In Wednesday's column, I wrote that legendary business leader John Ed Anthony thinks Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, is the most important person for south Arkansas even though MacKeith lives in the northwest part of the state. That's because MacKeith is an internationally recognized leader when it comes to advancing a forest-centered culture and economy.
The forest products industry is crucial to the future of south Arkansas. I have no argument with Anthony's choice. But if I were to vote, I might just vote for Anthony, who's still going strong at 84. As someone who grew up in the pine woods of south Arkansas, I'm glad Anthony and MacKeith are working together to make sure the place I was raised isn't forgotten as we celebrate growth in northwest and central Arkansas.
Anthony was born in February 1939. He grew up in various sawmill towns in south Arkansas and east Texas. As a teenager, Anthony worked in family-owned sawmills. He obtained a bachelor's degree in public administration from the UA in 1961. Following the sudden death of his father Ted at age 48, Anthony returned to south Arkansas to manage his family's timberland and sawmills.
Anthony partnered with his grandfather, Garland, who was 77 at the time. That led to a career that saw him manage tens of thousands of acres of timberland and numerous mills. Anthony once told me that his grandfather had partnership agreements on pieces of paper that were stuffed in a cigar box. In 1971, Anthony formed Anthony Timberlands Inc., consolidating the partnerships under the ATI umbrella.
He oversaw an expansion of the family's land holdings to almost 200,000 acres. He modernized a pine sawmill at Bearden while purchasing a pine sawmill at Malvern and a hardwood sawmill at Beirne. He led the formation of Anthony Hardwood Composites in Sheridan and Anthony Wood Treating in Hope.
In 2004, Anthony stepped down as ATI president but remained as chairman. In 2012, he was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. He served as president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and on the executive committee of the Southern Forest Products Association. Anthony has remained the leading spokesman for and promoter of Arkansas' forest products industry.
When I say Anthony is the most important man in south Arkansas, it's also because he's the leading spokesman for and promoter of thoroughbred racing at Hot Springs. As a young sportswriter, I first knew Anthony as a horse owner, not a timber baron. He was honest, quotable and quick to return a phone call--in other words, a newspaperman's dream.
In fact, Anthony was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame 11 years before being inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
For more than 50 years, Anthony has operated thoroughbred racing and breeding operations, first under the name Loblolly Stable and later Shortleaf Stable. P.F. Mayboy's Feb. 16, 1972, victory was his first as an owner at Oaklawn. After finishing fifth in the 1970 Arkansas Derby, P.F. Mayboy was running for Loblolly. Anthony had purchased him from fellow lumberman Dick Sturgis, who operated a breeding and training farm.
Sturgis was a family friend when I was growing up in Arkadelphia, and one of my father's quail-hunting companions. His horse ownership led me to become a racing enthusiast at an early age. When P.F. Mayboy won in 1972, Anthony had no idea how to get to the winner's circle.
"I have the picture, but my friend Dick Sturgis is in it," Anthony told an interviewer last year. "As I remember, it may have been a photo finish, and I waited until the photo was posted before I started down there. Before I got there, they had already taken the picture."
In 2022, Anthony celebrated his record 270th career victory at Oaklawn, a track record. And, yes, he was in the winner's circle in time for the photo.
"I go back to the first win in February 1972, 50 years to the month before 270," Anthony said. "So that was pretty special. And where we've gone from there has been rewarding. Obviously you wouldn't do something for 50 years if it weren't a lot of fun. I'm proud to be in Arkansas, and I'm proud to support Oaklawn. I've cheered for Oaklawn throughout all 50 years and found it to be very receptive, very cooperative and a great place to race. I've said it over and over again. The best place to winter in American racing is Hot Springs."
Anthony won 172 races at Oaklawn under the Loblolly banner before it was phased out. There were Eclipse Award winners Temperence Hill (champion 3-year-old male of 1980) and Vanlandingham (champion older male of 1985). Cox's Ridge became the first nationally known Loblolly horse in the late 1970s. Prairie Bayou later won an Eclipse Award as the champion 3-year-old male of 1993.
Temperence Hill won the Rebel Handicap and Arkansas Derby in 1980 at Oaklawn before capturing the Belmont Stakes. I was in Camden for a wedding on the day of the Belmont. The reception was at Camden Country Club, and several of us went into the bar to watch. When Temperence Hill won, Anthony's friends began a wild celebration and started buying champagne for everyone.
Anthony also won the Preakness Stakes with Pine Bluff in 1992 and Prairie Bayou in 1993. Pine Bluff also won the Rebel and Arkansas Derby.
As I look to the future of south Arkansas, I hope for continued expansion of tourism in Hot Springs and growth of the forest products industry. I'm optimistic. Anthony and MacKeith make quite the dream team.
Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.