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→Relations with Orval Faubus
By 1964, Pollard was active in the [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] campaign, but Rockefeller also lost that year to Faubus.<ref>{{cite journal|title= "Friendly Rivalry: Winthrop Rockefeller Challenges Orval Faubus in 1964"|journal=The Arkansas Historical Quarterly|volume=53|issue=4|pages=446–473|publisher=''Arkansas Historical Quarterly'', Vol. 53, No. 4 (Winter 1994)|jstor = 40030909|author=Billy Hathorn|year=1994|doi=10.2307/40030909}}</ref>
By 1964, Pollard was active in the [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] campaign, but Rockefeller also lost that year to Faubus.<ref>{{cite journal|title= "Friendly Rivalry: Winthrop Rockefeller Challenges Orval Faubus in 1964"|journal=The Arkansas Historical Quarterly|volume=53|issue=4|pages=446–473|publisher=''Arkansas Historical Quarterly'', Vol. 53, No. 4 (Winter 1994)|jstor = 40030909|author=Billy Hathorn|year=1994|doi=10.2307/40030909}}</ref>
===Party chairman under Governor Winthrop Rockefeller===
In 1966, Rockefeller rebounded to win the governorship after he had defeated Democrat [[James D. Johnson]] of Conway in Faulkner County, the first Arkansas Republican to hold the state's top executive position since [[Reconstruction]]. Pollard served as state party chairman from 1966 to 1970, the same as the Rockefeller gubernatorial years. Years later, Pollard described Rockefeller as "a dedicated man who tried to do a lot of good for the state of Arkansas. He and I saw things exactly the same way."<ref name=statement/>
In 1966, Rockefeller rebounded to win the governorship after he had defeated Democrat [[James D. Johnson]] of Conway in Faulkner County, the first Arkansas Republican to hold the state's top executive position since [[Reconstruction]]. Pollard served as state party chairman from 1966 to 1970, the same as the Rockefeller gubernatorial years. Years later, Pollard described Rockefeller as "a dedicated man who tried to do a lot of good for the state of Arkansas. He and I saw things exactly the same way."<ref name=statement/>
Pollard left the chairmanship in December 1970, and the state executive committee chose Charles Taylor Bernard, Sr. (1927-2015), then a businessman engaged in dry cleaning from the small city of Earle in Cross County in eastern Arkansas. Bernard had been the unsuccessful Republican candidate in 1968 against Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]]. When Rockefeller died in 1973, Pollard followed as Republican national committeeman, a post that Rockefeller had first filled in 1961, after the retirement of party veteran [[Wallace Townsend]]. Pollard was national committeeman until 1976, when U.S. Representative Hammerschmidt assumed the position while remaining a member of Congress. Coincidentally, Pollard died only three weeks prior to the passing of Hammerschmidt on April 1, 2015.
Pollard left the chairmanship in December 1970, and the state executive committee chose Charles Taylor Bernard, Sr. (1927-2015), then a businessman engaged in dry cleaning from the small city of Earle in Cross County in eastern Arkansas. Bernard had been the unsuccessful Republican candidate in 1968 against Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]]. When Rockefeller died in 1973, Pollard followed as Republican national committeeman, a post that Rockefeller had first filled in 1961, after the retirement of party veteran [[Wallace Townsend]]. Pollard was national committeeman until 1976, when U.S. Representative Hammerschmidt assumed the position while remaining a member of Congress. Coincidentally, Pollard died only three weeks prior to the passing of Hammerschmidt on April 1, 2015.
==Campaign manager of Ken Coon==
===Campaign manager for Ken Coon, 1974==
In the 1974 gubernatorial election, Pollard was a campaign strategist for Republican nominee Kenneth L. "Ken" Coon, later a [[psychologist]] in Little Rock, who challenged Pryor. Pollard urged owners of nursing homes to support Coon because Pryor had earlier pressed successfully for greater state and national regulation of such facilities: "He demeaned the nursing homes just so he could get national publicity," Pollard said of Pryor.<ref>''The Arkansas Gazette,'' November 3, 6, 1974.</ref>
In the 1974 gubernatorial election, Pollard was a campaign strategist for Republican nominee Kenneth L. "Ken" Coon, later a [[psychologist]] in Little Rock, who challenged Pryor. Pollard urged owners of nursing homes to support Coon because Pryor had earlier pressed successfully for greater state and national regulation of such facilities: "He demeaned the nursing homes just so he could get national publicity," Pollard said of Pryor.<ref>''The Arkansas Gazette,'' November 3, 6, 1974.</ref>
Pollard said that he was grateful for each gain made by the Arkansas Republican Party but that there had been little success in many election cycles. "We didn't broaden the party as much as needed. We should have contested more county offices," he said. He noted that his own White County, once fully-Democratic, had become receptive to Republican candidates.<ref name=statement/>
Pollard said that he was grateful for each gain made by the Arkansas Republican Party but that there had been little success in many election cycles. "We didn't broaden the party as much as needed. We should have contested more county offices," he said. He noted that his own White County, once fully-Democratic, had become receptive to Republican candidates.<ref name=statement/>
==Law partner of Edwin Bethune==
===Law partner of Edwin Bethune===
Pollard is a former law partner of former U.S. Representative Edwin Ruthvin Bethune, Jr., of Arkansas' 2nd congressional district]], who left the firm in 1972 to wage an unsuccessful bid for state attorney general against Jim Guy Tucker, subsequently the state's Democratic governor from 1993 to 1996. In 1978, Bethune won the Little Rock-based congressional seat. Pollard was Bethune’s finance chairman.<ref name=statement/> Bethune left the House in 1984 to wage a losing bid for U. S. Senator against incumbent Democrat David Pryor, whose son, [[Mark Pryor]], held the same seat from 2003 to 2015.
Pollard is a former law partner of former U.S. Representative Edwin Ruthvin Bethune, Jr., of Arkansas' 2nd congressional district]], who left the firm in 1972 to wage an unsuccessful bid for state attorney general against Jim Guy Tucker, subsequently the state's Democratic governor from 1993 to 1996. In 1978, Bethune won the Little Rock-based congressional seat. Pollard was Bethune’s finance chairman.<ref name=statement/> Bethune left the House in 1984 to wage a losing bid for U. S. Senator against incumbent Democrat David Pryor, whose son, [[Mark Pryor]], held the same seat from 2003 to 2015.