ARKANSAS' SECOND REPUBLICAN (ON 1. SPEAKING to newsman Frank Thomas on election night, Ed Bethune claims victory with his wife Lana. 2. SENATOR David Pryor answers questions at his Lit· tIe Rock headquarters . 3. DARKENED by the outline of the moon, the sun takes on a crescent shape during a solar eclipse February 26 at about 10:20 o. m. tance. Bethune demonstrated the down-to-earth wisdom and the charisma that led to his victory in a district that normally went by a large margin to the Democratic nominee. After election, Bethune was recognized in Washington as an outstanding freshman congressman. Dr. Tom Howard , assistant professor of political science, entered the race for delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention from the 54th district. Making the runoff by only a small margin, he won election by a decisive margin. The cold winter of 1978 was overshadowed by an even colder winter in 1979. The brutal slaying of a 3-year-old child by members of a religious cult in northern Arkansas shocked the state. The ruling of Circuit Judge Warren Wood declaring unconstitutional the current method of property tax assessment in Arkansas had serious repercussions in White County. Majors in economics made an extensive study of Searcy and White County. The report they prepared was used by the Searcy Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to attract new industry to Searcy, saving the Chamber at least $15 thousand if an agency had been employed to do such a job. Faculty members were active in the Chamber and in all of the civic clubs in Searcy. Prominent people who died in 1978 included Senator James Allen, 65, Alabama Democtat who led the fight against the Panama Canal treaties; Edgar Bergen , 75, ventriloquist whose career spanned 56 years in vaudeville, radio, television and films; General George Brown, 60, outspoken former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Lucius Clay, 80, commander of U.S. forces in Europe after World War 11 and organizer of the Berlin airlift; Senator Hubert Humphrey, 66, Minnesota Democrat who served as vice-president during the Johnson administration; John Paul IV, 80, pope of the Roman Catholic church since 1963; John Paul I, 65, Roman Catholic leader whose papacy lasted only 34 days; Margaret Mead, 76, anthropologist, author and social critic; Golda Meir, 80, former prime minister of Israel; Anastas Mikoyan , 82, former president of the USSR; Jack Oakie, 74, comic actor who appeared in more than 100 films; John D. Rockefeller Ill, 72, oldest member of one of the nation's wealthiest families; Nelson Rockefeller, 70, former governor of New York and former vice-president under Gerald Ford; Norman Rockwell, 84, artist and illustrator; Robert Shaw, 51, British actor, novelist and playwright; Gene Tunney, 80, undefeated world heavyweight champion who lett the ring in 1928; Karl Wallenda, 73, patriarch of the famed troupe of high-wire performers; and Jack Warner, 86, last of the Warner Brothers film pioneers. GRESSMAN SI ARKANSAS' SECOND REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN SINCE RECONSTRUCTION • SENATE SEAT C1.OU TO PRTOR • HOWARD WINS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION DElE World Scenes. 43
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