Former U.S. Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt Dies at 92
by April 1, 2015 12:56 pm 155 views
Former Republican U.S. Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt died Wednesday at age 92 at Regency Hospital in Springdale, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Hammerschmidt, a native of Harrison, represented the state’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives for 26 years (1967-1993), having been elected to 13 terms.
Felicia Williams, who archived Hammerschmidt’s papers for the University of Arkansas library, wrote that one of the Congressman’s most lasting contributions to Arkansas was his sponsorship of a bill that made the Buffalo River the nation’s first national river.
“This bill provided for the preservation of the Buffalo as a free-flowing stream and allowed for the eventual creation of a national park and a network of trails and campsites for visitors’ continual enjoyment,” Williams wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.
Hammerschmidt maintained an office at North Arkansas College in Harrison, and in 2011 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Arkansas.