The Ozark Society was founded in 1962 by a group of citizens led by Dr. Neil Compton of Bentonville. Their primary goal was to halt the construction of dams on the Buffalo River, and their efforts across the next decade resulted in the protection of the river as a free-flowing stream and its designation in 1972 as America’s first “National River.” In 2012, members of the Ozark Society gathered at Tyler Bend Recreation Area at the Buffalo National River to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the organization. The event, held over two days in May, featured guest speakers including former Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, as well as talks from prominent members of the Ozark Society including Ken Smith, Doug James, Bob Ritchie, Stewart Noland, Alice Andrews, Bob Cross, and Mary Virginia Ferguson, among others. Pryor Center staff recorded the two-day event and conducted interviews with various attendees. Staff also created a short documentary on the event. Taken together, these recordings capture vital memories of Arkansas’s environmental history and the legacy of its leading conservation group.
#1: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Photo from the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Bob Cross speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Still frame from Pryor Center video of John Paul Hammerschmidt speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Stewart Noland speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Stewart Noland speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Douglas James speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Mary Virginia Ferguson speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Hubert Ferguson speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Suzie Liles speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Kevin Cheri speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Bob Ritchie speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Brian Adams speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Ellen Compton (speaking) and Ken Smith (left) at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Ken Smith speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Still frame from Pryor Center video of Janet Parsch speaking at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Edra Compton Diaz at the Ozark Society 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tyler Bend Campground on the Buffalo National River; St. Joe, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
