1 State of Arkansas
2 94th General Assembly
3 Fiscal Session, 2024 HR 1057
4
5 By: Representatives A. Collins, McCullough, Achor, F. Allen, Andrews, Barker, Beaty Jr., Beck, Bentley,
6 M. Berry, S. Berry, Breaux, Brooks, K. Brown, M. Brown, Burkes, Joey Carr, John Carr, Cavenaugh,
7 Clowney, C. Cooper, Cozart, Crawford, Dalby, Duffield, Duke, Eaves, Ennett, Evans, D. Ferguson, K.
8 Ferguson, C. Fite, L. Fite, V. Flowers, Fortner, Furman, D. Garner, Gazaway, Gonzales, Gramlich, Haak,
9 Hawk, D. Hodges, G. Hodges, Holcomb, Hollowell, Hudson, Jean, L. Johnson, Ladyman, Long,
10 Lundstrum, Lynch, Maddox, Magie, J. Mayberry, McAlindon, McClure, McCollum, M. McElroy,
11 McGrew, B. McKenzie, McNair, S. Meeks, Miller, Milligan, J. Moore, K. Moore, Nicks, Painter, Pearce,
12 Perry, Pilkington, Puryear, Ray, J. Richardson, R. Scott Richardson, Richmond, Rose, Rye, Schulz, Scott,
13 T. Shephard, M. Shepherd, Springer, Steimel, Tosh, Underwood, Unger, Vaught, Walker, Wardlaw,
14 Warren, Watson, D. Whitaker, Wing, Womack, Wooldridge, Wooten
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16 HOUSE RESOLUTION
17 IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF DAVID PRYOR, FORMER GOVERNOR
18 OF ARKANSAS AND UNITED STATES SENATOR.
19
20
21 Subtitle
22 IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF DAVID PRYOR,
23 FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS AND UNITED
24 STATES SENATOR.
25
26
27 WHEREAS, on April 20, 2024, former Arkansas governor and United States
28 Senator, David Pryor, passed away at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, at
29 the age of eighty-nine (89); and
30
31 WHEREAS, David Pryor was one (1) of the state's most beloved political
32 figures and remained active in public service in the state long after he left
33 office; and
34
35 WHEREAS, David Pryor was born in Camden, Arkansas, on August 29, 1934,
36 and was a third generation Ouachita County resident, where his father,
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 HR1057
1 William Edgar Pryor, served as sheriff and his mother, Susan Hampton Newton
2 Pryor, was the first woman ever to seek elected office in Arkansas; and
3
4 WHEREAS, David Pryor attended public schools in Camden, Arkansas,
5 attended Henderson State Teachers College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and
6 graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1957; and
7
8 WHEREAS, along with his beloved wife Barbara, David Pryor founded and
9 published the Ouachita Citizen, a weekly newspaper in Camden from 1957-1960;
10 and
11
12 WHEREAS, David Pryor graduated from the University of Arkansas School
13 of Law in 1964, and was admitted to the Arkansas bar that same year; and
14
15 WHEREAS, David Pryor started his political career with his election to
16 the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1960, representing Ouachita County,
17 and served until 1966 when he was elected to the United States Congress after
18 winning a special election to the United States House of Representatives; and
19
20 WHEREAS, during his time in the Arkansas House of Representatives,
21 David Pryor gained a reputation as being interested in reforming the state's
22 political system; and
23
24 WHEREAS, David Pryor focused on helping the elderly and went undercover
25 to investigate nursing homes while serving in the United States House of
26 Representatives from 1966 to 1973, with the Select Committee on Aging being
27 created as a direct result of his efforts; and
28
29 WHEREAS, David Pryor was elected governor of Arkansas in 1974, where he
30 continued the modernization of state government and appointed an
31 unprecedented number of African-Americans and women to important positions;
32 and
33
34 WHEREAS, David Pryor was elected to the United States Senate in 1978,
35 where he won passage of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights in 1988, which expanded
36 citizens' rights dealing with the Internal Revenue Service and was the
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 HR1057
1 legislation David Pryor considered the "cornerstone" of his congressional
2 career; and
3
4 WHEREAS, in the United States Senate, David Pryor was known as a true
5 statesman, exemplifying what it meant to be a colleague and approaching every
6 person in the building, no matter their position, with the utmost humility
7 and respect, and also as a great legislator, with former United States
8 Senator Harry Reid commenting upon his retirement that David Pryor was "the
9 single most effective legislator" he had ever served with; and
10
11 WHEREAS, David Pryor did not seek reelection in 1996, and he retired
12 from elective office at the end of his term in early 1997; and
13
14 WHEREAS, David Pryor remained active in public service after his
15 retirement from the Senate in many ways, including serving:
16 (1) Two (2) years as the inaugural dean of the University of
17 Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service;
18 (2) Temporarily as the chair of the state Democratic Party in
19 2008;
20 (3) On the University of Arkansas's Board of Trustees starting
21 in 2009; and
22 (4) Two (2) years as the Director of the Institute of Politics
23 at the Harvard Kennedy School; and
24
25 WHEREAS, David Pryor's long-time colleague and dear friend, former
26 United States Senator and Governor of Arkansas Dale Bumpers, often lovingly
27 lamented that when Arkansas media typed out the name "David Pryor" that their
28 keyboards automatically typed out, "the most beloved political figure in
29 Arkansas"; and
30
31 WHEREAS, David Pryor is survived by:
32 (1) His wife, Barbara Jean Lunsford, whom he married in 1957;
33 (2) Three (3) sons, Mark, David, and Scott;
34 (3) Four (4) grandchildren; and
35 (4) One (1) great-grandson; and
36
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 HR1057
1 WHEREAS, after spending more than half a century in public service, the
2 impact of his loss has been felt by many current and former political
3 leaders, with former President Bill Clinton commenting that David Pryor was
4 "one of America's greatest advocates",
5
6 NOW THEREFORE,
7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
9
10 THAT the House of Representatives express sincere condolences to the
11 family of David Pryor and commend his outstanding contributions to the State
12 of Arkansas.
13
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution shall be
15 provided to the family of David Pryor by the Chief Clerk of the House of
16 Representatives.
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