Columns

The storyline that changed television history

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2024

Staff Reports

Charles M. Schulz created a comic strip that captured the hearts of millions in the nearly 50 years that Peanuts ran in thousands of newspapers around the world. Schulz, an amiable and soft-spoken Minnesota native and World War II veteran, had been drawing the daily strip since 1950. Fifteen years later, he would be responsible for a Christmas story that has since become a cultural icon. But it was almost entirely by accident.

In April 1965, executives at the Coca-Cola Company contacted their advertising agency, McCann-Erickson in New York, and asked if there were any Christmas specials they could sponsor that winter, still months away. The ad agency immediately suggested an adaptation of Schulz’s Peanuts strip even though none had even been proposed and Schulz had not even thought of the idea.

Within days, Schulz, along with producer Lee Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez, produced a story outline. Executives at CBS agreed to air the special but only gave it a budget of $76,000 (or $716,000 in 2022 dollars).

In spite of the special’s purpose of advertising Coca-Cola, Schulz chose a storyline that was critical of crass profiteering and emphasizing the simple message of the Christmas spirit. By the early 1960s, many cultural commentators had already criticized the commercialization of Christmas and the emphasis on gifts and holiday spending. In 2021, Americans spent hundreds of billions on Christmas by one estimate, so much that many businesses depend on brisk Christmas shopping to stay afloat.

In the storyline that emerged, inspired by strips that Schulz had run, the main character Charlie Brown was feeling disconnected and depressed as Christmas approached as everyone around him made demands on receiving extravagant gifts, including his sister Sally asking Santa Claus in a letter to make it simple by just sending “tens and twenties.”

As part of directing a Christmas play, Charlie Brown and his friend Linus, a blanket-toting theologian, attempt to buy a Christmas tree. The two find a lot filled with the aluminum Christmas trees that had become popular by the early 1960s. Thinking the aluminum trees were too superficial, Charlie Brown chose the one live tree available, a small, dilapidated sapling. Mocked by his friends about his choice of tree later, he asked what the meaning of Christmas was, prompting Linus to quote Luke 2: 8-14 from the Bible on the birth of Christ. “And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown,” Linus said to Charlie Brown, satisfied and inspired by the answer.

The network, studio executives, and advertisers were reluctant to include the monologue. The biggest question they had was whether it was in good taste to take a scriptural message so special to millions of Americans and turn it into a cartoon. Television had only been widely available for a little over a decade by the 1960s. Television animation had been around for almost as long, but critics did not see it as very sophisticated. Schulz, however, insisted that the scene be included. In the process, it became the first time the Bible was quoted in a television cartoon.

Animators worked feverishly to produce the thousands of images needed for a cartoon before the deadline. With 12 images needed each second for a 25-minute special, their work was cut out for them as each needed to be drawn and colored by hand. Children auditioned to voice the characters with 8-year-old Peter Robbins cast as Charlie Brown and Christopher Shea as Linus, who would both repeat their roles in future specials. CBS executives were uncertain how audiences would react to the cartoon, trying without success to convince Schulz, Mendelson, and Melendez to make changes to the production, already over budget.

A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on December 9, 1965. More than 15.5 million households watched. It immediately became a classic. Its heartwarming message that Christmas was more than about shopping became a comfortable reminder for millions. The special won an Emmy Award in 1966. It had such a profound impact on American culture that aluminum Christmas trees ceased to be made by 1968. In the following years, the special was translated into numerous other languages and broadcast in countries around the world. CBS agreed to produce more Peanuts cartoons, averaging about one per year into the 1990s. And a slew of other Christmas specials, inspired by the Peanuts success, would follow in the years afterward.

With the popularity of A Charlie Brown Christmas, CBS would air the special each December until 2000 when it was picked up by ABC for a few years afterward. Now, it is broadcast on digital streaming networks. Nearly 60 years after its first airing, it is still a program enjoyed by millions of children and also parents and grandparents who grew up watching it. Its simple message criticizing the commercialization of the holiday and emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas still resonates in the twenty-first century as countless people continue to look to Christmas as a time of family and togetherness and a time of the special promise of a manger in Bethlehem.

Columns

Supporting Small Business to Build Stronger Communities

Published

2 weeks ago

February 23, 2026

Sandy Sanford

By: Sen. John Boozman, R.-AR

Arkansas is full of entrepreneurs who use innovative ideas, everyday solutions and ongoing challenges to fuel opportunity. This reality is apparent when I return home and visit the excellent small businesses generating economic growth across all regions of our state. As the backbone of our communities and the American economy, I am pleased to advocate policies that make it easier to start, sustain and grow a small business. During the last state work period, I had the pleasure of visiting Red Barn Donuts in Rogers, owned by the hardworking Wiginton family. They are a great example of entrepreneurs turning their passion and family activity into a thriving local business where neighbors can come together and enjoy a delicious treat. Small businesses like theirs not only serve customers –– they help define the character and spirit of the towns they call home. It almost goes without saying that starting and growing a business is not a simple feat. Through grit and tireless dedication, paired with resources such as the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), the Wigintons were able to make their dream come true. Their collaboration is a great example of what can happen when public institutions and private businesses work together to achieve success. As a result, jobs are created and enterprises thrive, with far-reaching benefits. This public-private partnership is just one example of the exciting economic development underway in The Natural State. When government, educational resources and private initiative work hand in hand, Arkansas families win. Fortunately, our spirit of hard work and resilience is reinforced by policies that increase access to capital and promote right-sized regulations.

One such policy I am proud to back is Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) and Congressman French Hill’s (R-AR) PROTECTED Act, a bill that would shield small financial institutions and Main Street businesses from burdensome requirements to collect and share personal and private data. Forcing entrepreneurs and community lenders to share identity-based information opens the door for the federal government to pick winners and losers based on factors other than sound underwriting. Rural employers should be focused on growing their businesses and communities, not complying with overly burdensome red tape. Significant federal support was also secured through the Working Families Tax Cuts, landmark legislation that Senate Republicans championed and President Trump signed into law. Provisions that made the small business deduction permanent, reduce regulatory burdens and implemented “No Tax on Tips” put more money back in the pockets of Arkansans. The law will also spur investment by allowing companies to fully expense business equipment more quickly. Providing certainty in the tax code allows job creators to plan for the future with confidence and gives them breathing room to invest, hire and grow without Washington’s cumbersome overreach. By uplifting small businesses, supporting effective public-private partnerships and continuing to fight for pro-growth policies, we can ensure they stay strong. Small businesses are the backbone of rural America, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure the regulatory environment allows for local businesses and communities to flourish. My priority in Washington is to help create an environment that keeps our economy moving forward so Arkansas remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Columns

BRIDGES – Brough Part 2

Published

4 months ago

October 31, 2025

Sandy Sanford

Charles Brough, a Mississippi native and former professor at the University of Arkansas, became the twenty-fifth governor of Arkansas in 1917 in a time of change. The early twentieth century was a time promising tremendous changes in the way that Americans worked and lived, and Americans were excited about what the future held. And Americans were calling for a modern system of government to keep up with the changing times. And Brough was ready to deliver.

He quickly enacted school reform measures in the state, creating compulsory attendance laws and expanding vocational education. Brough enacted numerous other reforms. He created the Arkansas Corporation Commission in 1917 to oversee utilities in the state and pushed for a modern highway system in the state. Though the highway plan was bogged down by financial problems and mismanagement at the county level, it did result in 2,500 miles of new highway being constructed. He also pushed through a law in 1917 allowing women to vote in state party primaries, where most elections in the state took place at the time.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Brough shifted the focus of his administration to the war effort. He went across the state to raise money for the troops and for the Red Cross. He also created the State Council of Defense to help coordinate production to ensure the troops had all the supplies they needed.

Brough’s popularity was so high that the Republican Party did not even bother fielding a candidate against him in 1918, endorsing Brough’s re-election against Socialist candidate Clay Fulks. Brough swept into a second term with 93% of the vote.

While he hoped that his second term would allow him to build on his earlier successes, the end of the war saw new challenges. He attempted to push through a new state constitution, but the effort failed. In 1919, the nation was hit with a major recession. And in late September, Phillips County erupted into bloodshed as a race riot erupted in Elaine. An estimated 200 African-Americans were slaughtered by white mobs, but the death toll was possibly much higher. Brough sent in the National Guard to restore order and appointed a special committee to study the slaughter, but the committee’s weak recommendations to prevent further riots were never acted upon, and the matter still haunts Phillips County to this day even as residents strive to rise above the massacre.

After his second term ended in 1921, Brough toured the country on the speaking circuit, promoting the state. And it is Brough who is responsible for what is probably the worst Arkansas joke in history, one he repeated often in these speeches: “Did you know Arkansas is the only state mentioned in the Bible? The Bible says, ‘Noah looked out the Ark-and-saw!’”

In 1928, Brough spoke at the graduation at Central Baptist College in Conway. So impressed with his performance, college trustees decided that he would be the perfect choice for the new president of the college. Brough accepted, but he quickly ran into controversy. The country had taken a sharp reactionary turn since World War I, and Brough’s attempts to defend progress and reform were faltering. He fought back against attacks by fellow Baptists against the 1928 Democratic nominee for president, Al Smith, for his beliefs as a Roman Catholic. In addition, he supported the teaching of evolution in accordance with scientific standards, but fundamentalist Baptists howled their objections to the idea. Within a year, Brough was forced to step down, but he soon found work as a promoter for the University of Arkansas.

He unsuccessfully attempted to run for U. S. Senate twice, the last time being in a 1931 loss to Hattie Caraway. In spite of his lack of political success in his years after his governorship, he remained an enthusiastic personality and stayed active in civic causes. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to a special commission to help solve a dispute over the West Virginia border. However, just weeks after his work was completed in 1935, Brough suffered a massive heart attack and died. After his death, he was widely praised for the accomplishments in transportation and education he achieved for the state.

Columns

BRIDGES – Brough Part 1

Published

4 months ago

October 31, 2025

Sandy Sanford

The early twentieth century was a time of great change in Arkansas, and many residents were excited about what the future held. Many programs were introduced to modernize education and the infrastructure of the state. One figure responsible for many of these changes was Gov. Charles H. Brough, whose early years took him between Mississippi and Utah before landing him at the University of Arkansas.

Charles Hillman Brough was born in western Mississippi in 1876. His mother was a schoolteacher, while his father was a Pennsylvania native and a veteran of the Union Army who stayed in the state after the Civil War to invest in mining and banking. Brough spent much of his early childhood in Utah as his father expanded his investments.

In 1882, Brough was sent to live with his mother’s sister and brother-in-law in Mississippi. His aunt and uncle were active educators, and his uncle ran a local girl’s school. The importance of education was deeply ingrained in the future governor, and the intelligent young man absorbed all that he could. After Brough’s mother died, he stayed in Mississippi to continue to be raised by his aunt and uncle. At the age of 14, Brough was enrolled in Mississippi College, graduating four years later.

He returned to Utah in 1894, spending a year with his father. He soon entered graduate school at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Drawing on his experiences out West with his father, he wrote his doctoral dissertation on irrigation in Utah. He earned his doctorate in history in 1898 and returned to Mississippi College to serve as a professor of history, ethics, economics, and German. He was active in the college community, delivering lectures across the state, recruiting for the college, and writing many scholarly articles.

Still a restless young man, he resigned his teaching position and entered the University of Mississippi law school in 1901, completing a two-year course of study in just a year. Instead of a law career, he returned to teaching. After being rejected for a prestigious position at the University of Mississippi, he left the state to accept a position as professor of political economy at the University of Arkansas in 1903.

Once in Arkansas, he again dived into the life of the university community and continued to write on such issues as finance, tariff and tax law, and Arkansas History. He was admitted to the state bar in 1904, but he again did not practice law. He was also active in the church, teaching Sunday School and often serving as a substitute preacher for other churches. Popular among teachers, he was also president of the Arkansas State Teachers Association for the 1913-1914 school year.

In 1913, after Gov. Joseph T. Robinson resigned to take his seat in the U. S. Senate, colleagues encouraged Brough to run in the special election to fill the remainder of the term. He had never run for office before. Brough tepidly entered the race but quickly withdrew, realizing that the public did not know enough about him and he would likely not have won. Nevertheless, in 1915, he resigned from the university to campaign full time for the Democratic Primary the following year. He ended up winning the three-man race in the primary and won the general election in the fall with nearly 70% of the vote over the Republican and Socialist candidates.

Brough dove into his position as governor with the energy and enthusiasm that made him famous. He made education reform a top priority. He established an illiteracy commission to study the issue in detail. He established county boards of education and, in 1917, enacted the first compulsory school attendance law in state history. Education was no longer just a good idea for developing young minds and local economies – it was the law. He also pushed for expanding vocational programs through a new federal education subsidy. But for Brough and his ambitious progressive agenda, this was only the beginning.

Columns

OPINION: Murphy USA is not going anywhere! (And that’s a FACT)

Published

5 months ago

September 26, 2025

Sandy Sanford

If you will grant me your patience, I will prove why it is a fact that MUSA is staying put in El Dorado.

I moved to South Arkansas 23 years ago. I love it here. The truth of the matter is, I have lived here longer than I have ever lived anywhere else. Another truth, I could live almost anywhere in the United States. There’s nothing that really holds me here against my will. My home is nearly paid for and worth a whole lot more than I paid for it. I have a skillset that allows me to shop my abilities on the open market. I have been very fortunate to be successful everywhere I have ever been. That looks good on a resume and makes me a valued commodity.

In 2012, when I made some major changes in my life, I had to decide if I wanted to stay here, in El Dorado, or go elsewhere. I was offered a very lucrative position at a television station in Missouri (not on camera of course, I mean… Look at me! Right?) I was offered another position in television in Shreveport. I was offered an executive position at a group of radio stations in Northwest Arkansas, as well as in Corpus Christi, Texas; Roswell, New Mexico; Amarillo, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. The compensation at all of those was more than I made here and I was well & fairly compensated for what I did here. I guess if it had been just about money, I would have chased that next venture.

However, it was not! I made lifelong friendships here. I belonged to a great church family here. I was involved here. I was on the board at (then) Medical Center of South Arkansas, El Dorado Golf & Country Club, Chairman of the Parks & Playgrounds Commission, on the board of the El Dorado Crime Stoppers, Salvation Army, Chamber of Commerce, and probably some others that aren’t coming to mind. I had three children and was preparing for life as a single father. My oldest was “up on the hill” in Fayetteville, having just started her college life at the U of A. My two boys were 11 & 12 and doing well in school. Frankly, El Dorado was the only home they knew of. They were both small babies when they moved here. OH! And let’s not forget, THE EL DORADO PROMISE. Yea, that definitely played into my decision to stay and make my life here. So, since it wasn’t about the money and I had all of these reasons to stay, that’s what I did.

A few years ago, I sold my interests in a local business I owned and once again I was faced with the same question. Do I want to stay in El Dorado or do I want to go somewhere else? It wasn’t as easy of a decision this time. Economically, South Arkansas was in the grips of what was happening nationally. Inflation was ripping money out people’s pockets faster than any “would-be robber” could get to it. Murphy Oil had relocated to Houston, I felt like the City was being mismanaged, the population loss was unsettling to say the least, I believe we have some the worst customer service in all of America and I’m not sure how to fix it. (Let’s be honest, I can go to almost any other McDonalds in the USA and my order is right!) I had to sit and put it all in perspective. But once again, I declared El Dorado as my home.

Yesterday’s news about Murphy USA’s layoffs hurt me. I am not trying to be cold but once I put it in perspective, I wasn’t as hurt. For those who were laid off, it is a serious matter and I wish them the best as well as praying for them. However, I know we will continue with our lives and unless those who were affected directly affect us, we probably won’t notice.

There are those people who salivate over the slightest bit of news, gossip, rumor, or innuendo for the sole purpose of spreading fear and negativity. I don’t understand them. It is outside of my line of thought to think negatively. Believe me, it’s not that I’ve lived a Polyannish life. I have faced real hardships, heartbreaks, disappointments and depression. I don’t know if it is because of my faith in Jesus or maybe I just have my head in the sand. Whatever it is, I don’t fall victim to negative thoughts.

South Arkansas Now, of which I am one of the two owners, reached out to Murphy USA with more questions. Here are some of those questions:

How many employees in El Dorado did this restructuring affect?
Is Murphy USA bringing employees from the QuickCheck office in New Jersey to El Dorado? (Because that is one of the wild & negative rumors floating around today.)
Does Murphy USA have any plans that include leaving El Dorado?
What is Murphy USA doing, specifically, to keep this restructuring from being an economic bombshell to the community.

To their credit, here was their response… word for word:

Thanks for reaching out. Allow me to reassure you, Murphy USA is not stepping back in their support and commitment to El Dorado. This is part of the fabric of the Company and its culture long-term. Please note, employees are not being brought from QuickChek to El Dorado. The impact was felt in both geographies. The Company Statement has the detail you are seeking:

Murphy USA, Inc. recently reorganized as part of a broader effort to strengthen operational effectiveness and position the company for long-term success. Unfortunately, this change included making the difficult decision to reduce the size of our workforce by close to 100, mostly corporate employees, across Murphy USA and QuickChek offices. This includes 65 employees based in El Dorado, Arkansas.

This reorganization was not focused on specific departments and decisions were not made lightly. The reduction was based on thoughtful analysis that ensures we have an agile and efficient organization optimized to support the business now and in the future.

This event does not change our commitment to El Dorado, Arkansas. We are fully committed to the city and its people and have no plans to relocate our headquarters or reduce our presence. (emphasis is mine) In fact, Murphy USA will continue to invest in El Dorado, not only in infrastructure, but in people, partnerships, and long-term growth to ensure the city remains a thriving destination where people prosper.

We are grateful for the contributions of every employee impacted and are committed to treating them with respect and providing resources to support them through this transition.

We remain focused on our mission and confident in the path ahead.

So there it is, straight from Murphy USA. They aren’t leaving! They aren’t shutting down! They aren’t laying off half of their staff. (all of those are rumors I read today.) My plea is this: This move by Murphy USA naturally alarmed some people. So, shouldn’t we all do what we can to bring about calm and help those who are directly impacted? To me, that is a clear and resounding YES. Let’s make sure we are being the best neighbors we can be. Thank you for indulging me, I am getting ready watch Wildcat Football!

Columns

BRIDGES: Cravens

Published

7 months ago

August 8, 2025

Staff Reports

For many people, family means everything. In Arkansas politics, it has often been an important springboard for careers. One particular family duo, Ben and Fadjo Cravens of Fort Smith, ended up serving a combined eleven terms in Congress in the early twentieth century. The father-son team had a great impact on developing southern and western Arkansas.

William Ben Cravens was born in Fort Smith in 1872. His father, William Murphy Cravens, had served as a Confederate cavalry officer during the Civil War and had established a respected law practice in Fort Smith after the war. It was known to be a close and loving family.

Cravens came from a family of good means. He was cousin to Jordan Cravens, a Clarksville attorney and Confederate veteran who served three terms in Congress from 1877 to 1883. He attended Louisville Military Academy in Kentucky as well as the prestigious Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. He then earned a degree from the University of Missouri.

William Cravens became an attorney in 1893 and joined his father’s practice in Fort Smith. He was an ambitious man and won election as city attorney in 1898. Four years after that, he was elected prosecuting attorney for the Twelfth Judicial District, which included Sebastian County.

In 1906, he was elected to represent the Fourth District in Congress, which took up most of Southwest Arkansas at the time. He won re-election by a wide margin in 1908, and he was re-elected without opposition in 1910. He served on the Military Affairs committee and the Indian Affairs Committee as well as the Congressional Red River Improvement Association, hoping river improvements would help the regional economy. Distractions, however, kept him from attending many votes, and his attendance record was much lower than average. In 1912, he was defeated for re-nomination. With a growing family in Fort Smith, he contented himself with a relatively quiet life as an attorney.

His successor, Otis Wingo, a DeQueen attorney, died in office in 1930. His wife, Effigenie Wingo, was elected to replace him, the first woman elected to Congress from Arkansas. In 1932, she declined to seek re-election. With his family grown and the Great Depression devastating millions of Americans, Cravens decided to re-enter politics. He jumped into the race to reclaim his seat in Congress.

Cravens won the Democratic nomination easily and faced no opposition in the general election. He was unopposed in each general election in his second round in Congress, winning without opposition in 1932, 1934, and 1936. Now 60 years old, he energetically served in Congress, actively supporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s package of New Deal reforms, from farm subsidies to rural electricity to Social Security. He served on committees overseeing mining, elections, and flood abatement. He was elected to his seventh term in November 1938, but tragedy intervened. Cravens died suddenly in January 1939 in Washington, DC, at the age of 66.

William Fadjo Cravens, usually just referred to as “Fadjo,” was crushed by his father’s death, but he jumped into the race to succeed him. He had enlisted in the navy in World War I. After his honorable discharge, he returned to study law at Washington and Lee University in Virginia and became an attorney by 1920. He returned to Fort Smith to practice law, serving at his father’s side just like his father before him. Similarly, he became Fort Smith city attorney, running the office for ten years. He won the special election to Congress in 1939. Most of his time in Congress dealt with World War II. He actively supported the war effort and made sure that defense contracts came to the district, most notably to Camden, Pine Bluff, El Dorado, and Fort Smith as well as expansion of Fort Chaffee.

Fadjo Cravens was unopposed in each general election afterward. He was more moderate in his views than his father overall but was a popular and effective representative overall. He declined to run for re-election in 1948.

The younger Cravens returned to Fort Smith and served as an attorney for many more years. He died in 1974 at his home in Fort Smith. Though his own children did not become members of Congress themselves, his son, William Fadjo Cravens II, became a noted businessman in Fort Smith and served as a delegate to the state’s ill-fated constitutional convention in 1969.