J. Thomas May Interviews

J. Thomas May

James Thomas "Tommy" May was born December 7, 1946, in Prescott, Nevada County, Arkansas, and raised in El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas.

May earned both his B.S.B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Arkansas. He was the chairman and chief executive officer of Simmons First National Corporation.

May has served Arkansas and his local communities in many capacities, including his participation on the University of Arkansas Foundation Board of Directors, the Dean's Executive Advisory Board in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the University of Arkansas Board of Advisors, the Steering Committee for the Campaign for the 21st Century, and the Board of Trustees for the University of Arkansas System from 1993 to 2003. Furthermore, May has dedicated his time to many organizations, including the Boys Club of America and Habitat for Humanity.

Video

Audio

AUDIO-MAY-Tommy-20070302 - 2:46:57

Transcripts

TRANS-MAY-Tommy-Memories-20070302-FINAL

Composite image of early photo of Tommy May and still frame from Pryor Center interview © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#1: Composite image of early photo of Tommy May and still frame from Pryor Center interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#2: Parents of Tommy May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#3: Tommy May as a young child
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#4: Young Tommy May sitting in a wagon
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#5: Young Tommy May on a tricycle
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#6: Young Tommy May with his father and sibling
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#7: Young Tommy May standing with his bicycle
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#8: Tommy May as a cub scout with his father and dog
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#9: Young Tommy May with his dog
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#10: Tommy May as a teen
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#11: Tommy May with his friend, 1968
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#12: Tommy May, 1968
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#13: High school portrait of Tommy May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#14: Tommy May as a young adult
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#15: Tommy May (right) with his brother and father
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#16: Tommy May family on the porch
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#17: Tommy May as a Marine
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#18: Tommy May at a canal marker in Vietnam
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#19: Tommy May in his Marine uniform
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#20: Tommy May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#21: Tommy May riding a cow
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#22: Tommy May with United Way donations chart
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May (right) at a Jaycees meeting with Bill Clinton (second to left), 1980 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#23: Tommy May (right) at a Jaycees meeting with Bill Clinton (second to left), 1980
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#24: Tommy May with his sons
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#25: Tommy May at a marathon
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#26: Tommy May at a ribbon-cutting ceremony
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#27: Tommy and Kathryn May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#28: Tommy May and Bobby Shepherd
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#29: Tommy May and Tom Spillyard
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#30: Tommy May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#31: Tommy May on a snowmobile
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#32: Tommy and Kathryn May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#33: Tommy and Kathryn May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#34: Tommy May (right) after getting a pie thrown at his face
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#35: Tommy May on his birthday
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#36: Tommy May (right) with Bill Ramsey
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#37: Tommy May, Keeper of the Spirit
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#38: March of Dimes Citizen of the Year award given to Tommy May, 2003
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#39: Tommy May duck hunting with his sons
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#40: Tommy May duck hunting with his sons
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#41: Tommy May at his son's graduation from law school
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#42: Tommy May at his son's graduation
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#43: Tommy May and Frank Broyles
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#44: Tommy May at the podium at the University of Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#45: Tommy May greeting Helen Walton
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#46: Tommy May (second to left) at center court with #14 football jersey
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#47: Tommy May (right) at the University of Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#48: Tommy May (right)
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#49: Portrait of Tommy May
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#50: Tommy May (right) with his brother, sister, and father
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#51: Tommy May (left) with B. Alan and Jean Sugg (center)
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#52: Tommy May (right) with members of the Arkansas Bankers Association
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#53: Tommy May grilling for New Orleans evacuees
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May (left) as a volunteer at his first house raising for Habitat for Humanity © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#54: Tommy May (left) as a volunteer at his first house raising for Habitat for Humanity
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#55: Tommy May (right) at the Habitat for Humanity team trailer
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#56: Tommy May (center, back row) with the Habitat for Humanity team
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May and Bill Clark © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#58: Tommy May at Louis L. Ramsay Road event
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May (left, foreground) greeting Bill Clinton; (left, background) B. Alan Sugg, Mack McLarty © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#59: Tommy May (left, foreground) greeting Bill Clinton; (left, background) B. Alan Sugg, Mack McLarty
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May unveiling his portrait at the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#60: Tommy May unveiling his portrait at the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Bill and Margaret Clark with Kathryn and Tommy May at establishment of the J. Thomas May Chair in Oncology at the University of Arkanas for Medical Sciences © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#61: Bill and Margaret Clark with Kathryn and Tommy May at establishment of the J. Thomas May Chair in Oncology at the University of Arkanas for Medical Sciences
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#63: Tommy May (second from right) and his golf buddies
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Four generations of the May family © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May family © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May with his grandson © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#68: Tommy and Kathryn May with their grandsons
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May with his grandsons © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy and Kathryn May at a theater © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#76: Tommy May with a caddie at Augusta National Golf Club
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May playing golf © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

King Tommy May on throne © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May (center) at NASDAQ © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Tommy May at his desk © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Tommy May at Harry Ryburn's residence: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 2007 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#81: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Tommy May at Harry Ryburn's residence: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas