Jackson T. 'Jack' Stephens, 1923-2005.From business to philanthropy, politics to sports, in Arkansas and beyond, Jackson T. "Jack" Stephens touched the lives of many.More than 1,000 people celebrated the life of the Arkansas business and philanthropy icon at his funeral last Thursday at Little Rock's Episcopal Collegiate School, where the campus bears his name. Stephens died at his Little Rock home on July 23. He was 81. Lou Holtz, former head coach of the University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas strives to be known as a "nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world." The school recently completed its "Campaign for the 21st Century," in which the university raised more than $1 billion for the school, used football team and close friend of Stephens, spoke at the memorial and told mourners that everyone needed to do more for other people to fill the void left by the irreplaceable Stephens. The service also included the hymns "O God, Our Help in Ages Past O God, Our Help in Ages Past, a hymn by Isaac Watts and William Croft, is considered to be one of the grandest in the whole realm of English hymnody. The hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 90, a psalm of Moses. " and "The Navy Hymn," a homily from the Very Rev. Henry Hudson of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Scripture readings, and prayer. Earlier that day Stephens was buried at Prattsville, where he was born. Stephens was chairman of Stephens Group Inc., a diversified financial holding company that includes Stephens Inc., founded in 1933 in Little Rock by Jack's brother, W.R. "Witt" Stephens, who died in 1991, and Stephens Media Group, formerly Donrey Media Group, which Stephens purchased in 1993. In 1968, Jack Stephens and Walter Smiley founded an information technology company called Systematics systematics: see classification. , which was purchased in 1990 by Alltel Corp. of Little Rock in a $528 million stock swap. Systematics later became Alltel Information Services, which Alltel sold to Fidelity National Financial Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla., for $1 billion in 2003. Jack Stephens also saved Worthen Banking Corp. with a $30 million recapitalization in 1985, an investment later worth at least $350 million. In 1993, under Jack's leadership, Stephens Inc. entered the publishing business with the purchase of Donrey Media Group, a company founded by the late Donald W. Reynolds Donald W. Reynolds (1906-1993) was an American businessman and philanthropist. During his lifetime, he was best known for his involvement in the Donrey Media Group. Biography Reynolds was the son of Gaines W. in 1940 that owned a handful of newspapers around the country. Despite being among the wealthiest men in the country, Jack Stephens continued to give millions of dollars to nonprofits, education and health care, including $48 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is part of the University of Arkansas System, a state-run university in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The main campus is located in Little Rock. in Little Rock to build the Spine & Neurosciences Institute; $5 million to the national First Tee organization, which offers youths who otherwise might not have an opportunity to play golf access to the sport; $10 million to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., to fund renovations to its Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium; $2.5 million to the St. Vincent Heart Center at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock; $20.4 million to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, it became a private four-year institution, called Little Rock University, in 1957. It returned to public status in 1969 when it was merged into the University of Arkansas System under its present name. for a new basketball arena; art, including works by Monet, Picasso and Degas Degas To release and vent gases. New building materials often give off gases and odors and the air should be well circulated to remove them. Mentioned in: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity valued at $22 million, to the Arkansas Arts Center One of the leading cultural institutions in the state, the Arkansas Arts Center is located on the corner of 9th and Commerce streets in MacArthur Park, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. in Little Rock; and countless other gifts. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion