Governor Asa Hutchinson attends "Welcome Home" celebration

Photo by Susan Holland After speaking to students and the public at Gravette High School and to Gravette middle school and upper elementary students in the competition gym, Governor Asa Hutchinson concluded his visit to Gravette schools Friday with a tour of Glenn Duffy Elementary School. He is seen here in the computer lab at Glenn Duffy with Richard Page, superintendent of Gravette schools. Looking on, at left, are Zane Vanderpool, Glenn Duffy principal; and first lady Susan Hutchinson.
Photo by Susan Holland After speaking to students and the public at Gravette High School and to Gravette middle school and upper elementary students in the competition gym, Governor Asa Hutchinson concluded his visit to Gravette schools Friday with a tour of Glenn Duffy Elementary School. He is seen here in the computer lab at Glenn Duffy with Richard Page, superintendent of Gravette schools. Looking on, at left, are Zane Vanderpool, Glenn Duffy principal; and first lady Susan Hutchinson.

GRAVETTE -- A hometown boy who makes good is always a heartwarming story. Gravette has a special hometown boy success story and its subject is Asa Hutchinson, governor of Arkansas. Governor Hutchinson started last week in New York, ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. He ended it on a high note by returning to Gravette and attending a "Welcome Home" celebration hosted by the Gravette School District.

Governor Hutchinson and his wife, first lady Susan Hutchinson, came to Gravette Friday and were treated to lunch at Gravette High School, prepared by the GHS culinary arts students. Other guests at the luncheon were Richard Page, superintendent of Gravette schools; Jay Chalk, GHS principal; and school board members Jay Oliphant and Jim Singleton.

Following the luncheon, governor Hutchinson, just "Asa" to many friends and relatives in the audience, addressed Gravette High School students and members of the public in the GHS performing arts center. He told the crowd he had always had an affection for the Gravette area, "with deep roots and family connections here." He said Gravette is special because it provides unique opportunities to become whatever you want to be.

Hutchinson was born in Bentonville and lived on a farm near Bethel Cemetery south of Gravette. He attended Gravette schools through the eighth grade until his family moved and he transferred to Springdale. His first job was shining shoes in Johnny's Barber Shop on Main Street in Gravette. He said he loved Gravette so much he sometimes skipped school at Springdale and hitchhiked back to visit his friends here.

Gravette folks have a reputation for helping their neighbors and taking responsibility for their actions, the governor said. He learned from his parents that education was important, so he went on to college at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, where he majored in accounting. He said he fell in love with the law and went on to graduate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1975. He met his wife, Susan, while in college. She was teaching school in Memphis, so he sometimes hitchhiked to visit her there and eventually hitchhiked to her parents' home in Atlanta, Ga., to ask for her hand in marriage.

"You don't exactly make the best of impressions when you hitchhike to town and your future father-in-law has to pick you up on the street," he admitted.

Hutchinson decided getting involved in politics was a way to influence society. In 1982 President Reagan appointed him as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. He was the youngest U.S. attorney in the nation at age 31. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and was serving his third term in Congress when President George W. Bush appointed him administrator of the drug enforcement administration. He entered that office just a month before the tragic events of 9-11.

After 9-11, Hutchinson was asked to serve in the new Office of Homeland Security. He served as the first undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security during the Bush administration before having what he called the "great honor" of returning to Arkansas to practice law. He was elected governor of the state in 2014.

After recounting these steps in his public career, Governor Hutchinson urged the GHS students to follow their dreams.

"Look what happened to me," he said. "You can be governor. Seize every opportunity in life and do a good job when it comes."

One's philosophy is important, he said. Know what you believe in, have faith, depend upon your own ingenuity and have a good work ethic, he advised. "Invest in yourself and in your community."

Hutchinson said he had a conservative approach to government. He has been an advocate of getting computer coding in every Arkansas high school and said he is proud of the fact that Arkansas is leading the nation in comprehensive computer science education. He works hard at expanding economic development and has traveled abroad hoping to sell Arkansas poultry and rice. He has made trips to Cuba, China, Japan and Europe promoting the state this year.

Following his talk, Hutchinson asked for questions from the audience and one of the GHS students asked if he would consider running for president.

"I'm governor of Arkansas and I like my job," he replied.

He gave his opinions of who might be front runners in the current campaign and said he is supporting former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Whoever is elected president should be someone who is more interested in growing the private sector rather than the government, who understands the dangers of ISIS and has a plan to address the threat, and who listens to the American people and attempts to bring them together, Hutchinson said.

Members of Gravette's HOSA club presented gifts to first lady Susan Hutchinson and governor Asa Hutchinson. The governor's gift featured a football signed by Gravette football players and topped with a sign that read, "Just a kid from Gravette."

The Hutchinsons went from the high school to the competition gym at Gravette Middle School where the governor spoke to students from the middle school and Gravette Upper Elementary. He was introduced there by his great-nephew, Michael Duke, a student at the middle school.

Governor Hutchinson told the young students about his early responsibilities including memories of taking sweet tea to his father who was working in fields on the farm, his shoe shining job and being a "young entrepreneur" who sold that business a year later for $25. He also told them he worked in college as a janitor in the gymnasium and of the lessons he learned there.

Hutchinson was a once a youth leader at Gravette Bible Church and he stressed the importance of church, family and friends in one's life.

"Cherish the small-town values," he advised, "and take them with you. Apply yourself, learn about yourself, about taking responsibility, about leadership. You can do whatever you want in life if you apply yourself," he said.

He concluded his talk by urging the students to remember the importance of the person next to them and to care about that person.

"That's the spirit of community that makes the state great," he said.

The Hutchinsons completed their visit to Gravette schools with a walking tour of Glenn Duffy Elementary School. The governor visited students in the computer lab there and spoke to the Glenn Duffy faculty and staff.

General News on 01/20/2016