Pryor’s legacy includes integrity, character and empathy

The late U.S. Sen. David Pryor was my hero. In our house, “DP” was like royalty. That probably had a lot to do with me idolizing him, then and now. Like so many in our state, I looked up to and revered David Pryor.

I loved the old stories told by my grandfather. When I heard these stories, I imagined a younger John Tull supporting a younger David Pryor in challenging Senator McClellan in 1972. Senator Pryor would later engineer my grandfather Tull’s appointment by President Clinton to serve as a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in Washington, overseeing commodity and futures trading. I remember asking my grandfather what made him think Senator Pryor was different and better as compared to other Arkansas politicians. He said, “Well, son, he looks you in the eye and makes you feel like he cares about you. And he really does.”

My grandmother used to tell the story of Senator Pryor bringing a gaggle of reporters to their house in Lonoke after a campaign stop. She was somewhat mortified when he led the reporters through the foyer and den to the kitchen, where, in her telling, he held a press conference between the sink, the refrigerator, and the chopping block.

Senator Pryor’s friends are innumerable today. He was larger than life, incredibly inspiring, and personally uplifting to so many Arkansans, especially a whole crop of folks many years younger than him whom he mentored and inspired. I was privileged to be a part of that group. He cared. And he leaves behind a legion of friends that feel he was family.

I imagine it was not always so. I thought as a boy and thought even more often in 2016 during my own Senate campaign, that he probably didn’t have as many friends when he ran against a 30-year veteran senator from the same hometown. I once heard a story about David Pryor – the same David Pryor who was beloved – going into a grocery store following the 1972 Senate race and sheepishly walking out believing no one liked him. It is easy to look back and see the path as certain and full of friends when, in fact, there were challenging and lonely times.

I’m sure there were many who didn’t like the young upstart challenging the status quo early on, I’d like to meet anyone who didn’t feel known and seen and loved when in David Pryor’s presence. He had a real gift. He never met a stranger. When you were around him, you just felt good.

One of my favorite stories was about how a campaigning DP approached a group of old men on a front porch in a small Arkansas town. Making conversation, he said, “I bet you’ve seen a lot of changes over the years.” One of the old men said, “Yep, and I was against every one of ‘em.” David Pryor was on the right side of change in his life.

It is always interesting to read official statements issued by public officials upon the passing of a former elected official. In this case, I have no doubt those currently in office in Arkansas want to recognize what DP meant to the state. However, we shouldn’t let the many tributes from across the political spectrum or the current state of politics in Arkansas diminish our remembering of what David Pryor stood for and fought for.

To be clear, David Pryor was a devoted advocate for the poor and downtrodden, and, therefore, a Democrat. He steadfastly maintained his principles and his beliefs, and he continued to fight for them for decades after his retirement from the Senate. When Barack Obama was elected U.S. president, and he heard some of the awful things Arkansas Republicans were saying about Obama, he was not shy to call out this racism and bias for what it was.

Senator Pryor once told me at some point in the 2010s that he had recently, and for the first time, refused to shake a man’s hand. I find great irony in the fact that this person put out a statement honoring Senator Pryor’s legacy. A big part of that legacy is standing up for what he believed in and not being afraid to challenge those in power when it was worth it.

It was one of the great honors of my life to have my hero take quite a lot of time to campaign for me. It was surreal to hear David Pryor strongly advocate for me in the 2016 Senate Campaign. He was kind and gracious enough to travel to Texarkana and Fayetteville and points in between to make the case that I should win the election and be in the Senate. It was a tough race. It turned out to be an even tougher year. This was the dawn of the Trump era. Arkansas was already red, and was turning even more ruby before our eyes. And the color of that crayon was and is Trump.

When others backed off in the face of these trends, Senator Pryor did not waiver. He had a steadfast dedication underneath his genteel manner. He encouraged me. He told me stories of his race against McClellan, and he lifted me up. He sounded like he was in the well of the Senate when he introduced me at campaign events. More than anything, he was devoted to his belief that we have to stand up for all Arkansans, especially those less fortunate. And the way to do that is to continue the fight for our principles, conducting ourselves with decency, but not backing down, win or lose, up or down. In the heart of a challenging race, DP was a consistent voice of unwavering support. It meant the world and represents who he was to so many in our state.

The Senator Pryor story my family now remembers more than any other was from this special time. My son Henry traveled with my wife Mary Elizabeth, Senator Pryor and me to Texarkana to headline an event for our campaign. We were traveling back to Little Rock following the quick trip to South Arkansas. Senator Pryor and I were talking about some matter of campaign strategy or some political issue, when we were stopped by an ambulance. The lights flashed in the dark, and it was stark. We kept talking. Henry, age four, tried to get our attention, to no avail. He pulled on my shirt and then Senator Pryor’s shirt. Finally, Senator Pryor said, “Yes, Henry?” Henry said, “Can we say a little prayer for the person in the ambulance?” So, we all held hands and prayed.

Senator Pryor then said in his wonderful David Pryor voice, “Henry, do you know what Integrity means?” “No, sir,” Henry said. And then Senator Pryor explained: “Henry, you are going to be a man of integrity. A man of integrity is also a man of character. Henry, you are going to be a man of character. You are going to care about people, you are going to stand up and do the right things, you are going to tell the truth and you are going to make a difference in the world through your integrity and your character.”

Senator David Pryor leaves us a great legacy of integrity and character. Our lives and our state have been enriched by him. May we treat people as he did. May we also fight for all Arkansans and all people, especially those less fortunate. May we call out injustice, especially when it is hard and it looks like we’ll lose. I am proud to be one of many, along with Henry, who was deeply moved by David Pryor. May we learn from his legacy and carry that DP smile and good way with us as we march forward to stand up for what matters.

Editor’s note: Conner Eldridge is the founding partner of the Rogers-based Eldridge Brooks law firm, and is a former U.S. Prosecuting Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. Opinions expressed are those of the author.