July 17, 1942

Don Kessinger was born in Forrest City (St. Francis County). Kessinger played major league baseball for sixteen years in the 1960s and 1970s, mostly for the Chicago Cubs. He is also the only Arkansan to have both played and managed in the major leagues, leading the Chicago White Sox for more than half a season in 1979. Kessinger may be remembered most as a member of the 1969 Chicago Cubs team that led the East Division of the National League for most of the season, only to collapse in the last month of the summer.