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Welcome to the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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. It will also benefit people outside the state who are seeking information about Arkansas. 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. The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a work in progress. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

Photo Of The Day
L. C. Bates

While Daisy Bates receives most of the attention for her actions during the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, she received assistance from her husband, L. C. Bates, who began his war against inequality with the publication of the Arkansas State Press newspaper beginning in 1941. His position as a member of the executive council of the Little Rock chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) put him in a position of influence during the Central High crisis. In 1956, Bates was one of the plaintiffs in Aaron v. Cooper, which was filed by the NAACP demanding enforcement of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.

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This Day in Arkansas History
May 7, 1969

The short major league baseball career of Leroy Reams, who was born in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), began and ended when he struck out for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers before the 1970 season but never again left the minor leagues. Another short career was that of Otis Davis, born in Charleston (Franklin County). He started and ended his major league baseball career on April 22, 1946, when, batting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Davis (known as “Scat”) was put in as a pinch runner. He never appeared again in the major leagues.

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