United States Senator

Thaddeus Caraway

Arkansas State University-Jonesboro hosted an exhibit on the life and achievements of U. S. Senator Thaddeus Caraway in the lobby of the Dean B. Ellis Library, from September 22 through November 25, 2009.  An opening reception, sponsored by ASU’s Department of Political Science, was held the afternoon of  Sepember 22, and included comments by Paul Austin, executive director of the Arkansas Humanities Council and an Arkansas State University alumnus. The opening reception and exhibit were free to the public.

The exhibit was among the university’s Centennial Celebration activities and was part of a collection of traveling exhibits sponsored by the Arkansas Humanities Council. 

“As the hometown for Senator Caraway, we are thrilled to be the first site outside of Little Rock to receive this exhibit,” said Dr. Ruth Hawkins, chairman of the ASU Centennial Celebration.  “Senator Caraway took office when our university was in its infancy and was influential in guiding Arkansas State during its first quarter-century.”

The exhibit, funded by the Arkansas Humanities Council and University of Arkansas-Little Rock professor Cal Ledbetter, was researched and created by the staff of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies.  The 12-panel informative exhibit featured a full history on Caraway from this birth in 1817 to his death in 1931. 

Senator Thaddeus Caraway of Jonesboro served as a U. S. representative from 1913 until 1921 and as a U. S. senator from 1921 until his death in 1931, when his seat was filled by his wife, Hattie Caraway. Both Senators Caraway were progressive champions of the poor and vigorously aided the people of Arkansas during the Great Depression.

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