December 9, 1928

Carl Cordell Jr. was born in Benton (Saline County). Few figures are more recognized in the multi-billion-dollar sportfishing industry than Cordell, who built a fishing tackle empire based in Hot Springs (Garland County) that grew to be the largest in America. Cordell was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame in 1997. He was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2002.