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This Day in Arkansas History

February 25, 1964

Boxer Sonny Liston, son of Arkansas sharecroppers, lost the Heavyweight Championship to Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round. Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights.

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Henry Alexander

In 1937, the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County) offered Henry Alexander a position as professor of government. He founded UA’s Department of Government, which was renamed the Department of Political Science in 1966. He taught classes on, among other subjects, the city manager plan. As the state’s chief advocate of the city manager form of government, he drafted legislation to provide city manager as a choice of government for Arkansas towns. As a result, several Arkansas cities adopted this system.

 

In 1937, the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County) offered Henry Alexander a position as professor of government. He founded UA’s Department of Government, which was renamed the Department of Political Science in 1966. He taught classes on, among other subjects, the city manager plan. As the state’s chief advocate of the city manager form of government, he drafted legislation to provide city manager as a choice of government for Arkansas towns. As a result, several Arkansas cities adopted this system.

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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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