Oral History

Dale Cole
10/10/2023

An Oral History Interview of Dale Cole by Twyla Wright

 

Table Of Contents
  • Born in 1948 in Texas 0:00
  • Education 7:00
  • Marriage 10:00
  • Early banking experience 12:00
  • Why and how Cole started First Community Bank 17:00
  • Developing bank leadership 26:00
  • Expanding bank into 35 branches 31:00
  • Personal Strength 48:00
  • Commitment to Community 52:00
  • Earliest Memory 57:00
  • Proudest Moment 1:00:00
  • Advice 1:01:00
Dr Roberta Buston
10/04/2023

An Oral History Interview of Dr. Roberta Buston by Dr Bruce Johnston

Table Of Contents
  • Growing up on a farm 1:00
  • Attending school in Bald Knob, AR 3:00
  • Education at Arkansas College 3:50
  • Education at the University of Arkansas 6:00
  • Education at KU and LSU 8:45
  • Research work with NASA 11:30
  • Work in the mission field- Sun Valley, AZ 14:30
  • Work in the mission field- Romania 18:28
  • Challenge of learning a second language as an adult 29:00
  • Transition from teacher to pastor 34:00
  • Retirement in Batesville, AR 43:30
  • Continued work for the Nazarene Church 51:30
  • Diet in Romania 54:17
  • Advice to aspiring missionaries 56:43
  • Next steps in life 1:03:19
Lucy Yeager
06/03/2023

An Oral History Interview of Lucy Jeffery Yeager by Sarah M Jones

Table Of Contents
  • Early years of Independence County 0:00
  • Family Tree- Heritage in Independence County 4:20
  • Book published/written by Lucy and her mother, Virginia Jeffery 5:34
  • 1950's home setting/growing up in Batesville, AR 9:55
  • Neighbors on Main Street, Batesville, AR 14:48
  • High School in Batesville, AR early 60's 19:11
  • Fitzhugh Park Batesville, AR 21:20
  • Arkansas College- education and experiences as a "Lassie" international performances 22:07
  • Marriage, employment, children 39:10
  • Living on Main Street in Batesville, AR 50:10
  • Incentives for young people to come back home to Batesville 52:36
David Blair
23/03/2023

An Oral History Interview of H. David Blair by Twyla Wright

Table Of Contents
  • Birth, parents 0:00
  • Mother: Ruth Griffin Blair 1:17
  • Great grandfather (Keith) Sears Roebuck catalog house- Ruddell Hill 3:39
  • Early family history: Griffins/Blairs 5:06
  • Jim Blair, parents employment/descriptions of 8:50
  • Parents' education, David's education through law school 15:40
  • Marriage to Suzanne Evans Blair and son, Jeffery 21:47
  • World Travels 26:24
  • Law partnerships and work 30:45
  • US Supreme Court Case 2006 34:46
  • Auto racing business 40:15
  • History of White River Hospital 44:18
  • small town living 56:00
  • Not on recording: David Blair served on the AR Supreme Court committees 1974-1997
Debra Frazier
19/10/2023

An Oral History Interview of Debra Frazier by Twyla Wright

Table Of Contents
  • Early Life with Family - 1:00
  • College - 14:00
  • Church and Wisdom - 16:00
  • Marriage and Children - 21:00
  • Teaching and Changes at Gateway Vocational School - 26:00
  • Visiting Eastern Europe - 31:00
  • Became Assistant Chancellor at UACCB - 44:00
  • Served as Chancellor at UACCB from 2007-2021 - 50:00
  • After Retirement and World Travel - 59:00
  • Religion, Awards and Service on Boards - 64:00
Bill Walmsley
11/12/2023

An Oral History Interview of Bill Walmsley by Twyla Wright

Table Of Contents
  • Birth and family in Bald Knob, AR 0:00
  • Education through Arkansas College and Law School 5:30
  • First Marriage 7:32
  • Arkansas College mentor and law school 8:19
  • Sons and Family 10:10
  • Janice McSpadden, her work and their marriage 12:30
  • Vo-Tech school amendment to become UACCB 14:50
  • Start law practice in 1966 17:44
  • Court of Appeals 20:50
  • Election to Arkansas Senate 1971 21:50
  • Fair Trade Liquor Law and removal of Sen. Mutt Jones 24:50
  • More about UACCB Amendment 33:18
  • Escheat Law about abandoned property 37:35
  • Arkansas AM&N consolidation into ARU at Pine Bluff 40:31
  • Against Apiary Board Revenue for honey 45:28
  • Sponsored 56 Bills in AR Senate 47:23
  • Chiropractic Amendment To add on auto insurance 49:10
  • Gov. Dale Bumpers and poultry industry 50:02
  • Independence County Library board and development 54:00
  • Church in Bill's life 1:00:00
  • Woodlawn Board 1:3:20
  • President of Arkansas Horseman's Benevolent Protective Association 1:4:11
  • Awards 1:6:01
Sheila Avant
03/02/2024

An Oral History Interview of Sheila Avant by Twyla Wright

Table Of Contents
  • Sheila Wells: Birth, family history, growing up :01
  • Summer in Dry Run w/ her grandmother 2:30
  • Life in New York City 4:21
  • Moved across NYC in 6th grade 8:22
  • Sheila's mother Mary- occupation, schooling and the "Jaynets" 9:05
  • Wills not Wells; Mary moving to NYC and attending the School of Performing Arts 14:00
  • Moving to Batesville in 1976; West Elementary 18:40
  • First bitter taste of racism in Batesville 23:43
  • Black students segregated themselves in school and on bus 26:13
  • Meeting future husband, James "Tony" Avant in Miller Gym/courtship 31:40
  • Earning GED/certificate in Data Processing/ working for 1st Community Bank 42:17
  • Sheila and Tony's daughters, grandchildren, and challenges 44:26
  • Dry Run then and now 49:33
  • Care of black hair from babyhood on, including corn rows, straightening, wigs, prejudice against black hair 52:05
  • Hope for the future; Fear of "white washing" history 1:07:00
Doreen Kamoga
12/04/2024

An Oral History Interview of Doreen Kamoga by Twyla Wright

Table Of Contents
  • Birth in 1981 in Uganda, Africa, parent and family .01
  • Description of childhood home, family gatherings, recreation 8:00
  • Hard times, crops, food preservation 12:14
  • School in Uganda 15:41
  • Subjects she enjoyed and why 22:27
  • Politics in Uganda and America, past and present 27:06
  • Family members work, her tailoring 29:30
  • Dating and marriage to Roy Kamoga 34:57
  • Episcopal (Church of Uganda) 41:57
  • Birth of daughters 43:00
  • Reason for moving to America 44:27
  • Medical speciality in Public Health and teaching; Move to Arkansas; specialty in Internal Medicine; heart for holistic medicine 47:20
  • Medical practice challenges 53:25
  • Medical service/business changes 57:03
  • Personal recreation 1:01:58
  • Life Advice 1:03:56
Mayor Rick Elumbaugh
10/04/2024

An Oral History Interview of Rick Elumbaugh by Dr. Bruce Johnston

Table Of Contents
  • Growing up in Batesville/Main Street :29
  • School memories in Batesville and Jonesboro 7:24
  • First Employment after college/Public school teacher/Manager of Batesville City Pools 15:40
  • Mayor/Municipal League/Why Politics? 22:30
  • Economic Development 26:48
  • Idea for Christmas Capital of Arkansas 30:37
  • Main Street Area/Recreational Interests 32:30
  • Business Development in Batesville 42:00

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