Photographer Chuck Haralson, left, and author Ken Smith
Chuck Haralson, former chief photographer for the state Department of Parks and Tourism, and author Ken Smith will be inducted into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame.
The pair will be honored during a luncheon at noon on March 13 during the 43rd Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The conference will be held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
The department presents the hall of fame honor each year “to an individual or individuals who have been actively involved in tourism for many years and who have made substantial contributions to the betterment of the industry as a whole.”
Haralson joined the parks and tourism department in 1977 as a darkroom technician; in 1982 he became chief photographer. For more than 30 years, he traveled the state photographing attractions, cities and regions, natural and historic resources, outdoor and cultural activities, festivals and special events, wildlife, flora and fauna.
Haralson’s work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Audubon Magazine, Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Women’s Day, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, textbooks, billboards, calendars and other places.
The department said Smith dedicated his life to “tireless advocacy on behalf of” the Buffalo River, building trails and promoting its conservation. He was formerly a civil engineer and park planner for the National Park Service from 1962 to 1974 and education director for The Ozark Society from 1974 to 1977.
Smith has also worked as a freelance writer, photographer and researcher and is a leader of the Buffalo River Foundation.
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