Former State Senate President Jim Argue Dies at 66

Jim Argue

Jim Argue, a former state Senate president and House member who championed education in Arkansas, died yesterday at age 66. 

The United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, of which Argue was longtime president and CEO, said Argue died after “a brief illness.” Resident Bishop Gary E. Mueller said Argue “died peacefully surrounded by family and close friends.”  

Funeral plans are pending.

“Very saddened about the death of former state Senator Jim Argue,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on Twitter. “He was a gentlemen who always defended his positions with conviction and with a smile. I am thankful for his service.”

Clarence Trice, the CFO of the United Methodist Foundation, said the organization’s board members and staff were “deeply saddened.”

“Jim’s career goes far beyond his 35-plus years of service at the helm of the United Methodist Foundation,” said Clarence Trice, the foundation’s CFO. “His continuing national leadership on education issues, his long-term leadership in the Arkansas General Assembly, and his local board leadership with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families are marks of his commitment to Methodist principles.”

Argue was born August 19, 1951, to Rev. and Mrs. James B. Argue Sr. He attended Little Rock Public Schools, graduated from Little Rock Hall High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Hendrix College of Conway in 1973. He was a long-time member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church of Little Rock

Argue became president of the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas in 1981. The foundation said that, under his leadership and “in large part because of the many relationships he has fostered,” the foundation’s assets grew from $67,000 to more than $164 million. The foundation is now one of the largest United Methodist foundations in the country, the organization said.

Argue, a Democrat, was the president pro tem of the state Senate for the 85th General Assembly. As a senator, he represented the state’s 32nd District from 1996 to 2008. He was also a member of the state House from 1991 through 1996.

In a statement, Mueller said memorials may be sent to the Argue Family Memorial Endowment at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock.