Our departure from Fayetteville was delayed for week two of the Pride of Arkansas Tour because of another snowstorm that blew in Monday, Feb 8. We were disappointed that we weren’t able to come see our alumni and friends in Joplin & Blytheville, but we wanted to make sure everyone stayed warm and safe. We have also rescheduled our Eureka Springs stop for March 9 at 5:30pm.
Amidst the freezing temperatures and blowing snow, University of Arkansas alumni and friends braved the weather to gather with friends and family as we ventured onward through Kansas City & Memphis.
Kansas City, Kansas
Through the eyes of Debbie Blume, Executive Assistant for the Arkansas Alumni Association
Over seventeen dedicated alumni and guests braved lingering snow showers to join the Arkansas Alumni Association for an update of university and association good news and the premier of a new video, “The Razorback Family: Generations.” Among our guests was Annie Burress, high school daughter of Jay Burress’84 of Stilwell, KS. Annie is interested in the University of Arkansas as a legacy student following in her dad’s footsteps and hopes to make a visit to campus this spring.
Check out our Kansas City photos on Flickr
The group eagerly called the hogs as the evening wound to a close. We’re sure the other restaurant patrons knew that the University of Arkansas was in the house!
Memphis, Tennessee
Through the eyes of Tammy Tucker, Director of Communications for the Arkansas Alumni Association
We started off the second week of our Pride of Arkansas Tour on Tuesday, Feb 9 at Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects in downtown Memphis, where alumnus Scott Dicus graciously hosted our evening event. After watching the video, “The Razorback Family: Generations,” journalism graduate Kyle Parkinson said he had classes taught by both Larry Foley, who narrated the video, and Gerald Jordan, who was featured in it. Kyle, who is the Director of Communications for the Memphis Redbirds minor league baseball team, brought his intern, Mason Lace, who is a current student at the University of Arkansas majoring in sports management. Mason hopes to work in the Dallas Cowboys’ front office someday.
David Hallin and Gary Clark reminisced about their days on the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, while Phil Stevenson said his father, Ed Stevenson of Mena, also served on the board. Phil himself worked at the Alumni Association and was responsible for typing the class notes section of the magazine on one of those antiquated objects known as a typewriter. Phil joined the Alumni Association this evening, knowing his father would be disappointed otherwise.
Gary said that for 14 years in the 1990s, either he or his daughters were serving on Alumni boards. Both of his daughters, Candace and Jenny, were Student Alumni Board presidents.
Check out our Memphis photos on Flickr
David relayed the story of how he became the first president of the Mid-South Chapter Board by missing a meeting. Later, the late Morris Fair called to inform him of his new presidency. He never misses a meeting anymore!
Clark Buchner, an architect who visited with the parents of a prospective University of Arkansas student, told us he takes his dog to stay in the dog-friendly Cosmopolitan Hotel in Fayetteville just to go to the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market. Clark is so enamored with the farmer’s market and its uniqueness, that he feels it should be used more as a student recruitment tool.
Come Share Your Stories With Us!
Do you have a story or campus memory you’d like to share with us and fellow alumni? Make plans to join us at one of our next Pride of Arkansas Tour Stops near you today or share your own story in the comments below if you live in one of the areas we have visited.
