Annual Conference

416 N. Campus Drive, MAIN 416
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-5884 | 479-575-2775 FAX
email: renwickh@uark.edu

84th Annual Conference 2025

April 10 – 12, 2025
Fort Smith

Law and Justice in Arkansas

The Arkansas Historical Association will host its 84^th annual conference in Fort Smith, April 10-12, 2025. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics from all time periods that explore the history of Arkansas’s legal system, the enforcement and administration of the law, judicial cases and personalities, and challenges to injustice.

Fort Smith was established as a U.S. military outpost in 1817 to keep peace between the Osage and Cherokee nations. The city that developed around the fort became a hub for migrants heading west, as well as a seat of law and justice, and headquarters for U.S. Marshals operating against outlaws sheltering in Indian Territory. The U.S. continued to use the greater Fort Smith area as a military base (Fort Chaffee) from World War II to Vietnam, processed Vietnamese and Cuban refugees there, and provided shelter to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Please join us for engaging presentations from our speakers and conversations with fellow lovers of Arkansas history.

Registration coming soon.

Reserve your room now for the best rate.

Group rate available at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Fort Smith. Link here.