The first public event scheduled for Senator David Pryor's newly published autobiography, A Pryor Commitment, will be held at That Bookstore at Mountebanq Place in Downtown Conway at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The event is free and open to the public, but due to space limitations and Conway fire and safety codes, only those persons who have made reservations prior to the event will be admitted. Reservations may be made by phone (501) 327-8900, toll-free (888) 287-7791 or in person at That Bookstore.
David Pryor grew up in Camden. At Camden High School, he was class president every year except for his senior year when he was elected Student Body President. From that beginning, Pryor became the only person in Arkansas history to serve the state as a State Representative, U.S. Congressman, Governor and U.S. Senator.
Don Harrell, without whom, according to Pryor, A Pryor Commitment would never have been written, grew up in Camden only a few blocks from the Pryor home. Harrell has been at Pryor's side since childhood and throughout his career serving as press secretary, chief of staff, confidant and overall adviser.
David Pryor's autobiography brings to life the aspirations, troubles and insights of a rich life and distinguished career in public service. Starting with small-town recollections, he recalls his years as a newspaper editor, a state representative in the Arkansas legislature, a congressman in Washington DC, a two-term governor in Arkansas and 18 years in the U. S. Senate.
While the book takes us through the years of public policy and formal legislative history, the clear emphasis is on the personal and private side of the story. Making the narrative even more readable and appealing, it is told with a strong dose of humor, self-depreciation and irony. This is a story of a dedicated public figure who, for the past 50 years, has found himself an active player on the public stage.
After leaving the Senate, Pryor directed the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School, volunteered to work with refugees in Albania, and became the first Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service. He currently serves on the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Senator Sam Nunn, Retired, (D-Georgia), said of A Prior Commitment "The true story of public service at its best, Pryor takes the reader through his career in an unusual and intimate way. A remarkable student of Southern politics, Pryor has been an outstanding leader for Arkansas and our nation as a member of the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and governor. David is a unique political leader who combines courage, intellect and integrity with a rare ease of humility and humor."
Willard B. Gatewood, Alumni Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, offered this praise for the Senator's book:
"Written with clarity and grace, this autobiography provides a remarkably candid account of his long and prominent career in state and national politics. It reveals much about the man himself -- his personality and style -- as well as the society and culture of his state and region in the 20th Century. It also provides rich insight into how the American political system really works. Arkansans in particular and Americans in general are certain to profit enormously by reading this extraordinary work."
Throughout Pryor's career he was a champion of the under-funded, under-represented and neglected segments of US society. He championed the expectation that all children deserve a good education and that all senior citizens receive adequate care in nursing homes. It is fitting then, that his book tour in Central Arkansas is intended to reach all of the constituencies befriended by this admirable public servant.
Senator Pryor is scheduled to speak at Rotary, Kiwanis and Optimist clubs in Little Rock, Conway and Russellville; to members of Conway Chamber of Commerce, to students, faculty and administrators at UCA, Hendrix College and Arkansas Tech; to friends in Morrilton and to elders at the Faulkner County Senior Citizen's Center.
"David Prior never stops giving back to the people of Arkansas," Gov. Mike Beebe said. "(This) remarkable book is another service to our people because it sheds light on important chapters of our state's history."
For reservations for the public event on Thursday, or for more information call (501) 327-8900 or toll-free (888) 287-7791.
