Betty Lou Flanagan Bumpers was born in Grand Prairie, Franklin County, Arkansas, on January 11, 1925.
Bumpers attended Iowa State University, the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, and the University of Arkansas. She taught elementary school in Charleston, Arkansas. In 1949 she married Dale Bumpers and later helped him with the desegregation of the Charleston Public School District, which began in 1954.
In 1971 Bumpers began the Every Child By ’74 campaign to immunize the state's children. After moving to Washington, DC, in 1975, she expanded the program with the support of Rosalynn Carter, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Bumpers extended her work again in 1982 when she helped found Peace Links, an international organization of women concerned with issues of nuclear arms proliferation and peace. The group aimed to achieve change through education and discussion. In 1991 Bumpers and Carter launched Every Child By Two – Carter/Bumpers Champions for Immunization. Bumpers' commitment to the issues of childhood vaccination and to AIDS vaccine research prompted President Bill Clinton to create the Vaccine Research Center in 1999.
In 2008 Bumpers returned to Arkansas, where she has served on the advisory board for the Arkansas chapter of Women’s Action for New Directions. She has also served on the advisory board for the National Peace Foundation. Bumpers received the 2012 Billie Ann Myers Paragon Award in recognition of her volunteerism and promotion of childhood vaccination and was inducted into the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bumpers passed away on November 23, 2018.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Betty (Flanagan) Bumpers and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's grandparents, Thomas Lee and Elizabeth Ann Flanagan, ca. 1891
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's ancestors
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's uncle and aunt, Ed and Clara Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Left to right, top row: Bess, Harmon, Ola, Margaret, and Babe Flanagan; Glen Bumpers; Callans Flanagan; Bernice and Floy Bumpers; Catherine and Jack Root; bottom row: Grandma Flanagan, Papa and Mama Flanagan, Warren and Genevieve Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Left to right, top row: Neil, Callans, and Norman Flanagan; front row: Lyman Root, Sam Flanagan, and John Root
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's grandparents, Thomas Lee and Elizabeth Flanagan, with their six children: Warren, Rex, Herman Edward, Norman, Floy, and Katherine Flanagan, in front of their home in Grand Prairie, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's father, Herman Edward "Babe" Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Picture of Betty Flanagan's first-grade class, Branch School, taught by Miss Erma Chastain; Betty Flanagan (2nd row from top, 3rd from right); Branch, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Betty Lou Flanagan's third-grade report card, front and back, 1932–1933
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Betty Lou Flanagan's third-grade report card, inside, 1932–1933
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's father, Herman Edward "Babe" Flanagan, ca. 1935
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's brother, Callans Flanagan, school picture, ca. 1930–31
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: 1. Margaret Flanagan; 2. Jean King Flanagan; 3. Ruth Flanagan; 4. Betty Flanagan (Bumpers); 5. Callans Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Ruth, Betty, and Margaret Flanagan at Sen. Lee G. King's home, King family reunion; Franklin County, Arkansas, ca. 1930s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's brother, Callans Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Betty Flanagan and Dub Boyd, Betty's "first love," October 19, 1940
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's sister, Ruth Flanagan, and mother, Ola Callan Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) in her first long dress, Rainbow Girls dance, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 1941
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Betty Flanagan's class picture, 1942
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: The Flanagan family at Christmas, Charleston, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) and Paul McAlroy Jr.
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) with Bernice and Bequita Bumpers, and Betty's sister, Maggie Flanagan; Vian, Oklahoma, ca. 1943-1944
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) (2nd from right) with her mother, Ola Callan Flanagan, and her sisters, Ruth and Maggie Flanagan, at Ala and Geils Flanagan's; June 9, 1946
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) with her best friend, Emmy Wells, on horses, ca. 1948
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) and her best friend, Emmy Wells, at a supper club in Chicago, November 1948
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) (right) and Mary Emma Wells, wearing hats made by Betty, with Gene Wakefield; College Inn, Chicago, Illinois, 1948
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) and the Hollingsworth family; Chicago, Illinois, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) and Speck Ray at the University of Arkansas Student Union Ballroom, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) with her sister, Ruth Flanagan, and Bernice Bumpers; Fort Smith, Arkansas, summer 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Margaret Flanagan, Bequita Bumpers, Ruth Bumpers, Bernice Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Betty Flanagan (Bumpers) while in school at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Left to right: Mary Emma Wells, Bequita Bumpers Huggins Gray, Betty Flanagan Bumpers, Margaret Flanagan Schaffer, Bernice Bumpers Carey Stevens, and Ruth Flanagan Gramlich Wolfe at Dale and Betty Bumpers's wedding; September 4, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's bridal photo taken at her mother's house; September 4, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Betty Flanagan Bumpers and her brother, Callans Flanagan, on Betty's wedding day; September 4, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Dale and Betty Bumpers's wedding party: (back row, left to right) Sigler Carey, Miller Huggens, Carroll Bumpers, Callans Flanagan; Archie Schaffer, Louis Gramlick (front row, left to right) Ruth Flanagan Gramlich Wolfe, Bernice Bumpers Carey Stevens, Bequita Bumpers Huggins Gray, Ola Callan Flanagan, Dale and Betty Bumpers, Margaret Flanagan Schaffer, Margaret Bumpers Ware Kahliff, and Janice McGhee Flanagan; First Methodist Church of Charleston, Arkansas; September 14, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Betty Flanagan Bumpers and friend at University of Arkansas summer school, ca. 1950
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Betty Flanagan Bumpers and her brother, Callans Flanagan, showing a horse at an Iowa sales barn, ca. 1940s-1950s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Betty Flanagan Bumpers, Iowa, ca. 1940s-1950s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: Betty Flanagan Bumpers and Margaret Flanagan Schaffer
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: Betty Bumpers pregnant with Brent, 1952
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Page from photo album with Dale Bumpers in center photo holding his son, Brent; also pictured are 4 generations of Flanagans: (text on page) Papa Flanagan holding Joe Flanagan, Babe Flanagan holding Brent, Callans Flanagan, his three oldest sons, three Shaffer boys; Fred Shaffer, Mike Flanagan, Kriss Shaffer, Tom Flanagan, Brent Bumpers, Archie III, Joe Flanagan, John Flanagan; Christmas 1952
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Dale Bumpers with son, Brent; Charleston, Arkansas, 1953
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Betty Flanagan Bumpers's mother, Ola Flanagan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Betty Bumpers's sons, Brent and Bill; Charleston, Arkansas, Easter 1959
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#46: Betty Bumpers's parents, Babe and Ola Flanagan, on their 50th wedding anniversary, March 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#47: Betty Bumpers in Acapulco, Mexico, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#48: Betty Bumpers's children, Bill, Brent, and Brooke, May 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#49: Dale Bumpers with his daughter, Brooke, June 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#50: Betty Bumpers with her daughter, Brooke, ca. 1969
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#51: Betty Bumpers (center) with Arkansas State Police escort, Runyan Deere, Bill Lawson, and Arkansas Department of Health employee on an "Every Child" trip; Pine Bluff Airport, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 1973
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#52: Betty Bumpers's nephew, Archie Schaffer III, with his mother, Margaret Flanagan Schaffer
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#53: The Bumpers family at Christmas; Charleston, Arkansas, 1977
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#54: Betty Bumpers in cabin at Mount Lushan, China, February 1979
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#55: Back of previous photo: Betty Bumpers in cabin at Mount Lushan, China, February 1979
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#56: Betty Bumpers caricature by George Fisher for the Every Child By Two - Carter/Bumpers Campaign for Early Immunization
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#57: Dale Bumpers with his wife, Betty, daughter, Brooke, and close family friend, Henrietta "Hu Hu" (seated on left), in the US Senate Dining Room in Washington, DC; January 1985
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#58: Dale Bumpers with (from left) his wife, Betty; sister, Margaret Kahliff; sister-in-law, Catherine Bumpers; niece, Donna Bumpers; and brother, Carroll Bumpers, at a Democratic function, 1990
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#59: Betty Bumpers (right) on Peace Links poster, 1998
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#60: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Betty Bumpers; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#61: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Betty Bumpers; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
