Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

March 13, 1979

John William Morris died at the age of 104. He had practiced medicine until the age of 101. In 1973, the American Medical Association and Ripley’s Believe It or Not recognized him as one of the three oldest practicing physicians in the United States. Morris estimated that he delivered more than 7,000 babies during his career. On his 100th birthday, the three national television networks were on hand to record the event, and he was featured on their daily news shows. The next day, Morris was back at work and treated twenty-five patients at his clinic.

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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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