To commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day, Mullins Library at the U of A has unveiled a new summer exhibit honoring the profound sacrifices and enduring strength of Arkansans during World War II.

Titled WWII: Making the War Personal – Arkansas at Home and Abroad, the exhibit is now on display in the gallery on Level 1 of the library. It offers a glimpse into life on campus during the war and the service of university alumni, including 1st Lt. George Walker, Fay Jones, George Fisher and Walter Lemke. 

Drawn from items in the University Libraries Special Collections and items on loan from the University of Arkansas Museum and the Rogers Historical Museum, the exhibit includes letters, photographs, yearbooks and other rare materials that bring individual stories of the war to light.

"Drawing from yearbooks, letters, photographs and other artifacts from our local collections, we tell the stories of those who served and those who kept the home front strong," said Sara Barclay, exhibits and engagement archivist. "Through their experiences, we remember the enduring spirit of a campus community united by sacrifice, resilience and a shared sense of purpose during a time of global crisis."

Barclay curated the exhibit alongside Amy Allen, university archivist. Together, they have assembled a tribute that reflects the courage and unity of the university community during one of history's most trying periods.

"These objects connect us to those who came before us," Barclay said. "They ground us in the reality of their experiences and serve as a reminder that our present is built on the foundation of their courage and sacrifice."

Adjacent to the main exhibit is a companion display titled Revisiting Rohwer: Dignity Under Detention, which honors the fortitude and resilience of Japanese Americans incarcerated at the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas from 1942 to 1945. 

This complementary exhibit, displayed in the Level 1 Fowler's Nook area, features newly available photographs from the Paul and Ann Faris Papers that were made accessible to researchers this spring. Ann and Paul Faris — an Arkansas-based writer and photographer, respectively — documented life inside the incarceration camp during the war.

"Ann later wrote a manuscript, still unpublished, which is also among the Rohwer-related materials in the collection," said Catherine Wallack, architectural records archivist and exhibit curator. "This exhibit features rare images of incarcerees, including children, in the context of their impoverished surroundings."

Both exhibits will remain on display throughout the summer, offering an opportunity for reflection and remembrance of Arkansas' role in a defining chapter of global history.