Ada Mills
Encyclopedia
Ada Belle Parks Mills was a Republican
political activist in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
who in 1980 was the only delegate initially committed to the candidacy for president of former Governor
John B. Connally, Jr., of Texas
. Connally spent some $11 million in his 13-month primary campaign, which ended in withdrawal following his loss to Ronald W. Reagan of California
in the South Carolina
primary
. Mrs. Mills received brief national media attention as the "$11 million delegate."
in Washington County
in northwestern Arkansas to Clifford Parks and the former Belle Simmons. She was an active promoter of her alma mater
, the Presbyterian-affiliated University of the Ozarks
in Clarksville
, the county seat
of Johnson County, Arkansas. She graduated from the institution in 1931, and two years later, she and her husband, Joe B. Mills (1909–1997), were the first to be married in the then newly opened chapel on the campus. She was a long-term president of the university's alumni association, a member of its board of trustees, and in 1970 was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Joe and Ada Mills founded and operated Ozark Hardwood Manufacturing Company, Mills Oil Company, Ozark Box and Crating Corporation, and Ozark Hardwood Lumber Company. They also operated F&M Box and Crating Corporation in Caney
in Montgomery County
in southeastern Kansas
, and the Texas Container Corporation in Texarkana
, Arkansas. In 1973, Mrs. Mills received the Small Business Administration
"Businessperson of the Year" award. She served on numerous local, state, and national business commissions.
For more than four decades, she spearheaded the campaign to build a replacement bridge on Arkansas Highway 109
over the Arkansas River
between Clarksville and the community of Morrison Bluff
in Logan County
. The since-named Ada Mills Bridge is the longest such span in the state of Arkansas.
in Miami Beach
, Florida
, in which she joined the unanimous Arkansas members in ratifying the renomination of the Nixon
-Agnew ticket.
Eight years later, she committed initially to Nixon's former treasury secretary
, John Connally, before finally joining her Arkansas delegation to support the Reagan-Bush ticket, which prevailed in Arkansas. The original Arkanas count had been seven for Reagan, four for U.S. Senator Howard Baker, Jr., of Tennessee
, two for Bush, five uncommitted, and Mills' backing of Connally. Along with Mills, the Arkansas delegation at the 1980 convention
, which met in Detroit
, Michigan
, included U.S. Representatives John Paul Hammerschmidt
and Edwin R. Bethune, party chairman Lynn Lowe
, national committeeman Harlan "Bo" Holleman
, and party legal counsel James Burnett.
In 2000, she was awarded the Republican Party's Eagle Award for fifty years of work for the two-party system
in historically Democratic
Arkansas.
, Texas, and Mary Tom Riley-O'Bar and husband Clyde O'Bar of Lubbock
, Texas; seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Like his mother, Jim Pat Mills is active in the Arkansas Republican Party, serving as the Johnson County state committeeman.
Services were held on October 4, 2001, at the Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville with six officiating ministers, including then Governor Mike Huckabee
. Joe and Ada Mills are interred at Oakland Cemetery in Clarksville.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
political activist in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
who in 1980 was the only delegate initially committed to the candidacy for president of former Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
John B. Connally, Jr., of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Connally spent some $11 million in his 13-month primary campaign, which ended in withdrawal following his loss to Ronald W. Reagan of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. Mrs. Mills received brief national media attention as the "$11 million delegate."
Civic and business activities
Mills was born in Prairie GrovePrairie Grove, Arkansas
Prairie Grove is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,540 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located here is the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park...
in Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
in northwestern Arkansas to Clifford Parks and the former Belle Simmons. She was an active promoter of her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the Presbyterian-affiliated University of the Ozarks
University of the Ozarks
The University of the Ozarks is a private, four-year liberal arts, comprehensive university located in Clarksville, Arkansas, a community of just over 9,000 people and the county seat of Johnson County. U of O is located at the foot of the Ozark Mountains, about west of Little Rock...
in Clarksville
Clarksville, Arkansas
Clarksville is a city in Johnson County, Arkansas, United States. The population was approximately 9,300 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Johnson County.. Clarksville is nestled between the Arkansas River and the foot hills of the Ozark Mountains and Interstate 40 and US Hwy 64...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Johnson County, Arkansas. She graduated from the institution in 1931, and two years later, she and her husband, Joe B. Mills (1909–1997), were the first to be married in the then newly opened chapel on the campus. She was a long-term president of the university's alumni association, a member of its board of trustees, and in 1970 was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Joe and Ada Mills founded and operated Ozark Hardwood Manufacturing Company, Mills Oil Company, Ozark Box and Crating Corporation, and Ozark Hardwood Lumber Company. They also operated F&M Box and Crating Corporation in Caney
Caney, Kansas
Caney is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,966.-Geography:Caney is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,092...
in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471. Its county seat is Independence, and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery...
in southeastern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and the Texas Container Corporation in Texarkana
Texarkana, Arkansas
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
, Arkansas. In 1973, Mrs. Mills received the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
"Businessperson of the Year" award. She served on numerous local, state, and national business commissions.
For more than four decades, she spearheaded the campaign to build a replacement bridge on Arkansas Highway 109
Arkansas Highway 109
Highway 109 is a long highway in western Arkansas. It runs from the Ouachita Mountains to the Arkansas River Valley in Logan and Johnson counties. There are no spur routes associated with this highway....
over the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
between Clarksville and the community of Morrison Bluff
Morrison Bluff, Arkansas
Morrison Bluff is a town in Logan County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 74 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Morrison Bluff is located at ....
in Logan County
Logan County, Arkansas
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,353. There are two county seats: Booneville and Paris.-History :...
. The since-named Ada Mills Bridge is the longest such span in the state of Arkansas.
Political matters
In 1972, Mills was a delegate to the Republican National Convention1972 Republican National Convention
The 1972 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held from August 21 to August 23, 1972 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. It nominated the incumbents Richard M. Nixon of California for President and Spiro T. Agnew of Maryland for Vice...
in Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in which she joined the unanimous Arkansas members in ratifying the renomination of the Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
-Agnew ticket.
Eight years later, she committed initially to Nixon's former treasury secretary
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
, John Connally, before finally joining her Arkansas delegation to support the Reagan-Bush ticket, which prevailed in Arkansas. The original Arkanas count had been seven for Reagan, four for U.S. Senator Howard Baker, Jr., of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, two for Bush, five uncommitted, and Mills' backing of Connally. Along with Mills, the Arkansas delegation at the 1980 convention
1980 Republican National Convention
The 1980 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, from July 14 to July 17, 1980. The 32nd Republican National Convention nominated former Governor Ronald W. Reagan of California for President of the United States and former...
, which met in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, included U.S. Representatives John Paul Hammerschmidt
John Paul Hammerschmidt
John Paul Hammerschmidt is an American politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas. A Republican, Hammerschmidt served for thirteen terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from the northwestern Arkansas district before he retired in 1993...
and Edwin R. Bethune, party chairman Lynn Lowe
Lynn Lowe
Aylmer Lynn Lowe, known as A. Lynn Lowe , was a farmer and politician from Garland in Miller County in southwestern Arkansas, who was a major figure in the Arkansas Republican Party...
, national committeeman Harlan "Bo" Holleman
Harlan Holleman
Harlan Harmon "Bo" Holleman was a farmer and seed merchant from Wynne, the seat of Cross County in eastern Arkansas, and a pioneer in the development of the modern Republican Party in his home state. He was the Arkansas state GOP chairman from December 6, 1980, until his death some sixteen months...
, and party legal counsel James Burnett.
In 2000, she was awarded the Republican Party's Eagle Award for fifty years of work for the two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
in historically Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Arkansas.
Death and family
Mills died at her Clarksville residence at the age of eighty-nine. She was survived by a son, Jim Pat Mills of Clarksville; two daughters and sons-in-law, Joanie and husband Lee McCleskey of College StationCollege Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, Texas, and Mary Tom Riley-O'Bar and husband Clyde O'Bar of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, Texas; seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Like his mother, Jim Pat Mills is active in the Arkansas Republican Party, serving as the Johnson County state committeeman.
Services were held on October 4, 2001, at the Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville with six officiating ministers, including then Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
. Joe and Ada Mills are interred at Oakland Cemetery in Clarksville.