Seven women and one organization will be the newest inductees to the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame, which recognizes women who have made significant contributions to Arkansas and to their respective fields, the nonprofit organization announced Friday.
The fourth annual induction ceremony for the Women's Hall of Fame will be Aug. 30 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
The inductees are:
• Carolyn Blakely, a lifelong educator and chancellor emeritus at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
• Karen Flake, president and chief executive officer of Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock and founder of Karen Flake & Associates market research and consulting firm.
• Dr. Sue Griffin, whose research of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions has led to significant breakthroughs in the early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's.
• Ray Jean Jordan Montague, an engineer and graphic design trailblazer in the U.S. Navy who is credited with the first computer-generated rough draft of a U.S. Naval ship.
• Annabelle Davis Clinton Imber Tuck, the first woman elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
• Bessie Grace BoehmMoore, a "historic inductee," who piloted a program for economic education in public schools and created the Ozark Folk Center State Park.
• Florence Beatrice Smith Price, also a historic inductee, who in 1933 became the first black female composer to have a work performed by a major American symphony orchestra.
• The Women's Foundation of Arkansas, an "organization inductee," which was devoted to improving the economic viability of women and girls through education and introducing girls to careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
"These inductees represent a wide range of endeavors in which women have provided leadership in the state, the nation and the world," Holly Fish, chairman of the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame board, said in a news release announcing the inductees.
Expanded biographical information of the inductees and listings of women previously honored are available at arwomenshalloffame.com. Tickets to the Aug. 30 induction ceremony are also available through the website.
The organization is guided by a board of directors composed of members from across Arkansas. A selection committee sought nominations from the public this spring and chose this year's induction class. Nominees aren't limited to a certain field or accomplishment and can include pioneers, philanthropists, educators, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, business leaders and political figures.
The nonprofit Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame began as a partnership between the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Business Publishing Group of Little Rock.
Metro on 05/20/2018