First president of Association of Arkansas Counties to be honored in Blytheville

Mississippi County’s longest serving county judge was instrumental in defining the structure of county government for the state of Arkansas and now a plaque will commemorate his work. County officials will unveil the plaque honoring the late County Judge A.A. “Shug” Banks at the Blytheville Courthouse on Thursday (Aug. 29).

“Throughout the Mississippi County Courthouse in Blytheville you will find recognition of our rich history and adding a plaque of Judge Banks allows us to further tell that story,” said Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson.

“Judge Banks was an icon of public service for Mississippi County and the state. He was a mentor of mine and he embodied the pragmatic leadership and a spirit of cooperation that we should all aspire to follow today. Mississippi County and Arkansas are better because of him,” Nelson added.

Among his achievements, Banks is known for his role in shaping Amendment 55, Act 742 of 1977, which redefined and modernized the structure of Arkansas county governments, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. He was involved in the founding the Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) in 1968, and served as its first president. The AAC now represents nearly 1,400 county and district officials across nine different associations. He also served two terms as president of the Arkansas County Judge’s Association.

Banks served as Mississippi County Judge from 1961 until 1981 marking the longest tenure in the county’s history. Banks was also a board director for the National Association of Counties. Judge Banks passed away on October 8, 2001.

The 103-year-old courthouse where his plaque will be displayed underwent a $18 million renovation completed in 2022 with Revival Architecture leading the efforts. The courthouse renovation has been recognized by Preserve Arkansas and the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture. It is also one of five courthouse projects to be recognized by the National Center of State Courts for “exhibiting sensitive additions to historic courthouses.”