Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

September 17, 1968

Virginia Lillian Morris Johnson turned down an offer to serve on the state Democratic Committee on Revision of Party Rules because of the committee’s intention to force local Democrats to give support to national Democratic candidates. Johnson had been the first woman to run for the office of governor in Arkansas. Running as a conservative Democrat, Johnson had campaigned against six other Democrats, all male, vying to be the candidate to run against the Republican incumbent, Winthrop Rockefeller, in the gubernatorial race of 1968. She did not win the Democratic nomination, and Rockefeller was reelected.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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