Hall of Fame to honor women, Hispanic group for civic work

Hall of Fame to honor women, Hispanic group for civic work 
The late Sister Rosetta Tharpe, considered one of gospel music’s first super- stars, is one of seven women who will be inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 6. The other inductees are Margaret Louise Sirman Clark, Cynthia Conger, Dorothy Morris, Carolyn Pollan, Amy Rossi and the late Brownie Ledbetter. The Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas also will be recognized for its work. 
(AP file photo)
Hall of Fame to honor women, Hispanic group for civic work The late Sister Rosetta Tharpe, considered one of gospel music’s first super- stars, is one of seven women who will be inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 6. The other inductees are Margaret Louise Sirman Clark, Cynthia Conger, Dorothy Morris, Carolyn Pollan, Amy Rossi and the late Brownie Ledbetter. The Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas also will be recognized for its work. (AP file photo)

The Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame is adding seven women and one organization to its rank of individuals it holds out as examples of those who have made a positive impact on the state.

The annual class -- now in its sixth year -- includes two posthumous honors. Here is a look at the women who made the cut.

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe -- Born in Cotton Plant (Woodruff County) in 1915, Tharpe is considered one of gospel music's first superstars. She also was the first gospel performer to record for a major record label. The Hall of Fame described her music as "a unique mixture of rhythmic accompaniment that was a precursor of rock and roll.

"She was the first great recording star of gospel music and among the first musicians to appeal to rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll audiences, later being referred to as 'the original soul sister' and 'the Godmother of rock and roll.' She influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis."

Tharpe died Oct. 9, 1973, in Philadelphia.

• Mary Brown "Brownie" Williams Ledbetter -- Born in 1932 in Little Rock, Ledbetter spent much of her life challenging inequalities through numerous grass-root organizations and teaching others how to organize so they could access legislators the same as a paid lobbyist.

A community activist, Ledbetter led the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, a statewide organization that helps residents push for social or economic policy changes. She later went on to help organize a Planned Parenthood affiliate and clinic in Arkansas; founded the Arkansas Fairness Council, which organized various labor groups; and created the Arkansas Citizen's First Congress, a coalition of nonpartisan organizations.

Ledbetter, who also organized the Panel of American Women and was a member of the Women's Emergency Committee, died on March 21, 2010, in Little Rock.

• Margaret Louise Sirman Clark -- The Hall of Fame describes Clark as "a mentor, pioneer and ultimate teacher" who set "an outstanding example for women in education, women of color and women dedicated to service."

Clark was the first black female to teach at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. In 1969, she became the first black professor to teach at the university's College of Education and Health Professions and in the Department of Foreign Languages.

"I feel so very humbled by this acknowledgment and recognition of my life's work so far," Clark says. "It means so much in the sense of being given recognition and acknowledgment of this work and especially to have this acknowledgment coming from peers of mine -- women in Arkansas -- given the fact that women have been so important in my life."

• Cynthia L. Conger -- Conger has been a business leader and philanthropist in Central Arkansas for more than 30 years. She founded three wealth management firms during that time and continues to manage Conger Wealth Management after selling it in 2018. She was listed on Worth Magazine's top 250 advisers from 1998-2003 and the top 100 financial planners from 2004-08, according to the Hall of Fame.

She was one of the first three women certified financial planners in Arkansas and has been a longtime supporter of education and women's causes, including the Women's Foundation and Arkansas Single Parent Scholarships Fund.

Conger says it is an honor for her to be among all of this year's slate, particularly Ledbetter who was on the board during Conger's tenure as president of the Arkansas Women's Foundation.

"She was such a dear and such a total hero to me," Conger says. "These women are women that I like and admire, so it's really such a great honor to me and I just feel very blessed to be included."

• Dorothy Morris -- Morris is a longtime philanthropist and patron of the arts. Through her Morris Foundation, she has supported more than 50 nonprofit organizations annually and has provided seed money to groups like Garvan Woodland Gardens, the Arkansas Rice Depot and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. Other pet projects include Youth Ranches and the Thea Foundation.

A co-founder of the Hot Springs Giving Circle, Morris says she also is working with the Arkansas Food Bank, the Jackson House in Hot Springs and the Project Hope Food Bank in Hot Springs.

"There are so many needy people," Morris says. "The economy here is not good and a lot of people are hungry."

Morris says she was "beyond shocked" when she learned she was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"I am so honored beyond words to be inducted into the company of such inspiring and accomplished women," Morris says. "It just never entered my mind that I would be among them."

• Carolyn Pollan -- A longtime Republican officeholder, Pollan served 24 years in the Arkansas House of Representatives. In 1974, she was first elected to represent a legislative district that included all of Sebastian County. She continuously won re-elections until term limits forced her retirement in 1999.

Her lengthy tenure made her the longest-serving Republican and the longest-serving woman in the history of the Arkansas House of Representatives. She also was the first woman appointed associate speaker pro tempore of the Arkansas House.

She chaired the House Children and Youth Committee and authored legislation that permits the Arkansas State Police to more adequately investigate allegations of child abuse.

"I get to go down memory lane," Pollan says of the honor. "It is a huge honor. After all of these years of being out of politics, it is a huge honor."

• Amy Rossi -- A proponent for children and families, Rossi served as executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families for more than 15 years. Fully retiring in 2016, Rossi dedicated her life to improving health care in Arkansas.

According to the Hall of Fame, Rossi's work in "Medicaid expansion for Arkansas children and families to curbing the childhood obesity epidemic to improving educational opportunities in the state of Arkansas" made her a leader who has "served on the front lines and truly impacted the state for pushing for the betterment of our communities."

"I am just delighted to be in the class with Carolyn Pollan and Brownie Ledbetter who were mentors, role models, boosters. They helped me a lot in my career and I love both of those women and I am sad Brownie is not here to see this," Rossi says. "I couldn't be any more pleased to be in the class with the two of them who should have been in the very first class, in my opinion. I'm just really happy about that."

The Women's Hall of Fame also included one organization -- the Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas -- in the 2020 class of inductees.

The nonprofit Hispanic Women's Organization was founded in 1999 by a group of mostly Hispanic women who were concerned with the well-being of their families and their communities. Its mission is to "advance educational opportunities for Hispanic women and their families, to celebrate and teach others about our culture and to become active participants in the community."

The nonprofit Women's Hall of Fame began as a partnership between the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Business Publishing Group. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 6 at the Statehouse Convention Center. Tickets are available at arwomenshalloffame.com.

An earlier version of this story misstated the year in which Mary Brown "Brownie" Williams Ledbetter died. Ledbetter died in 2010 at age 77.

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Margaret Clark

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ STATON BREIDENTHAL --9/17/10-- Volunteer Cynthia L. Conger.

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Dorothy Morris of Hot Springs in front of bed of iris in her garden (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Cary Jenkins)

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Former state Rep. Carolyn Pollan of Fort Smith is shown in this 1999 file photo.

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Amy Rossi

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