History of The Arkansas Traveler

When Right Makes Right
In 1908, the editor of The University Weekly reported rumor of an error. A writer was said to have mistakenly reported that two members of the debate team were also members of another student organization. The editor, though, didn't let anyone off the hook:

They say that the Weekly erred all around and last week we gave space for the correction of our 'cub' reporter's story on the debaters. The proper thing, however, for Woods and Jernigan to have done would have been to have allied themselves with the Demosthenean society when the Weekly said they belonged to that organization. They should bear in mind that the Weekly makes no mistakes and hereafter what the Weekly says is so, is so.

The Arkansas Traveler. April 23, 1908.

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Still Traveling

In the spring of 1950, The Arkansas Traveler ran a contest to choose a slogan for the paper and offered a reward of $10 for the best. Quickly, the paper reported, more than 40 proposals had been submitted, including such memorable lines as "The Oracle of the Ozarks," "Porker Reports of News and Sports" and "The Opportunity Paper," an apparent reference to Arkansas's slogan: "The Land of Opportunity."

By April, the number of entries had reached 196. Names of those who suggested the slogans were removed, and a panel made up of professor J.A. Thalheimer, Charles Allbright and Robert McCord chose the winning slogan.

The entire list was read over three times, with discussion being held on each of the slogans. Finally the list was narrowed down to nine, then to three. From the remaining three, 'Traveling Since 1894' was selected.

As it turned out, the winning entry had been submitted by J. Walter Lemke. However, in one of the rare historical slips by Lemke, who helped found both the Arkansas Historical Society and the Washington County Historical Society, he picked a year that does not appear to be accurate. The first student publication at the University of Arkansas began in 1893. It ceased publication in 1901. The University Weekly began publication in 1906 with a new volume number, a clear indication that the student newspaper was a new publication unto itself.

The Arkansas Traveler. March 28, 1950.
Ibid., April 12, 1950.

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Your Ad Here

In 1968, The Traveler ran a classified ad that said simply: “Will do it. Call Hotz Hall 5612.” Phone lines to Hotz, then a women's dormitory, were tied up for hours. When the phone was eventually disconnected, callers phoned the front desk and other residents' rooms to verify the nature of the advertisement.

In the next issue, The Traveler ran a retraction of the ad: “Traveler classifieds are read. ... We would like to apologize to the staff of the residence hall involved and to that dorm’s residents for all the unforeseen trouble that has been caused. And again we ask, no more phone calls, please!”

The Arkansas Traveler. February 29, 1968
Ibid. March 1, 1968