CONWAY, Ark. (August 30, 2012) - Rep. Darrin Williams '90 of Little Rock will discuss critical issues facing the next General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 4:15 p.m. in the Mills Library. William's appearance is sponsored by the College's Project Pericles' series Hendrix Alumni Doing Democracy (HADD).
When the 89th Arkansas General Assembly convenes in January 2013, Rep. Williams is slated to serve as Speaker of the House, making him the highest ranking African American to serve in an elected position in Arkansas.
Williams is serving in his second term in the Arkansas General Assembly, representing District 36, which includes portions of central and southern Pulaski County. He serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Governing Magazine, a national publication on government policy and politics, recently named Williams one of the 12 State Legislators to Watch for 2012.
During his campus visit, Williams will share his journey from Hendrix to House Speaker Designate and his experiences in public service.
After graduating from Hendrix, Williams received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tenn. and his master's of law degree from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. He is a partner at Carney Williams Bates Pulliam & Bowman law firm and actively involved with several community and civic organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for Southern Bancorp, CARTI Foundation and Our House, Inc.
He has also been recognized as "Legislator of the Year" by the Little Rock Landlord's Association, the Arkansas Realtors Association, and the Arkansas Police Chiefs Association. Several other organizations including the Arkansas Municipal League, AARP, the Arkansas Asset Coalition and the Arkansans against Abusive Payday Lending have honored Williams for his legislative work.
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.