Nominations Open for the 2026 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Photo by Lane Religa

The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for innovative leaders and pioneering entrepreneurs to join its Class of 2026. Submissions will be accepted through Aug. 1.

For over 25 years, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame has recognized visionary leaders whose bold decisions and enduring contributions have shaped the state's economic landscape. It recognizes both native Arkansans and those who have chosen to build their legacies here — individuals whose leadership has transformed industries, strengthened communities and driven long-term growth. Since its establishment in 1999, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame has become one of the state's most distinguished honors. Earlier this year, four notable Arkansans were inducted into the Class of 2025:

• Sam Alley, chairman of VCC
• John W. Allison, chairman and chief executive officer of Home BancShares
• The late Jerry Brewer, chairman and co-founder of Staffmark
• John N. Roberts III, executive chairman of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

Listen to the remarkable life and career journeys of this year's honorees and past inductees on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame website.

An independent committee of business leaders will review all nominations and select the honorees for the Class of 2026. Chosen inductees will be celebrated at a formal ceremony on Feb. 20, 2026, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

Nomination forms and complete selection criteria are available at walton.uark.edu/abhf. For questions regarding the nomination process, the Sam M. Walton College of Business Office of External Relations can be reached at (479) 575-6146 or via email at abhf@walton.uark.edu.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. In addition, its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the #1 program in North America by Gartner. In 2024, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.