Dillard Receives 2008 'Salute to Greatness' Award from Arkansas MLK Commission

Tom W. Dillard

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Tom W. Dillard, Arkansas historian and head of the special collections department at the University of Arkansas Libraries, will receive a 2008 "Salute to Greatness" Community Award from the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. Given to individuals and organizations displaying extraordinary commitment to Rev. King's humanitarian ideals, the "Salute to Greatness" awards will be presented on Friday, Jan. 18, in Little Rock.

The 2008 MLK Day theme is "Our Beloved Community," and this year's awards recognize individuals and organizations that have dedicated their lives to helping humankind. Dillard was selected for the award due to his pioneering work in documenting the history and role of African Americans in Arkansas. Among his early work was the first documented biography of Scipio A. Jones, a renowned black Arkansas lawyer, who was successful in saving the lives of 12 men unjustly convicted in the Elaine Race Massacres of 1919.

In 1976 Dillard published a detailed article on M.W. Gibbs of Little Rock, the first black municipal judge elected in America. Gibbs opened a black-owned bank in Little Rock and was the American ambassador to Madagascar during the presidency of William McKinley. Dillard also published extensively on a variety of other topics dealing with African American Arkansans. He has studied black political movements, black educators and black members of the 19^th century Arkansas legislature. In 1976 Dillard became a founding member of the Little Rock Branch of the American Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

As head of the university's special collections department, Dillard directs the acquisition and preservation of materials for research in the history, literature and culture of Arkansas and surrounding regions. Previously he led efforts in establishing the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock and in creating the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.

The Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission is a state-wide organization established by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1993 to advocate King's legacy and philosophy. Composed of legislators, state government officials, members of the general public and high school students, the commission promotes racial harmony, understanding, respect and goodwill among all citizens.

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