FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MACK McLARTY DONATES PAPERS TO UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Thomas F. McLarty III, prominent Arkansas business and political leader and former White House chief of staff, announced today that he will donate his collection of personal papers to his alma mater, the University of Arkansas.

The collection of papers and memorabilia, which chronicle McLarty's life and career in school, private business and public service, will be housed in the Special Collections Division of Mullins Library at the University.

McLarty, a 1969 graduate and student government president of the University, left the White House in July 1998 and returned to his native state after serving in several top positions including chief of staff, counselor to the president and special envoy for the Americas. In the latter post, he played a key role in forging stronger U.S. relations with Latin American countries.

"I’m giving my papers to the University of Arkansas not only out of love and respect for the institution, but also because it is the flagship of higher education for the people of Arkansas," McLarty said. "As such, it’s the best and most accessible place for this collection to be housed.

"I am genuinely pleased to be working with my alma mater on this project, which will only grow in the years to come as we continue to add to the collection," McLarty added. "The University has meant so much to me and Donna over the years. I am gratified for the opportunity to give back the legacy of what I have been so fortunate to achieve during my life."

The collection highlights the many facets of McLarty's career including his early years in Hope; his leadership role while a student at the University; his involvement in state politics; his achievements in expanding the family-owned transportation business and his tenure as chairman and CEO of Arkla, Inc.

Also included in the collection will be personal items from his tenure as President Clinton's White House chief of staff, his later service as special envoy to the Americas and his current private business and international consulting activities.

University of Arkansas Chancellor John White said, "I am delighted that Mack is making a contribution to his alma mater that will serve our students and faculty, as well as visiting journalists, writers and scholars, for generations to come.

"What makes this collection unique is that it is a 'living collection' since Mack plans to add to the initial donation as he continues his business and public service work," White noted. "Not only does this collection chronicle the life and career of a notable Arkansan, but it also frames a significant era in the political and business arena of our state and its place in the larger national and global communities.

"It is significant collections such as Mack’s that add to the scholarly reputation of our university," White added. "Mack’s papers will reside alongside the papers of the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and those of former U.S. Senators David Pryor and Dale Bumpers; the internationally renowned architect Edward Durell Stone; the civil rights activist Daisy Bates, who achieved national recognition for her role in the Little Rock Central High School crisis of 1957; and William Grant Still, known as the dean of African-American composers."

Michael Dabrishus, director of Special Collections at the University of Arkansas, said that the next several months would be devoted in working with McLarty and his wife Donna, a 1968 alumna of the University, in cataloging and preparing the collection for permanent housing. Dabrishus added that although many of McLarty's White House-era personal papers would be part of the collection, his official White House papers will go—by federal mandate¾ to the Clinton Presidential Library that is being built in Little Rock.

Born and raised in Hope, McLarty was an all star quarterback, governor of Boys State and president of the Associated Student Government at the University of Arkansas. After graduating summa cum laude from the University, he returned to Hope to join his father in the family’s automobile business and married his UA classmate, Donna Kay Cochran. He ran successfully for the state legislature and chaired the state Democratic Party under Gov. David Pryor.

In the 1980s, McLarty was elected chairman and CEO of Arkla, one of the nation's leading natural gas companies, having served previously on the Arkla board of directors. His leadership during the turbulent period of deregulation in the natural gas industry and the expansion and diversification of Arkla during his tenure as CEO earned him accolades from the nation's investment community and recognition within the industry.

In 1992, his lifelong friend from Hope, President-elect Bill Clinton, asked him to serve as White House chief of staff. In that capacity, he helped to bring about several major achievements, including the 1993 deficit reduction package, the Family Medical Leave Act, the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Because of his involvement with NAFTA and his leadership with the 1994 Summit of the Americas, McLarty was tapped by President Clinton as Special Envoy to the Americas. McLarty made more than 50 trips to the Southern Hemisphere and planned the United States' participation in the 1998 Summit of the Americas in Chile. He led the U.S. delegation to the Guatemala peace accords in 1996 and the 1998 Peru-Ecuador peace agreement.

After leaving the White House, the McLartys returned to Arkansas and renewed their involvement with the family transportation business. McLarty is actively involved with other private investments in Arkansas and on a national and international basis. The McLartys maintain family homes in Little Rock, Hope, and Washington, D.C.

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