Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issues proclamation for War Memorial Stadium’s 75th anniversary

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An Arkansas landmark has been honored in a gubernatorial proclamation.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee marked the 75th anniversary of War Memorial Stadium with a Friday proclamation. The proclamation outlined the stadium’s history as a source of pride for the state.

The proclamation began with the stadium’s 1948 dedication, named in honor of Arkansans who had given their lives in two world wars.

Since then, the stadium has evolved into an active tribute to all Arkansans who gave their lives in military conflicts. Programs, tributes and monuments at the War Memorial are part of the ongoing tribute to service members, including the addition of a plaza with a 25-foot Stars and Stripes sculpture as part of its 60th anniversary.

War Memorial is well known as a home for Arkansas Razorback football games. According to the proclamation, it has hosted 200 Razorback games since its first one in 1948. In that same period, the Hogs have been victorious 152 times.

Besides Arkansas State University, the War Memorial has hosted Arkansas State University, the University of Central Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Hendrix College. The Little Rock Rangers soccer team also calls the stadium its home.

Other events the stadium has hosted include events featuring President Harry S. Truman, performances by comedian Bob Hope and revivals by the Rev. Billy Graham. It has also hosted musical performances by A-List performers such as Elton John, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, George Strait, N’Sync, Gun ‘n Roses and more, often with tens of thousands of fans on hand to enjoy the show.

At its original build, the stadium has a seating capacity of 31,000, through a series of upgrades that was expanded to more than 53,000 in 1967 and again to its current 54,120 capacity in 2010.

War Memorial was placed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places in 1998.

from KARK https://ift.tt/U146t2y