Men and Women of Distinction: John Paul Hammerschmidt
Former U.S. Senator and Arkansas Governor David Pryor sit down with John Paul Hammerschmidt to discuss his years as a congressman during the administrations of six presidents – from 1967 to 1993. Hammerschmidt was born in 1922 in Harrison, Arkansas and started his professional career working as the third generation in the Hammerschmidt Lumber Company. In 1942 Hammerschmidt enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a highly decorated World War II combat pilot before returning home in 1945. Hammerschmidt was the original sponsor of congressional authorization for a national Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be located in Washington, D.C. He was also the author and initiating sponsor of the legislation which preserved the Buffalo River as a free-flowing stream, designating it as America’s first national river.
Based on the Arkansas PBS series Men and Women of Distinction, each course features an Arkansan whose life has had a profound effect on the development of the state, the character of its people, or its image beyond our borders. By highlighting these men and women, the series allows history to be told by the voices of those who lived it. This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.
John Paul Hammerschmidt: May 4, 1922 - April 1, 2015
Disclaimer: Segments in this course may contain content inappropriate for some students. Viewer discretion is advised.