May 21, 2014

The mayor of Camden (Ouachita County) proclaimed “Lasker Bell Day.” Lasker Bell Sr., founder of the Las Bell Variety Show television and radio program, hosted the show from 1967 to 1985, ushering in a shift in entertainment options in southern Arkansas and the Arkansas-Louisiana-Mississippi region. Bell also made contributions in public affairs in Arkansas, holding civil appointments under Governors Dale Bumpers, David Pryor, and Bill Clinton. In 1974, Bell also became the first Black interviewer for Channel 10 News.