The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute - University of Arkansas System

Winthrop Rockefeller’s Legacy Celebrated, Exhibit Opened

PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN, Ark. (May 6, 2010) – During a weekend marked by devastating storms that swept across Arkansas, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute paid tribute to a man who transformed the state through his leadership and philanthropy. The third annual Winthrop Rockefeller Legacy Weekend highlighted Governor Rockefeller’s role in improving race relations and social equality in Arkansas. The annual event also celebrates Governor Rockefeller’s May 1 birthdate. This year, a proclamation by Gov. Mike Beebe designated May 1 as Winthrop Rockefeller Day in Arkansas.

The program began Friday, April 30, with the unveiling of Winthrop Rockefeller’s refurbished Winrock Farms office. Will Rockefeller, grandson of the late governor, and Dr. William “Sonny” Walker, friend and colleague of Winthrop Rockefeller, joined special guests of both the Rockefeller family and the Rockefeller Institute to officially dedicate the new exhibit.

It was in this office that Winthrop Rockefeller did much of his substantive work for both Winrock Farms and the state of Arkansas. The renovation project was led by the Rockefeller Institute’s maintenance department and program staff, with assistance from Petit Jean Mountain resident Todd Johnson.

On Saturday, May 1, a panel discussion focused on Rockefeller’s impact in the areas of racial and social justice. Panelists included:

• The Honorable Robert Brown, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice;
• Dorothy Stuck, journalist and friend of Rockefeller; and
• Sonny Walker, former director of the Arkansas Office of Economic Opportunity under Governor Rockefeller and the first black Cabinet member appointed in Arkansas.

Dr. Todd Shields, a professor of political science and director of the Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas, moderated the discussion.

The panelists revealed unique insights into Governor Rockefeller’s legacy, focusing on his transformative work in the areas of racial and social justice. Rockefeller became the 37th governor of Arkansas in 1967, succeeding Orval Faubus, who was best known for resisting federally ordered desegregation efforts at Central High School in Little Rock. As governor, Rockefeller’s efforts to improve race relations involved integrating the Arkansas State Police Department and appointing the state’s first black Cabinet member, Sonny Walker.

“I identified with the man, but never did I dream that he would be bold enough, brave enough, and some people would even say dumb enough to appoint me to his Cabinet,” Walker said. “They just didn’t do that then, and they certainly didn’t do that in the South.

“I was considered to be a rather controversial figure in the state of Arkansas because I was beginning to do things and say things that were rather nontraditional,” Walker admitted. “I guess I had some of the same thoughts that Win Rockefeller had and certainly felt many of the same things he felt; I just didn’t have the money [he had].”

Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rockefeller was the only Southern governor to hold a public ceremony of mourning for the Civil Rights leader. Justice Brown said this act was the defining moment for Winthrop Rockefeller.

“It took a tremendous amount of courage to join hands with the black ministers on the steps of the state Capitol and sing, ‘We Shall Overcome.’ What could have been more symbolic than that, not only in the South but across the country?”

During his first term in office, Rockefeller sought social equality in Arkansas by adopting the state’s first minimum wage and bringing reform to Arkansas’ cruel prison system.

“Prison reform usually doesn’t have a lot of advocacy, especially during the 1960s,” Brown said. “Back then, the prisons were a cesspool in this state. There was torture, there was cruelty, the health conditions were abysmal, and the food was terrible. But Winthrop Rockefeller came in and paved the way to get rid of the trusty system and bring in new personnel and reformers.”

Winthrop Rockefeller also commuted the death sentences of the 15 prisoners on death row during his last week in office. Brown said no other governor at the time had taken such action.

“I give Winthrop Rockefeller high marks for that because 11 of the 15 prisoners on death row were African American and faced charges that would not have typically called for execution,” Brown said. “He was a maverick, and that act exemplified one of the things that he did that wasn’t a very popular thing to do, but he took it on.”

Walker said Winthrop Rockefeller did not always do what was popular, but he did what was right. Walker attributed this to the governor’s favorite Bible verse, Micah 6:8. The Scripture reads, “And what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” The verse is engraved on a metal plaque attached to a large rock on the Rockefellers’ private property.

“Here is a man who, in my opinion, was guided and directed by his mother’s favorite biblical verse in the Book of Micah,” Walker said. “If you understand Micah, then you would understand Win. That verse guided his thoughts and actions.”

Stuck said Rockefeller knew what Arkansas needed and found his own sense of purpose in the state. “He was his own man, but he became our man. He became our champion,” Stuck said. “He opened the Capitol doors and let a fresh wind blow through.

“I treasure my memories of Winthrop because I love this state dearly, and he did so much to help realize some of the dreams and goals I had for it,” Stuck said. “The big task for us now is to keep his legacy alive.”

In addition to Saturday’s panel discussion on racial and social justice, other panels were held at the Rockefeller Institute throughout the weekend related to this year’s Legacy Weekend theme. Discussion topics included gender equity and empowerment, racial attitudes in central Arkansas, ways to foster racial healing and promote equity, and the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas in the 1960s. Participating organizations were Winrock International, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Institute of Government, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Arkansas Press.

About Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

In 2005, the University of Arkansas System established Winthrop Rockefeller Institute with a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust. By integrating the resources and expertise of a statewide university system with the legacy and ideas of Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, this educational institute and conference center creates an atmosphere where collaboration and change can thrive.

The Rockefeller Institute offers a variety of workshops, seminars, public lectures, conferences and special events. Program areas include agriculture and environment, arts and humanities, economic development, and policy and public affairs. To learn more, call 501-727-5435, visit LiveTheLegacy.org, or stay connected on Twitter and Facebook.