Pryor Scrapbook Clippings, 1955-1980

• • Dr. Porter R. Rodgers Sr., of Searcy, one of the state's most prominent physician for 40 years, died Tuesday in a Piae Bluff hospital. State Correction Depart– ment spokesman Tim Baltz said Rodgers, 76, who was serving a life sentence without parole in the 1974 Hospital and expanded to a 100-bed hospital that served White County and North Arkansas. In 1968 it was sold to a public company and was '-) death of his estranged wife, had been taken to the hospital Monday from Cum- 1 tpins Priso~ Farm: f t . I · medi e spec~ t. H'e had been listed by ~ Correction Department as medically disabled and had a documented history of heart trouble, Baltz said. He had been imprisoned at Cummins since June 1, 1978 on a first-degree murder conviction in the death of Fern Cowen Rodgers, fj/. Baltz said Rodgers' body would be sent to the state medical examiner for autop– Dr. Rodgers was born May - · 6, 1904 at Kingsland. He was 1 a graduate of the Univetsity of Arkansas Medical School I and interned at Harper 1 Hospital in Detroit, I Michigan. He began his medical ) practice in Searcy in 1930 with Dr. A. J . Harrison. For several years he maintained. an .office. on South Spring Street and in 1942 he pur– chased 28--bed Wakenight Sanitariwn. The facility was renamed Porter Rodgers the predecessor of Central Arkansas General Hospital. Dr. Rodgers was known for working long hours to pro– vide medical care to rural areas and never refusing a patient for lack of money. During his years of prac– tice he acquired extensive land holdings in White and Woodruff Counties and was very inter~ted in cattle and horses. He became a famous breeder of Tennessee Walk– ing horses with three world grand , champions born on bis farm in Searcy. Rodg,rs Perfection became one of the all time great horses of the breed. Rodgers was appointedby Governor Orval Faubus' to the State Racing Commis– sion and served for many years. He was a member of the White County, the Arkan– sas and American Medical Association. He was a 32nd degree Masori and a Shriner, a lifetime member of the Searcy Ki_wanis Club, Searcy Country Club and First Methodist Church. Survivors are a son, Dr. Porter Rodgers Jr., a daughter, Anh Rodgers Whetsell; his mother, Mrs. E . P. Rodgers of Warren; two sisters, Mrs . Fred Pulliam of Little Rock and Mrs. WA. Smith of McGehee an<J.five grandchildren. Ft.mend services will be priv~te at his birthplace ~n Kirtgsland Thursday after– noon. Burial will be at Mount Elba Cemetery at Kingsland by Daniel Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers tl\e fami– ly requests that memorials be made to First United Methodist Church or Central Arkansas General Hospital Auxiliary. , Godden Hall, the main building of old Galloway Women's College, was an imposing structure when these students gathered for a game of lawn tennis on the spacious front lawn sometime after 1898. The actual date isn't known but Godden Hall was completed in that year after the original building had been gutted by fire. The site is now the loca– tion of the Harding University administration building and the building formerly used as a student center. The Citizen will welcome general interest pictures of more than 50 years old for this ~eekly feature. c , ~ ,. Jq 8d