The Heritage Herald -
Edition 3, 2005
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Clara Jane Rubarth Succeeds To The Presidency Historic District Resident Will Lead Foundation In 2005-06 Clara Jane Rubarth has succeeded to the presidency of the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation and will direct the activities of the organization during the 2005-06 year. She was elected by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting of the membership held at The Clayton House on Sunday, June 26. In addition to assuming the role of president, Clara Jane has also begun her second three-year term as a member of the Foundation Board. A resident of the Schoolhouse Apartments at 600 North Sixth Street, she is a close neighbor to The Clayton House and is active in the Belle Grove Neighborhood Association. A retired professor from the University of Arkansas/Fort Smith, Clara Jane’s interest in our city’s history and cultural development is evidenced by her membership in the Fort Smith Historical Society and the Fort Smith Art Center. She is also an active member of the River Valley Master Gardeners. Clara Jane has always displayed a keen desire for visitors to see and experience our historic home as it existed at the time it was occupied by the Clayton family. Each time she served as docent or tour guide she would greet visitors dressed in a costume from the Victorian period. The newly elected Foundation President has two sons and three daughters each with families of their own. She is also a grandmother with nine grandchildren. She lists among her hobbies gardening, fiber art, costuming and the theater. Other officers elected at the annual meeting are: Mark Moll, Vice President; Margaret Thompson, Secretary; and Genia Smith, Treasurer. Tom Caldarera was elected to serve as a member of the five-person Memorials Fund committee. |
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ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GOES TO POLLY ANNA CORE The back of her SUV may be filled with plants for the flowerbeds and to line the walkway leading to The Clayton House. Or it may be filled with baked goods or other delicacies to serve at one of the teas or other social functions she has chaired. The SUV may also have been filled with, Tasteful Traditions, the cookbook she worked on with her committee and sold at every occasion to raise funds for our Victorian home. We cannot list here all the many projects Polly Anna Core has devoted toward the betterment of The Heritage Foundation and The Clayton House. She will say she has had a lot of help from other members during her three years on the board, but those who have served with her give credit to her perseverance and tenacity in bringing each of her projects to a successful conclusion. Vice President Mark Moll was able to describe her abilities concisely when he awarded Polly Anna the Victor L. Cary Lifetime Achievement plaque at the annual membership meeting held on Sunday, June 26 at The Clayton House. Mark noted that the award is presented annually to a person or persons who made outstanding contributions to the Foundation and the Clayton House. He said Polly Anna Core had demonstrated her love for our Victorian home through her zeal and efforts to make it one of the show places of the Belle Grove Historic District.
In accepting the plaque, she advised that this was her last official meeting as a member of the Board. However, she added, “I’ll be around to help whenever I’m needed.” And, we know when a special event is taking place at The Clayton House, Polly Anna will be here to lead or assist. |
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Board Members Elected at Annual Meet Heritage Foundation members present at the annual meeting on June 26 accepted the report of the Nominating Committee and elected by a unanimous vote the following persons to serve a three-year period on the Board of Directors: Mark Moll, Mike Rappeport, Shirley Ross, Clara Jane Rubarth, and Jim Wagley. Harold MacDowell and Jack Arnold were elected to fill one-year vacancies on the Board. Mark Moll and Clara Jane Rubarth agreed to serve a second three-year term and Harold MacDowell and Jack Arnold are both veteran Board members. Shirley Ross, a longtime supporter of The Clayton House, returns to the Board after a hiatus of several years.
Exiting the Board on June 30 after completing their elected terms are the following people: Polly Anna Core – Her interest in the historical legacy of the Clayton House and its value to the Belle Grove Historic District came about through working with her husband, Ben, while he was on the Board and served as Foundation President. She accepted a three-year term as a board member and served as its secretary for two years. She was the 2005 recipient of the Victor Cary Lifetime Achievement Award (See news article in this edition of the Herald.) Larry McGowan – Completing his three-year term on the Board, Larry served his last year (2004-05) as Foundation President. A retired Architect with the firm, AHAG Architecture, Larry was with that company when it did business as Mott, Mobley, McGowan and Griffin, the firm that did the research that enabled The Clayton House to be restored to its original appearance. While serving on the Board and as its President, he dedicated his efforts to making the public aware of the home’s current structural needs. He also initiated a drive to raise funds to begin construction on the most urgent of these needs. The current Board will be faced with continuing the search for ways to finance repairs critical to maintaining this Victorian home and will continue to seek Larry’s expertise. Barbara Taylor – A longtime member of the Foundation Board, Barbara had also served as its President. She returned last year as an active member in order to complete the term of her brother Frank Kelly, who resigned after accepting a position in Iowa. Barbara was a valuable member of the committee that edited The Clayton House cookbook. She was always on hand to assist with special events and members were able to count on her to provide pertinent facts of the history and formation of the Heritage Foundation. As a Past President, she promises to continue to be concerned with the future of The Clayton House. New Board Members Presented We highlight the new Foundation Board members who were elected to three-year terms at the annual membership meeting held on June 26. D. Michael (Mike) Rappeport – Mike is employed as a financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch. He and his wife, Jane reside at 904 South Albert pike with their two sons, Sam,15 and Jack,13 Selected to be a participant in the Leadership Fort Smith program, Mike is also a member of the local Rotary Club. An avid outdoorsman, he lists hunting and fishing as his hobbies. A native of Fort Smith, he has expressed an interest in the city’s history and is looking forward to serving on the Heritage Foundation Board. Shirley Ross – Having been a former member of the Board during which time she often served as a tour guide, Shirley has been a long-time supporter and friend of The Clayton House. She and her husband, Joe, have lived across the alley from The Clayton House at 515 North 7th Street for many years. Being a neighbor, she has watched with interest the restoration of our historic home and the development of the Belle Grove Historic District. They are members of the B. G. Neighborhood Association. Shirley and her husband have two grown daughters, Cathey and Karen. She lists as her hobbies; reading , walking and collecting antiques. Jim Wagley – A 32 year employee of First National Bank of Fort Smith, Jim currently serves that financial institution as Assistant Vice President. During his years at the bank, he has been a member of the Port City Optimist Club whose financial support of the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs includes the sale of Christmas trees at Christmas and other fundraisers. He also volunteers by acting as Santa Claus during Christmas time for St. Johns Episcopal Church, several elementary schools, The Fort Smith Art Center and the Junior League. In addition, he plays the part of Santa in the both Fort Smith and Greenwood Xmas parades as well as serving as one of the three volunteer Santas at Central Mall. He will also be remembered as delighting the youngsters who came The Clayton House Christmas Party and Open House where he played the role of Santa. Jim has two children, a son Caleb, 20 and a daughter, Kelsey 16. He is interested in art, music, nature and photography and his hobbies include a love of history, scrap booking, hiking and bow hunting. Another of his hobbies is watching movies and he performs critiques on movies and rates them for cinema companies of Los Angeles. Phil White – This is Phil’s second time to serve on the Foundation Board of Directors. He previously served a three-year term in the early 1990s and was also President during that period. He has since been a faithful contributing member and has shown a continued interest in matters affecting The Clayton House. A Fort Smith businessman, he is the owner and manager of General Pallets. He and his wife, Kim, are the parents of two sons, Matt who is 25 and Lindsey, age 16. On being elected, Phil said he was glad to be on the Board once again and hoped he could be of help to the Board in meeting the needs of our historic home. |
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DARK NIGHT AT F.S. LITTLE THEATRE Performance and Auction Set for Nov. 14 Once again the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation has teamed up with the Fort Smith Art Center to sponsor a Dark Night performance and silent auction at the Fort Smith Little Theatre, Inc. The scheduled performance for the night of November 14 will be Arsenic and Old Lace. Board members from both organizations will be in charge of ticket sales and responsible for obtaining items for the silent auction. The price of tickets has not been set as this issue of the Herald is mailed. |
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HIGH TEAS BRING VISITORS TO CLAYTON HOUSE
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BUILDING REPAIR PROJECTS SLATED
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In Memoriam We regret the passing of Jack Arnold who as a Board member served the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation in many ways. He was a treasurer for two years and became president elect last year. Although his illness prevented him from succeeding to the presidency, he continued to attend our meetings whenever possible. We will miss his wise counsel. |
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FANS, FANS, FANS Long needed electric ceiling fans have been purchased and installed on both the front and back porches of The Clayton House. The fans were purchased by former Board member Fadjo Cravens and the installation was paid for by David Cravens. Board member Sam Wang made contact with both Cravens, located the items and delivered them for installation. |
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THE FORT SMITH HERITAGE FOUNDATION NEEDS YOU
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