The late founder of Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale and the CEO of Stephens Inc. of Little Rock are among the latest inductees to the University of Arkansas' Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
The UA's Sam M. Walton College of Business announced the 2019 class on Wednesday:
- Claiborne P. Deming, retired president and CEO and current chairman of the board, Murphy Oil Corp. of El Dorado.
- The late Joe M. Steele, founder, Steele Canning Co. and the Springdale Canning Co.
- Warren A. Stephens, chairman, president and CEO of Stephens Inc.
- The late John W. Tyson, founder and former CEO, Tyson Foods Inc.
The four men will join 82 members of the hall of fame during an induction ceremony Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
"These leaders have shaped Arkansas with their sense of community and entrepreneurial spirit," Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College, said in a news release. "Their contributions reach beyond our state's borders, while creating lucrative opportunities for Arkansans."
Ann Bordelon, CFO of Mitchell Communications Group, chaired this year's nine-person selection committee. In selected inductees, the UA said the group considered the significance of the impact the person made as a business leader, the person's concern for improving the community and the person's display of ethics in all business dealings. Living inductees must be over the age of 60.
The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is housed in the atrium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development at the Walton College on the UA campus in Fayetteville.
Tickets to the induction ceremony are $150 per person. For more information about tickets and event sponsorships, mail the Walton College Office of External Relations at Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, Room 217, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201; call (479) 575-6146; email abhf@walton.uark.edu; or visit walton.uark.edu/abhf.
