Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Everything from White man in bow tie standing amid displays of books August House to Black woman with long curly hair back turned holding guitar behind her with text "August Lane a novel Regina Black author of The Art of Scandal" August Lane

This Day in Arkansas History

August 24, 1931

Will Counts was born in Little Rock (Pulaski County) to a family who sharecropped near Rose Bud in White County. Counts is best known in Arkansas for taking the photograph of Elizabeth Eckford being harassed by white students during the desegregation of Central High School. Early in his career, he worked at both the Arkansas Gazette and the Arkansas Democrat. Counts won distinction and honors for his photography and authored several books on photo journalism. He earned a PhD in education at Indiana University in 1967 and served on the faculty there. He helped develop the best-regarded photojournalism department in the country and was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1996.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

New to Arkansas?
New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!

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