Dillard, Tom W., 1948-

The Tom W. Dillard Black Arkansiana Materials consists of materials collected by Tom W. Dillard on the history of African-Americans in Arkansas. Dillard, a native of Montgomery County, Arkansas received his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 1970 and a master's degree from the University of Arkansas in 1975. Both degrees are in American history. Dillard became interested in the history of black Arkansans while an undergraduate student. In 1969, during his senior year in college, Dillard wrote a paper on the history of black political participation in the modern Republican Party. During that research, he became fascinated by the scope and scale of the black contribution to Arkansas and by the fact that is was so little known. Through the years, Dillard collected books and other publications by and/or about black Arkansans. He also compiled files of photographs, newspaper clippings, academic papers, etc. on the topic. Among the papers are voluminous notes and files Dillard prepared while doing his own research. He published several papers on Arkansas black history and his master's thesis deals with the black jurist/businessman/politician Mifflin W. Gibbs. His paper on Scipio A. Jones was the first academic treatment of that prominent black lawyer from Little Rock. Dillard has served as the Curator of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System since 1997.