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'''Kenneth Lloyd Coon, Sr.''', known as '''Ken Coon''' (born October 14, 1935), is a [[psychologist]] in [[Little Rock]] who was also a pioneer in the development of the [[Republican Party]] in [[Arkansas]]. He was the GOP state chairman from 1988 to 1990. Earlier, he was the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 1972, its executive director (1973-1975), and its candidate for [[governor]] in 1974. He also ran for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1996 but lost in the [[primary]].

'''Kenneth Lloyd Coon, Sr.''', known as '''Ken Coon''' (born October 14, 1935 &ndash; December 8, 2022), was a [[psychologist]] in [[Little Rock]] and a pioneer in the development of the [[Republican Party]] in [[Arkansas]]. He was the GOP state chairman from 1988 to 1990. Earlier, he was the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 1972, its executive director from 1973 to 1976, and its candidate for [[governor]] in 1974. He also ran for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1996 but lost in the [[primary]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/obituaries/mns054376|title=Dr. Kenneth Lloyd "Ken" Coon obituary|publisher=''[[Monroe News Star]]''|date=December 10, 2022|accessdate=December 11, 2022}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

Coon was born in Marshall, a small city in Harrison county in east [[Texas]], to Loyd Wesley Coon (1912-1998) and the former Ida Mae Sparks (1916-1994). The senior Coon was a native of Brookhaven, [[Mississippi]], but had moved to Marshall with his family when he was a youngster. Loyd Coon was a farmer and dairyman. The family moved to Calhoun, a community west of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]]. Coon was among the thirty-one 1954 graduates of West Ouachita (then Calhoun High School). After high school, he served for five years in the [[United States Air Force]], with overseas duty on the [[Greece|Greek]] island of [[Crete]].

Coon was born in Marshall, a small city in Harrison county in east [[Texas]], to Loyd Wesley Coon (1912-1998) and the former Ida Mae Sparks (1916-1994). The senior Coon was a native of Brookhaven, [[Mississippi]], but had moved to Marshall with his family when he was a youngster. Loyd Coon was a farmer and dairyman. The family moved to Calhoun, a community west of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]]. Coon was among the thirty-one 1954 graduates of West Ouachita High School (then Calhoun High School). Aftewards, he served for five years in the [[United States Air Force]], with overseas duty on the [[Greece|Greek]] island of [[Crete]].

In 1956, Coon married the former Sue Lynn Thompson (born 1938), also of Calhoun. They have two children, Catherine Lynn Coon (born 1957) of El Dorado in Union County in southern Arkansas and Kenneth Coon, Jr. (born 1962). Coon attended [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], at which he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in [[biology]]. In 1962, he entered the master's program in fisheries at Utah State University in Logan, [[Utah]], and received his degree three years later.

In 1956, Coon married the former Sue Lynn Thompson (born 1938), also of Calhoun. They have two children, Catherine Lynn Coon (born 1957) of El Dorado in Union County in southern Arkansas and Kenneth Coon, Jr. (born 1962). Coon attended [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], at which he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in [[biology]]. In 1962, he entered the master's program in fisheries at Utah State University in Logan, [[Utah]], and received his degree three years later.

==Jaycees state president==

==Jaycees state president==

After receipt of the graduate degree in Utah, Coon took a job with a federal agency, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, in Dumas in Desha County in southeastern Arkansas. He then worked for a farmer in Tuckerman in Jackson County and in 1968 was president of the American Fish Farmers .

After receipt of the graduate degree in Utah, Coon took a job with a federal agency, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, in Dumas in Desha County in southeastern Arkansas. He then worked for a farmer in Tuckerman in Jackson County and in 1968 was president of the American Fish Farmers .

While in Dumas, Coon joined the Arkansas Jaycees . He was charter president of the Tuckerman Jaycees from 1966 to 1967. The group is now known as the Junior Chamber International. From 1971 to 1972, while living in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], Coon became the Arkansas state Jaycee president.

While in Dumas, Coon joined the Arkansas Jaycees. He was charter president of the Tuckerman Jaycees from 1966 to 1967. The group is now known as the Junior Chamber International. From 1971 to 1972, while living in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], Coon became the Arkansas state Jaycee president.

==Running for lieutenant governor, 1972==

==Running for lieutenant governor, 1972==