Cliff Hoofman ’68 would leave his job at a downtown Conway retail store each evening and barrel through the Arkansas State Teachers College (ASTC) campus, now the University of Central Arkansas, hoping to catch the cafeteria before it closed. The retail store and cafeteria both closed at 6 p.m.

“Like a lot of students, if I didn’t get to eat there, I didn’t have money to eat anywhere else,” Hoofman said.

On one occasion, he ran into “Ms. Mary,” the woman whom students had labeled “the lady who ran the cafeteria.”

Ms. Mary assumed that Hoofman was an athlete who had waited until the last minute to come to the cafeteria. Ms. Mary proceeded to give Hoofman a stern “talking-to,” but she stopped her scolding long enough to hear Hoofman explain that his late arrival was due to him working downtown to help pay tuition.

From then on, Ms. Mary made sure Hoofman did not miss dinner.

“For two years, I pulled up out there and parked my car, and I would go up on the porch and Ms. Mary…,” Hoofman said then took a deep breath and paused before continuing. “She’d make me a sack lunch with a carton of milk and whatever there was that night and put it on the front porch.”

Each evening as Hoofman ate from that sack lunch, his affinity for ASTC solidified and continued to grow.

Hoofman, now Judge Cliff Hoofman, member of the Arkansas Court of Appeals, has spent the better part of his adult life as a consistent supporter of the University.

After graduating with a double major in mathematics and history, Hoofman later earned a Juris Doctor at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

He worked for several years before making a run for the Arkansas House of Representatives where he served eight years. Afterwards, he served 20 years in the Arkansas Senate.

From the very beginning of his legislative tenure, his beloved alma mater stayed at the center of his work.

“In 1975, my first year in that first week in the legislature, we had the bill that gave university status to [State College of Arkansas],” Hoofman said.

Voting on the bill and seeing it pass was a turn of fate for Hoofman, who had worked with President Silas Snow to gain university status years earlier. “When I was student body president, Dr. Snow and I went around in central Arkansas to the legislators seeking support for university status. We did not succeed in 1968,” he explained.

Following President Snow, Hoofman was acquainted with President Jefferson Farris, sixth president, and every president thereafter through his legislative work or other close connections.

Both he and President Winfred
Thompson, seventh president, were White County natives, so they were long-time acquaintances.

President Lu Hardin, eighth president, and Hoofman served together in the Arkansas General Assembly, but Hoofman had a stronger tie to the Hardin family.

“Were it not for Lu Hardin’s father, I wouldn’t even have finished high school,” he said, adding that it was two Searcy High School teachers who encouraged Hoofman to go back to high school after dropping out as a junior.

“Mr. Hardin, Lu’s father, and Mr. Morgan came to that gas station where I’d started working,” Hoofman said, reaching over and touching his right shoulder with his left hand. “I can still feel Mr. Hardin’s hand on my shoulder telling me I needed to go back to school.”

President Allen Meadors, the ninth president, was a member of the student council while Hoofman was student body president. UCA’s current president, Tom Courtway, and Hoofman served together in the legislature.

“I’ve had a continual rapport with this University,” Hoofman said.

He previously conducted a criminal justice program at the American Legion Boys State, which is held on the University campus. Hoofman is a financial supporter of the institution through the BTÌìÌÃFund, Purple Circle and other efforts. He also hopes to teach courses at the University after his appointment to the Court of Appeals ends.

Hoofman was appointed in 2007 to a 10-year term on the Arkansas State Highway Commission. In 2011, he was appointed to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. Hoofman was appointed to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2013 before being reappointed to the Arkansas Court of Appeals in 2015.

Throughout Hoofman’s litany of community and professional accomplishments, he has continued to support UCA, which was recognized when he was awarded a 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award.

“I have known Judge Cliff Hoofman in many professional and personal capacities for many years, and I was thrilled when he was named a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Central Arkansas,” said President Courtway. “He has always served the citizens of the state of Arkansas proudly and been dedicated to this University.”

While bowing his head, Hoofman said, “I hold the school up so high and for the school to honor me was so humbling. I know this institution had more impact on all of the successes that I’ve had in life, more impact than any other thing or institution or occurrence than anything else. I just feel compelled to support this school.”

The day concluded with the Bears defeating the conference champions, Southeastern Louisiana, on the Stripes.

“We are very excited to re-introduce the Alumni Travel program,” said Aaron Knight, assistant director of membership and marketing.

“We feel like this is a great opportunity for alums to deepen their connection to the University and other alumni, as well as to the culture of Ireland during this trip,” Knight continued.

Planned for Sept. 1-9, 2016, alumni will begin their getaway with an overnight flight to Dublin where guests have the chance to explore the country’s capital city and attend a nighttime event packed with traditional Irish entertainment. During the next day, guests have the option to take tours of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grafton Street and Phoenix Park, among other attractions, or they can choose to take a walking tour of Dublin’s center square.

There are several options available for reservations, depending on the size of the interested party. The pricing, discounted by $100 if booked soon, includes a round-trip ticket from the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, hotel transfers, 12 meals, flight taxes and other related fees.

A special informational presentation will take place Jan. 14, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at Buffalo Alumni Hall for those interested in learning more. To RSVP for the presentation or for more information about reservations, activities and pricing, contact Sue Smith Vacations at (501) 771-0987 or visit uca.edu/go/alumnitravel.

Excitement and laughter filled the campus as Greek alumnae renewed old friendships and reminisced about their collegiate days during an old-fashioned sleepover at the newly constructed Greek Village.

The sleepover was a two-night fundraiser event on Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, 2015, hosted at each of the five new residences for Panhellenic sororities Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Zeta, Sigma Kappa, Alpha Sigma Tau and Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Each sorority organized different activities for their Greek alumnae including dinner, gift bag drawings, painting and cosmetic shows. A special guest greeted alumnae. “Welcome home!” shouted BTÌìÌÃPresident Tom Courtway as he visited each of the new Greek residences. “We are thrilled you are back!”

Approximately 200 alumnae from as far away as North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia came back to campus for the sleepover. They represented pledge classes ranging from the ’60s to 2014.

“It’s just exciting to see those alumnae back on campus. They get to see how their chapters have grown and how BTÌìÌÃhas grown and how impactful the BTÌìÌÃGreek community is on this campus and community,” said Haley Fowler ’06, director of annual giving.

Current students moved into the new houses on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015.

Bear Tales – Sorority Sleepover

“I want to change the attitude about physical fitness at an earlier age, at the root, with children,” explained Dr. Derek Lewis ’78, ’80. The Derek Lewis Foundation partnered with Washington Elementary in Little Rock to provide bicycles for kids as a fun way for them to increase their physical fitness and combat obesity. However, the foundation realized that wasn’t enough. Kids would abandon their bikes because they didn’t have a riding partner. As a result, the foundation began giving each family an adult bike as well. It enabled mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and other family members to ride with the children and increase everyone’s physical fitness levels.

Dr. Lewis created the Derek Lewis Foundation in 1992 to help improve community health in underserved areas. However, it lacked true focus. His son, Derek Lewis II ’97, took over the operation of the foundation. He insisted his father articulate why certain programs were important. For example, he asked Dr. Lewis why it was important to give a child a bike. “Because you can’t get exercise on a video game,” replied Dr. Lewis. This conversation led to exploring his passion about curing and preventing childhood obesity. It also opened doors to adding educational pieces to the mission of the foundation.

Physical activity is just one method the foundation promotes to combat obesity. The foundation also created a nutritional piece that included students taking cooking classes during a day camp. It empowered the students and helped them learn about making healthy eating choices. In turn, the parents learned healthy eating habits through the children.

To continue community health programming, the Lewis Foundation started the Community Health and Wellness Expo. It has grown to be one of the largest expos in Arkansas. Held during the first weekend in June, it attracts more than 500 participants. The expo provides blood pressure, HIV, body mass index, glucose and renal screenings. It includes prostate exams, mammograms and sports and youth physicals. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, cooking and fitness demonstrations are part of the wellness expo. More than 70 exhibitors from organizations such as the Arkansas Department of Health to the Lupus Foundation to Susan G. Komen Arkansas provide representatives and information at the event.

The Lewis Foundation continues to broaden its scope. A product of the Delta, Dr. Lewis has always placed great importance on giving back to that area. The foundation has partnered with a school in Forrest City to create a bike program. Karen Caruthers Lewis ’96, wife of Derek Lewis II, is spearheading the project. Mrs. Lewis is originally from Forrest City, an Arkansas Delta town, so it is near and dear to her as well.

A small town guy from Hughes, Dr. Derek Lewis ended up at the State College of Arkansas (SCA), now the University of Central Arkansas, because his mama said so. His mother did not want her son attending Arkansas State University – “they play too much” – nor did she want him attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff – “they party too much.” SCA offered Lewis a scholarship. Gladys Lewis brought her son to campus that summer of 1974 to register for classes.

BTÌìÌÃis a tradition in the Lewis family. In addition to Derek Lewis II and his wife, Karen, Dr. Lewis’ youngest daughter Aeiress Duhart-Lewis ’13 also graduated from UCA. Derekah Hill-Lewis, Dr. Lewis’ oldest daughter, will start pursuing her master’s degree in psychology in January 2016.

The Lewis family members were active campus leaders in their Greek organizations, Student Government Association and other areas of student life while at UCA. All have given back to the BTÌìÌÃFoundation as well. Dr. Lewis provided funding for Buffalo Alumni Hall and the conference room is named for him. The family created the Derek Lewis Scholarship to provide support for African-American students from Hughes or the Delta area. Dr. Lewis is one of the early donors to the Conway Corporation Center for Sciences. Dr. Lewis is a former Alumni Board member and Derek Lewis II is currently serving on the BTÌìÌÃAlumni Board, following in his father’s footsteps.