The office of the Arkansas Attorney General was created
through Article 6, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution. This
section states as follows:
Sec. 1. Executive officers.
The executive department of this State shall consist of a Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor
of State and Attorney General, all of whom shall keep their offices
in person at the seat of government and hold their offices for
the term of two years and until their successors are elected and
qualified, and the General Assembly may provide by law for the
establishment of the office of Commissioner of State Lands. [As
amended by Const. Amend. 6, 1.]
The following is a historical roster of the Attorneys General
of the State.
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Robert W. Johnson: 1843 |
George C. Watkins: October 1, 1848 |
John J. Clendenin: February 7, 1851 |
Thomas Johnson: September 8, 1856 |
J.L. Hollowell: September 8, 1858 |
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P. Jordan: September 7, 1861 |
Sam W. Williams: 1862 |
C.T. Jordan:
1864 |
R.S. Gantt:
January 31, 1865 |
R.H. Deadman: October 15, 1866 |
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J.R. Montgomery: July 21, 1868 |
T.D.W. Yonley: January 8, 1873 |
J.L. Witherspoon: May 22, 1874 |
Simon P. Hughes: November 12,
1874-1876 |
W.F. Henderson: 1877-1881 |
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Charles B. Moore: 1881-1885 |
D.W. Jones:
1885-1889 |
W.E. Atkinson:
1889-1893 |
James P. Clarke: 1893-1895 |
E.B. Kinsworthy: 1895-1899 |
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Jeff Davis:
1899-1901 |
George W. Murphy: 1901-1905 |
Robert L. Rogers: 1905-1907 |
Wm. F. Kirby:
1907-1909 |
Hal L. Norwood: 1909-1913 |
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Wm. L. Moose: 1913-1915 |
Wallace Davis: 1915-1917 |
John D. Arbuckle: 1917-1921 |
J.S. Utley:
1921-1925 |
W.H. Applegate: 1925-1929 |
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Hal L. Norwood: 1929-1934 |
Walter L. Pope:
1934 |
Carl E. Bailey:
1935-1937 |
Jack Holt:
1937-1943 |
Guy E. Williams: 1943-1949 |
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Ike Murry:
1949-1953 |
Tom Gentry:
1953-1957 |
Bruce Bennett: 1957-1961 |
J. Frank Holt:
1961 |
Jack Holt, Jr.:
1962 |
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Bruce Bennett: 1963-1967 |
Joe Purcell:
1967-1971 |
Ray Thornton:
1971-1973 |
Jim Guy Tucker: 1973-1977 |
Bill Clinton:
1977-1979 |
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Steve Clark:
1979-1990 |
Ron Fields:
1990 |
Mary Stallcup:
1991
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Winston Bryant: 1991-1999 |
Mark Pryor:
1999-2003 |
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Mike Beebe:
2003-2006 |
Dustin McDaniel 2007- |
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There have also been four other Attorneys General who served interim
terms, usually the first two weeks of January when an outgoing
Attorney General resigned early to take a federal post. Those interims
have included Arkansas’ only female Attorney General, Mary
Stallcup in 1991, and the state’s only African-American Attorney
General, Leon Johnson in 2003. Others include Rodney Parham, 1973,
and Bill Wilson, 1977.
W.L. Moose died September, 1915, and Wallace Davis appointed September
11, 1915, to fill unexpired term.
Appointed October 4, 1934, because of resignation of Hal L. Norwood.
Jack Holt, Jr. appointed January 1, 1962, due to resignation of
J. Frank Holt.
Ray Thornton resigned January 1, 1973, having been elected U.S.
Representative; Rodney Parham was appointed January 1, 1973, to
fill vacancy until newly elected Attorney General Jim Guy Tucker
was sworn in on January 9, 1973.
Jim Guy Tucker resigned, having been elected U.S. Representative;
Bill Wilson appointed to fill vacancy until newly elected Attorney
General Bill Clinton was sworn in.
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