78 • UNIV E R S I T Y O F A R K A N S A S - F O R T S M I TH : THE F I R S T 85 Y EAR S
Having a campus home in the Breedlove Building enabled the Season of Entertainment to begin on a very limited budget; rental costs, for example, were nonexistent. Later, working with the Fort Smith Civic Center, Jones strategically booked major road shows at reduced rates between their principal commitments in order to afford to have them perform in Fort Smith. Under Don Bailey, the Westark Jazz Band achieved great success in the new showcasing arrangement. Bailey demonstrated outstanding talent as a saxophone player and a showman. The list of musicians who played with Westark Jazz in either Breedlove Auditorium or the Fort Smith Civic Center in cooperation with Season of Entertainment reads like a Who’s Who of jazz musicians. The list includes Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Jerry Coker, Jay McShann, Barney Kessel, Ed Shaughnessy, Ross Tompkins, Willie Thomas, Kenny Kehner, Dizzy Gillespie, Ernie Watts, Bill Watrous, Steve Allen, Lucie Arnaz, Tommy Newsom, Louie Bellson, New York Voices, and Marvin Hamlisch. Some of these performances involved backup from Westark faculty, students, and area musicians. In 1987, Bailey, the Jazz Band, and Miss Westark Pageant winners Michelle Copeland and Julie Russell performed to the astonishment and praise of officials from the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), who were meeting at Fianna Hills Country Club in Fort Smith. After hearing Westark Jazz, college presidents attending the meeting attempted to recruit the Westark performers to their schools on the spot, and many State Board members changed their minds about the quality of two-year colleges and their students. Known also as an outstanding teacher, Bailey was one of three faculty who received the first Lucille Speakman Excellence in Teaching Award in 1986. Other recipients over the years include Brenda Cantwell, Anita Hammack (1986–87); Mike Cooper, Nancy Zechiedrich (1987–88); Linda Gibbons, David Meeks (1988–89); Martha Efurd, Jim Houston, Gene Wells (1989–90); John Deaton, Henry Rinne, Sharon Winn (1990–91); Bruce Caselman, Kent Estes, Sherron Shuffield (1991–92); Lynda Nelson, Darla Porter, Lonnie Watts (1992– 93); Susan Lynne McKinney (1993–94); Timothy P. McNeil, Don Lee, Ann Scott Winters (1994–95); Billy Higgins (1995–96); Zanette Douglas, Rod Nelson (1996–97); Stephanie Zerkel, Carolyn Filippelli, Cindy Lanphear (1997–98).
Don Bailey, Dizzy Gillespie, Stacey Jones, and Henry Rinne at the Fort Smith Airport after a Westark Jazz Band concert in 1990.
In 1998–99, the Speakman Award was expanded to include recognition of excellence in UAFS staff members as well as faculty and the awardees were Ragupathy Kannan, Jim Wyatt, Martha Coleman, Bruce Castleman, Robert Lowrey, Penny Pendleton (1999–2000); Deborah Fuller, Daniel Maher, Stacey Jones (2000–01); Monica Snyder, Debra Johnson, Dianna Beutelschies (2001–02); Kristine A. Herbert, Darin Doubrava, Robert D. Wilson (2002–03); Lori Norin, Rebecca Kaszubowski, Rhonda Caton, Lucius Corbett (2003–04); Tom Walton, Pamela Fout, Coletta Furner (2004–05); C. Todd Watson, Carol Donaldson McAlister, Jerry Street (2005–06); Roy Hill, Pat Eller, A.J. Spires (2006–07); John Martini, Rebecca Mroczek-Williamson, Helen Kiner, Karla Coplin (2008); Nancy Stockall, Don Bailey, Linda Turner, Jeanne Stevens (2009); Gabriel Matney, Andrea McCaleb, Valerie Arnoldussen (2010). After 2010, the Speakman Awards for faculty were expanded to include three categories: Excellence in Teaching; Excellence in Scholarship, Research, and Creativity; and Excellence in Professional and Community Service. The first three faculty members to receive Speakman Awards in these categories were Linda Tichenor, Ragupathy Kannan, and Argie Nell Nichols in 2011, and the staff awardees were Alan Pixley and Mike Daniels. In 2012, Pamela Davidson, Stephen Husarik, and Jack Jackson were the faculty awardees, and Julie Mosley and Nita Prock received the Speakman Award for staff.