Roberta Fulbright facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberta Fulbright
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| Born |
Roberta Waugh
February 14, 1874 |
| Died | January 11, 1953 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Roberta Waugh Fulbright |
| Occupation | journalist, newspaper editor, businesswoman |
| Years active | 1923–1952 |
Roberta Fulbright (1874–1953) was an American businesswoman. She became a very important newspaper publisher, editor, and journalist. She used her newspaper to encourage people to be good citizens. She also supported women's rights.
Fulbright was named Arkansas Mother of the Year in 1946. She helped start the Arkansas Newspaper Women group. This group is now called the Arkansas Press Women. After she passed away, she was honored in the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame. She was part of the first group of women to be included.
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Early Life and Education
Roberta Waugh was born on February 14, 1874. Her parents were Pattie and James Gilliam Waugh. She grew up on a farm in Rothville, Missouri. Roberta went to school and church there. She also learned to play the piano and organ.
When she was sixteen, she passed a test to become a teacher. Her parents sent her to high school in Kansas City, Missouri. Then she went to the University of Missouri for two years. This helped her become a fully certified teacher. Roberta was very good at subjects like English and history. She joined a sorority called Kappa Kappa Gamma. She enjoyed many social and learning events. One event was a talk by Walter Williams. He started Missouri's school of journalism. This talk made her very interested in journalism. But she went back to Rothville to teach.
On October 30, 1894, she married Jay Fulbright. He was a local farmer. They started their life on a farm. Soon, they had enough money to buy a bank. The bank was in Sumner, Missouri, a nearby town. They moved there. Roberta had four children: Frances, Anna, Jay Jr., and James William. She helped at the bank while raising her children.
In 1906, the family moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Jay became involved in many businesses. He was president of the Arkansas National Bank. Jay liked to buy businesses that were having trouble. He would fix them up and then sell them for a profit. He owned parts of many banks. He also invested in timber, real estate, and other businesses. These included a poultry plant, an ice company, and a hotel. Roberta focused on her family and community clubs. In 1911, she had twin girls, Roberta and Helen. The family was doing very well. They helped their community grow. But then, Jay passed away suddenly on July 23, 1923.
A New Path in Business
Jay died without a will. This meant his business partners tried to protect their own interests. Other businesses saw a chance to take over. Even some partners started legal claims against her. Roberta was chosen to take Jay's place as a director at Arkansas National Bank. She was the first woman bank director in Fayetteville.
Roberta traded her bank shares for a big part of the Washington Hotel. This hotel was the largest in northwest Arkansas. The bank was also a tenant in the hotel. Within six months, Roberta was able to make the bank move out. There were also lawsuits about her husband's businesses. His brother's widow, Josephine, sued to protect her part of the Coca-Cola Bottling and ice business. This business was put up for auction. Roberta made the highest bid and bought it.
In a short time, Roberta was able to get control of some businesses. She sold others. She made the Fulbright Investment Company stable again. This surprised many people who thought she could not run the businesses. While dealing with these business challenges, Roberta took a writing course in 1925. She then focused on her newspaper, the Fayetteville Daily Democrat. By 1926, she owned the newspaper completely.
Speaking Out: "As I See It"
In 1933, Roberta started writing a column. It was in the Democrat and called "As I See It". This column was her opinion on many different topics. She wrote about women's equality, war, gardening, and politics. She also wrote about travel and life ideas. It is thought that she wrote about 2 million words in her twenty-year career.
In the mid-1930s, Roberta decided to fight against corruption in politics. She asked for a check of the county's money. She also wrote about a group stealing cars. This group included local officials. She was worried about the courts that protected illegal activities and unfair deals. She was also angry that county contracts only went to friends or people who paid for protection. Her articles showed this corruption. A sheriff even admitted guilt in federal court. This made Roberta well-known in the area. A candidate she supported won the election in 1936. In 1937, the newspaper changed its name. It became The Northwest Arkansas Times. This showed its goal to reach more people.
A Legacy of Influence
In 1939, Roberta's son, Bill, became president of the University of Arkansas. He was appointed by Governor Carl Bailey. Roberta had supported Bailey in his election. In 1940, Bailey lost the governor's race to Homer Adkins. Adkins replaced Bill as university president in 1941. The next year, Bill won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1944, he beat Adkins to become the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.
In 1946, Roberta was named Arkansas Mother of the Year. This award was given by the Golden Rule Foundation. In 1949, Roberta started a scholarship fund. It was for the journalism school at the University of Arkansas. She also published a book of poetry. She gave these books as Christmas gifts. That same year, she helped start the Arkansas Newspaper Women. The next year, she was named its honorary lifetime president. In 1952, she published a collection of her "As I See It" columns.
Roberta Fulbright passed away on January 11, 1953, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After her death, the University of Arkansas honored her. They created a memorial bookshelf for her. In 1959, they named a women's dorm after her. In 1961, a new public library was built with her name. In 2012, a dining hall at the University of Arkansas was also named in her honor. In 2015, she was one of the first women to be included in the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame.
