The library archivist at Ouachita Baptist University will start work as the state historian and director of the Arkansas State Archives in May -- three months after the resignation of the last archivist, who cited what she called an intolerable work climate when she left.
The appointment of Wendy Richter of Donaldson, who served as director of the state archives when it was known as the Arkansas History Commission from 2005-12, was announced Wednesday by Stacy Hurst, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Richter has been the library archivist and a faculty member at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia since 2013.
Richter replaces Lisa Speer, who had been archivist since June 2013 and left in February.
Hurst hired Richter for the post after 36 applicants met the job's minimum qualifications, said Department of Arkansas Heritage spokesman Melissa Whitfield. Whitfield said that Meredith McFadden, archival manager at Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives, and Richter were interviewed for the position.
"I was committed to finding the most qualified candidate for the position, and I was absolutely thrilled to learn of Dr. Richter's interest," Hurst said in a written statement when asked by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette why she hired Richter.
"She knows the job and understands the importance of the Archives and its work. Through her own scholarly research, she has made valuable contributions to the preservation of Arkansas history. We are lucky to have her back," Hurst said.
Richter, who has more than 35 years of experience in archival records and research, starts May 14 at an annual salary of $87,095, the department said. Speer was paid $89,636, Whitfield said.
Richter holds a doctoral degree in heritage studies from Arkansas State University, master's degrees in heritage studies from ASU and in public history from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from UALR, according to her resume. She is an expert on the history of the upper Ouachita River Valley and Clark, Hot Spring and Garland counties, the department said.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson approved Hurst's recommendation to hire Richter, said his spokesman, J.R. Davis.
"The work of the Arkansas State Archives is very important, and I look forward to Dr. Richter's leadership of the organization and its mission of maintaining the historical records of our state," the governor said in a written statement issued through the Department of Arkansas Heritage. "Her understanding of and scholarship in Arkansas history are an extraordinary gift to our state."
In an interview Wednesday, Richter said she decided to return to the job that she departed in 2012 because "it always was my dream job."
She said she resigned as director of the Arkansas History Commission in 2012 for personal reasons. Three grandchildren came to live with her and her husband at that time and they are now attending college, she said.
Richter said she works with Speer, who is now an assistant library archivist and weekend supervisor at Ouachita Baptist University, but they "haven't really discussed" why Speer departed as director of the archives and as state historian in February.
"We are all about work," Richter said.
Speer started as the director of what was then called the state History Commission in June 2013. She was retained by Hurst in June 2016 when the department took over the smaller agency from the Department of Parks and Tourism under legislation enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Hutchinson in a special session.
In her resignation letter in February, Speer told Arkansas Heritage Deputy Director Rebecca Burkes and Hurst that she found the work climate "intolerable." At that time, Hurst said she regretted that Speer abandoned her post in such an acrimonious way. Hurst said Speer was treated with respect and was respected for her knowledge and expertise.
After Speer's departure, Tom Dillard, treasurer of the Friends of the Arkansas State Archives, suggested that the archives should be removed from the department if Hurst continues to be its director because she "is totally unsympathetic to the mission of preserving our heritage."
In response, Hurst said that Dillard was the department's director from 1981 until 1986 and "the reality is that DAH is stronger than ever before, as is the Arkansas State Archives."
When asked about those disputes, Richter said Wednesday, "I have read all of those stories.
"I am going to be focused on the preservation and access to the archival material and the holdings of the state archives," she said. "I think we can work together within the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
"I still have a great deal of loyalty to the place. The archival collection is just incredible," Richter said. "I believe if we really focus on the preservation and access to the archives and work hard at that, we'll do just fine."
In a written statement Wednesday, Speer said, "I am happy that Dr. Richter was selected to fill the position of State Historian. She's eminently qualified and cares deeply about the organization and preserving Arkansas history."
In an interview Wednesday, Dillard said he sees Richter's hiring as possibly an attempt by the Hutchinson administration to hire someone with credentials. He said the Friends of the Arkansas State Archives plans to hold a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Darragh Center in Central Arkansas Library System's Main Library in Little Rock to discuss its lack of trust in Hurst and other matters. He also said the group will discuss ways to remedy the situation.
Whitfield said, "I'm not aware of any employees attending [that meeting] and we are not specifically sending any.
"The meeting has been advertised as one for people who are worried about problems at DAH. We believe we are doing good work and headed in a positive direction by providing programs and services that Arkansans know and trust," Whitfield said in a written statement.
Hurst was appointed by Hutchinson as Heritage Department director in December 2014. She is a former Little Rock city director who lost her bid as a Republican for a seat in the state House of Representatives to Little Rock Democrat Clarke Tucker in 2014. She and her husband, Howard Hurst, own and operate Tipton & Hurst florist.
Metro on 03/22/2018