbell, FredMel White 08/10/2005
Casey, RalphJerry McConnell 07/29/2005
Clay, JerrilynMara Leveritt 07/18/2005
Cox, PattiMara Leveritt 08/12/2005
Cranford, WaynePhyllis Brandon 06/04/2005
D Daniel, SheilaMel White 10/14/2005
Davies, DavidJerry McConnell 06/13/2007
Day, BarbaraJerry McConnell 02/23/2006
Dean, JerryJeanne Rollberg 07/20/2005
Deering, JohnJim Bailey 08/15/2007
Dickinson, SamJerry McConnell 02/12/2007
Donald, LeroyBrenda Tirey 02/02/2006
Doty, GeraldJerry McConnell 08/29/2006
Dougan, MichaelJerry McConnell 03/07/2007
E Eddins, BillGerald Jordan 07/22/2005
Elkins, ConnieBrenda Tirey 06/30/2004
F Fellone, FrankPhyllis Brandon 07/13/2005
Fields, ArlinDan Farley 07/14/2005
Finch, JackyePhyllis Brandon 06/25/2005
Foreman, GeneJerry McConnell 07/15/2006
Funk, BettyJerry McConnell 02/24/2006
G Gamble, MargueritePhyllis Brandon 09/03/2005
Garrett, ChesterJerry McConnell 07/30/2005
George, MarcusJerry McConnell 05/14/2005
Graham, LarryJerry McConnell 06/01/2006
Greenberg, PaulJerry McConnell 08/21/2007
Greene, OmarGarry Hoffmann 07/28/2007
Greenwood, RamonJerry McConnell 01/29/2007
H Hackler, TimGeorge Arnold 05/12/2005
Hall, WallyFrank Fellone 06/09/2005
Hamilton, LynnJerry McConnell 05/04/2006
Harrison, EricCelia Storey 07/28/2005
Hays, SteeleAmanda Miller Allen 04/30/2005
Hemingway, CharlesCharles Hemingway 06/30/2006
Hemingway, CharlesJerry McConnell 06/30/2006
Hemingway, CollinsCollins Hemingway 10/01/2006
Herrington, GeneJerry McConnell 02/16/2005
Hoge, AlysonJerry McConnell 11/18/2005
Holmes, MartinGary Rice 08/27/2005
Holt, BobSam Krebs 08/21/2005
Hood Jones, BeverlyMara Leveritt 07/20/2005
Hussman, WalterRoy Reed 06/30/2004
Hussman, WalterJerry McConnell 02/19/2009
Husted, BillSteele Hays 01/28/2006
J Jeffrey, EstelJerry McConnell 07/31/2006
Jordan, GeraldGeorge Arnold 05/05/2005
K Kaufman, KenJerry McConnell 03/25/2006
Kelly, CharlesJerry McConnell 11/18/2005
Kennedy, JonBob McCord 05/15/2006
Kennedy, MaryGerald Jordan 07/24/2005
Kirby, MartinJerry McConnell 05/31/2007
Kirkendall, MikeJerry McConnell 02/08/2007
Koonce, GeraldGarry Hoffmann 08/22/2007
Krebs, SamBob Holt 08/21/2005
L Lancaster, BobMara Leveritt 06/06/2005
Leveritt, MaraMel White 04/27/2005
Lorenzen, RodArlin Fields 07/27/2005
M Masterson, MikeTim Hackler 08/21/2005
Mathis, DeborahJerry McConnell 06/16/2007
May, AlJerry McConnell 04/16/2007
McConnell, JerryJerry McConnell 09/11/2008
McCord, RobertJerry McConnell 06/03/2005
Miller, NancyElisa Crouch 06/19/2006
Mobbs, JohnJerry McConnell 06/22/2006
Morris, AndyJerry McConnell 04/27/2007
Morrow, FredJerry McConnell 06/12/2005
Moss, RandyJerry McConnell 02/09/2009
N Nelson, RexJerry McConnell 05/03/2007
O Oswald, MarkJerry McConnell 06/13/2007
P Patrick, RalphAmanda Miller Allen 07/02/2005
Peacock, LeslieMel White 06/06/2005
Petrucelli, FredDavid McCullum 03/14/2006
R Rea, LarryClay Bailey 06/28/2007
Reddoch, DaveJerry McConnell 07/31/2006
Rhodes, SonnyMara Leveritt 08/26/2005
Rice, GaryDenise Gamino 08/14/2005
Rixse, CharlesJerry McConnell 07/15/2005
Robinson, RonJerry McConnell 09/22/2005
S Satter, LindaGarry Hoffmann 07/28/2007
Shuemake, JimJerry McConnell 07/16/2005
Simmons, BillJim Bailey 07/31/2007
Smith, GriffinJerry McConnell 08/20/2007
Smith, PaulJerry McConnell 03/21/2006
Smith, PaulJerry McConnell 12/09/2008
Starr, RustyJerry McConnell 01/07/2009
Steinmetz, TuckerJerry McConnell 05/04/2007
Stogsdill, CarolAmanda Miller Allen 08/21/2006
Storey, CeceliaAlyson Hoge 10/20/2005
Straw, LyndaBrenda Tirey 07/04/2005
Sutton, OzellJerry McConnell 08/29/2006
T Tardy, RandyGarry Hoffmann 02/11/2006
Taylor, BillMeredith Oakley 04/26/2006
Taylor, MaryJackye Finch 06/28/2005
Terrell, DavidPamela Terrell 03/24/2007
Terrell, PamelaJerry McConnell 03/28/2007
Terry, BillJerry McConnell 05/31/2007
Thomas, RobertArlin Fields 06/17/2006
Thompson, TeriJerry McConnell 01/22/2007
Tirey, BrendaMara Leveritt 05/05/2005
Tyson, VanBob McCord 04/19/2006
W Ward, JohnJerry McConnell 09/23/2005
White, MelBrenda Tirey 07/12/2007
Wilder, JimmyJerry McConnell 03/07/2007

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