September 19, 1939

William Overton, who served as U.S. district judge from 1979 to 1987, was born in Hot Spring County. Overton was known for the clarity of his writings and his ability to get to the heart of a question. He became known especially for rulings in the McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education case, which declared the teaching of creationism in public schools to be unconstitutional. Also notable was the case of Donovan v. Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation, in which it was ruled that the foundation must pay minimum wages, rather than compensation of only room and board, to young workers who were followers of a quasi-religious group.