Difference between revisions of "Carolyn Pollan"
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From 1980 to 1983, Pollan was legislative counsel and an informal advisor to Republican [[Governor]] [[Frank D. White]]. After White's election, Pollan and incoming gubernatorial chief of staff [[Preston Bynum]] of Siloam Springs, a former Arkansas House minority leader, prepared the 1981 budget—keeping the 1980 level of spending minus 5 percent. Pollan recalls a "stunned silence" over the state capital in Little Rock when White upset Governor [[Bill Clinton]] in 1980, a sense of disbelief among state employees and elected officials. Clinton, however, returned to victory in 1982.<ref name=pollanencyc/> | From 1980 to 1983, Pollan was legislative counsel and an informal advisor to Republican [[Governor]] [[Frank D. White]]. After White's election, Pollan and incoming gubernatorial chief of staff [[Preston Bynum]] of Siloam Springs, a former Arkansas House minority leader, prepared the 1981 budget—keeping the 1980 level of spending minus 5 percent. Pollan recalls a "stunned silence" over the state capital in Little Rock when White upset Governor [[Bill Clinton]] in 1980, a sense of disbelief among state employees and elected officials. Clinton, however, returned to victory in 1982.<ref name=pollanencyc/> | ||
| − | After White's defeat in 1982, Pollan nominated Morris S. Arnold, her fellow [[Moderate Republican]] and a University of Arkansas at Little Rock law professor, to become the new Republican Party state chairman to replace [[Bob Cohee]] of Baxter County. Pollan said that she hoped Arnold could bridge the gap in the Arkansas party between the former Rockefeller partisans, such as herself, and the burgeoning backers of [[Ronald Reagan]],<ref name= | + | After White's defeat in 1982, Pollan nominated Morris S. Arnold, her fellow [[Moderate Republican]] and a University of Arkansas at Little Rock law professor, to become the new Republican Party state chairman to replace [[Bob Cohee]] of Baxter County. Pollan said that she hoped Arnold could bridge the gap in the Arkansas party between the former Rockefeller partisans, such as herself, and the burgeoning backers of [[Ronald Reagan]],<ref name=pollanencyc/<ref> Arnold, however, did not complete his term as a part-time chairman and was replaced by the first vice-chairman, Robert "Bob" Leslie, a former candidate for Arkansas's 1st congressional district seat. |
In her early legislative years, Pollan was frequently one of only a half dozen Republicans among the one hundred House members. Her early [[Republican Party|GOP]] colleagues, all originally from the northwestern part of the state, included Bynum, [[Jim L. Smithson]] of Marshall in Searcy County, [[C. W. Melson]] of Ozone, Jerry D. King of Greenwood in Sebastian County, and [[Richard Barclay]] of Rogers in Benton County. In the early 1980s, she was a colleague of Republican Judy Petty Wolf from a [[Little Rock]]-based district. Petty waged two publicized congressional campaigns in 1974 and 1984 against Wilbur Daigh Mills (1909-1992) and Tommy F. Robinson, respectively. Pollan won her last election in 1996 without Democratic opposition. | In her early legislative years, Pollan was frequently one of only a half dozen Republicans among the one hundred House members. Her early [[Republican Party|GOP]] colleagues, all originally from the northwestern part of the state, included Bynum, [[Jim L. Smithson]] of Marshall in Searcy County, [[C. W. Melson]] of Ozone, Jerry D. King of Greenwood in Sebastian County, and [[Richard Barclay]] of Rogers in Benton County. In the early 1980s, she was a colleague of Republican Judy Petty Wolf from a [[Little Rock]]-based district. Petty waged two publicized congressional campaigns in 1974 and 1984 against Wilbur Daigh Mills (1909-1992) and Tommy F. Robinson, respectively. Pollan won her last election in 1996 without Democratic opposition. | ||
Revision as of 22:24, April 4, 2021
| Carolyn Joan Clark Pollan | |
 Mrs. Pollan early in her state House career | |
Arkansas State Representative<br<for Sebastian County
| |
| In office 1975–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Three at-large members |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Jo Carson |
| Born | July 12, 1937 Houston, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | George Angelo Pollan |
| Children | Cee Cee Hollimon Robert E. "Rob" Pollan |
| Residence | Fort Smith [ Sebastian County, Arkansas |
| Alma mater | Springdale (Arkansas) High School John Brown University]] Walden University |
| Occupation | Educator; Businesswoman |
| Religion | Southern Baptist |
Carolyn Joan Clark Pollan (born July 12, 1937) is an American politician who served as the Republican state representativentativ for a portion of Sebastian County, (which includes the state's second largest city of Fort Smith) for twelve consecutive two-year terms from 1975 to 1999. Pollan is the longest serving (1) Republican and (2) woman member of the Arkansas legislature in history and (3) the first woman Arkansas legislator to have been named House Associate Speaker Pro Tempore.[1]
Biography
=Backgroiund
Pollan was born in Houston, Texas, to Rex Clark (1912–1980) and Faith Basye (1911–2002). Her father worked in the oil fields about Houston and later Refugio (pronounced RE FURY OH) in south Texas. The family moved to Springdale in Washington and Benton counties in northwestern Arkansas, where her father made his living in the poultry business.
Pollan graduated from Springdale High School in 1955. She then procured her bachelor's degree from the private]] Christian John Brown University in Siloam Springs (pronounced CY LUM) in Benton County, Arkansas. She graduated from JBU in 1959 and was a member of the university trustees for more than twenty-five, having previously served as vice chairman. In 1993, Pollan was awarded her Ph.D. in education from the accredited on-line Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1]
Career
Pollan's political involvement began as a volunteer in the gubernatorial campaigns of Moderate Republican Winthrop Rockefeller. In 1970, she ran Rockefeller's unsuccessful reelection campaign in Fort Smith against the Democrat Dale Bumpers.[1] In 1972, she supported the unsuccessful challenge to Bumpers waged by Rockefeller's preferred candidate, Len Blaylock, whom she described as "a prince of a man."
Pollan was elected in 1974 from a multi-seat legislative district that encompassed Sebastian County. The district was eventually divided into single-member seats. She is particularly remembered, through her chairmanship of the House Children and Youth Committee, as the author of the law which empowers the Arkansas state police to investigate allegations of child abuse. During her time in the Arkansas House of Representatives, she sponsored or co-sponsored more than 250 pieces of legislation that became law.
In 1979, she fought in vain to resurrect the Equal Rights Amendment in the Arkansas House, but the legislature declined to take up the issue. The ERA fell three states short of ratification when it expired in 1979.[1]
From 1980 to 1983, Pollan was legislative counsel and an informal advisor to Republican Governor Frank D. White. After White's election, Pollan and incoming gubernatorial chief of staff Preston Bynum of Siloam Springs, a former Arkansas House minority leader, prepared the 1981 budget—keeping the 1980 level of spending minus 5 percent. Pollan recalls a "stunned silence" over the state capital in Little Rock when White upset Governor Bill Clinton in 1980, a sense of disbelief among state employees and elected officials. Clinton, however, returned to victory in 1982.[1]
After White's defeat in 1982, Pollan nominated Morris S. Arnold, her fellow Moderate Republican and a University of Arkansas at Little Rock law professor, to become the new Republican Party state chairman to replace Bob Cohee of Baxter County. Pollan said that she hoped Arnold could bridge the gap in the Arkansas party between the former Rockefeller partisans, such as herself, and the burgeoning backers of Ronald Reagan,Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag