Dale Bumpers, Former U.S. Senator and Arkansas Governor, Passes Away

Official Portrait

Dale Bumpers

Dale Bumpers, the namesake of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, passed away Friday night at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 90.

Bumpers, a four-term U.S. senator and former governor of Arkansas, had been suffering from Alzheimer's as well as a broken hip.

Bumpers served as the 38th governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975 and in the U.S. Senate from 1975 to 1999, where he played an instrumental part in showcasing the agriculture of Arkansas. In 1995, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees recognized his service by renaming the college in honor of Bumpers.

"We are truly saddened to hear about the loss of Sen. Bumpers," said Bumpers College Dean Mike Vayda. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Betty, their children, families, and all their friends and supporters. What he did for agriculture, farmers and researchers in the state of Arkansas cannot be overstated. He was a great ambassador for the state, and our agriculture and food industries. We are proud to have his name associated with the Bumpers College and to honor his legacy with the Dale and Betty Bumpers Distinguished Lecture Series. What he accomplished in his years of service to the state and to the nation will be evident for generations to come. He was a great person and will be missed."

Daniel Ferritor, who was chancellor while Bumpers was serving in the U.S. Senate, said, "All of Arkansas will mourn the loss of Senator Dale Bumpers. For over 40 years he was a force for positive, forward looking change in our state and in our country. He was an eloquent speaker, a hard worker, the best story teller ever and he never forgot where he came from or the Arkansas values he stood for. He was someone who gave politics a good name. Dale Bumpers will be remembered for many things but for me he was someone who helped the University of Arkansas in every way he could whenever he was asked. We have sadly lost a friend but will have his memory and his spirit with us forever through each student who graduates from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences."

Joe Steinmetz, the new chancellor for the University of Arkansas, added his condolences: "While I didn't have the opportunity to know Dale Bumpers personally, it is impossible to not be be aware of his importance to the state of Arkansas. He leaves an extraordinary legacy with the University of Arkansas, in particular, where he will be missed by generations of students, alumni, faculty and staff. It is very special that his name will forever be associated with the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences. We express our sincere condolences to the entire Bumpers family."

Former Chancellor G. David Gearhart said, "Dale Bumpers was one of this state's greatest governors. His legacy will live forever. He went on to be a heroic United States senator and will be remembered as a great statesman, not just another politician. He always wanted to do the right thing for the people of Arkansas and our nation regardless of political pressure. Time and time again he exercised good judgment and extraordinary leadership heroics rather than what was popular or expedient.

"He will be remembered as one of our finest citizens. Jane and I are deeply saddened by his passing and extend our sincerest sympathy to Betty and his wonderful family. The state, the nation and his alma mater, the University of Arkansas, have lost an icon and an amazing human being."

Former Chancellor John White said, "Senator Bumpers was my benchmark against which all other public servants are compared. Every time I was around him, my respect and admiration for him were elevated. I was impressed at his ability to make those in his company feel welcome and important. He was very intelligent, articulate, 'street smart,' and caring. Those attributes, coupled with his keen sense of humor and understanding of human nature made him a modern-day Abraham Lincoln, in my book. Arkansas was in his heart and his heart was in Arkansas. Our state was the beneficiary of his servant leadership. His death leaves a vacuum that will not be easily or quickly filled."

During his Senate service, particularly as a member and chair of the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee, Bumpers played a major role in bringing Arkansas agriculture into national and international prominence. He worked for and secured more than $80 million in funds for facilities and programs that directly benefited the state.

Bumpers' efforts in Congress secured federal funding to develop several projects and initiatives in the agricultural, food and life sciences for Arkansas. Among them are:

• The 112,000-square-foot John W. Tyson Building, which houses the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, and other facilities such as the Poultry Health Laboratory, the Research Feed Mill, the Pilot Processing Plant and the USDA-ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, all based at the Fayetteville campus.
• The Food Safety Consortium, a research alliance among the U of A, Iowa State University and Kansas State University that was founded by Congress in 1988 to conduct research on the nation's food safety issues.
• The National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information at the U of A School of Law.
• The Center for Alternative Pest Control at the Fayetteville campus.
• The National Rice Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement Center at the U of A Division of Agriculture Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart.
• The National Center for Resource Innovation-Southwest at the Fayetteville campus.
• The High Density Electronics Center at the U of A College of Engineering.

Former President Bill Clinton wrote, "Dale Bumpers put his considerable wisdom, wit and passion to work for the common good. He will be missed."

A statement from both Bill and Hillary Clinton read, "For more than 40 years Hillary and I cherished his friendship. I am grateful that his advice made me a better governor and president. I loved him. I loved learning from him and laughing with him. I will miss him very much."

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also in a statement, said, "The entire state mourns the loss of an Arkansas legend. In my first statewide race, Dale took me to school on Arkansas politics. He was a master storyteller, and his stump speaking was impossible to beat."

After his retirement from the Senate, Bumpers served as director of the Center for Defense Information. He also served as Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at the University of Arkansas, and Guest Lecturer at Hendrix College. In the year 2000, in a poll of Arkansas political scientists, Bumpers was the only governor in the 20th century to achieve the station of "great."

The Bumpers papers (Manuscript Collection 1490) were donated to the U of A Libraries special collections department by the senator in 2000. The collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, legislative and committee materials, personal and office records, speeches, photographs, audio-visual materials and ephemera, all of which document Bumpers’ roots in Arkansas as well as his senatorial and post-senatorial career in Washington, D.C. The University Libraries opened the Bumpers papers to researchers in March 2014. The collection, at more than 1,000 boxes, is the second-largest manuscript collection held by the University Libraries and contains materials supporting research from agriculture to political science to business. More information is available at Dale Bumpers Papers.

Bumpers was born Aug. 12, 1925, in Charleston, Ark. He attended the University of Arkansas, spent three years in the Marine Corps during World War II, earned a law degree at Northwestern University and returned home in 1952 with his wife, Betty. In Charleston, he practiced law, raised cattle and operated a small hardware, furniture, and appliance store. He also served as city attorney, school board president and president of the Chamber of Commerce. In 2003, his book The Best Lawyer in a One-Lawyer Town: A Memoir was released. 

He is survived by Betty, sons Brent and William, daughter Brooke and seven grandchildren.