March 5, 1929

Governor Harvey Parnell and the Forty-seventh General Assembly adopted House Concurrent Resolution Number 22, proclaiming: “The mockingbird is declared and everywhere recognized as the state bird of the State of Arkansas.” In Arkansas, the State Federation of Women’s Clubs, in a campaign directed by Mrs. W. A. Utley, was responsible for promoting the legislation naming the mockingbird as the official state bird. The proposed bill was first perceived as a joke but passed following speeches proclaiming the mockingbird’s value to farmers. Four other states—Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas—have also designated the mockingbird as their official state bird, making it the third-most-popular choice, eclipsed only by the first-place cardinal and second-place western meadowlark.