For many, this Sunday will be just another day that will go unnoticed and unaffected. But what those of us in Desha County will remember however, is that Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the loss of a man whose love and dedication to this county remains unmatched, even half a century later.
On March 10, 1973, Sheriff Robert S. Moore, Sr. was returning to his beloved Desha County home from a state law enforcement meeting when he was tragically injured in a car accident. Two days later on March 12, 1973, his injuries would take his life. Known to most as "Bob", Moore had served as
Desha County Sheriff for 24 years and was widely known across the state not only for his knowledge of law enforcement, but the compassion and generosity he brought to the role.
The Moore family would continue their mission of service after the patriarch's death. His wife, Dorothy Price Moore, was appointed by Gov. Dale Bumpers to serve out the remaining 20 months of the late Sheriff's term. She served in the role proudly with the support of the couple's children, Robert Jr. and Dorothy Lee. "Miss Dorothy" would go on to make her own mark on Arkansas' history, including bringing her calm strength to the Governor's Office during the Clinton administration.
While serving as Desha County Sheriff, Bob Moore was also dedicated to service in many other ways. He was a deacon in the Arkansas City Baptist Church for nearly four decades. Most who knew Bob would describe him as larger than life, including physically. An imposing man who stood at 6'3" with a size 14 shoe, he commanded respect-- but that respect was earned through the compassion with which he treated others.
Bob's son, Robert Jr.-- who would himself go on to dedicate his life to service, eventually serving as Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives-- was just four years old when his father was sworn in as Sheriff. Robert wrote about his father in 1996, comparing his father to Sheriff Andy Taylor of the Andy Griffith Show and his childhood in Arkansas City to that of Opie in Mayberry.
"Daddy's influence was at every turn through my formative years," Robert Jr. wrote. "At home in Arkansas City, his word was just and reasoned but mainly it was just the law. He was devoted to his family and he and Mother did all in their power to see that my sister and I were raised to show respect, to be honest, to revere equality. He did this by word and deed."
Bob carried his reverence to equality into his career. In the 1950s, he hired Nathan Hayes, one of the first Black deputies in the state.
"I believe with all my heart that Daddy was committed to equality of all people," said Robert Jr. "I never heard him make a disparaging remark about any man...racial or otherwise. His hiring Nathan was reflective of those beliefs at a time when it was not particularly popular politically. But to him the fact that it was right was more important than politics. Whether Deputy Hayes came on board by virtue of Daddy's wisdom or divine intervention, his service proved invaluable over the years as did his friendship with our family until his death in 1993."
Bob Moore's accomplishments are far too many to list, but many of them are still impacting the lives of Arkansans 50 years later. Moore became active in restructuring the Arkansas Sheriff's Association after taking office in 1949. He would serve as the organization's Executive Secretary then President as it grew to include participation from nearly every sheriff's department in the state. During his career, he would also serve as President of the Arkansas Peace Officer's Association and was a charter member of the board which established the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA). Today, ALETA is responsible for training all certified law enforcement officers.
Sheriff Moore was elected in 1960 to serve as President of the National Sheriff's Association, which at the time was made up of over 10,000 sheriffs and deputies. Attorney General Jim Guy Tucker appointed Moore to chair the Criminal Code Revision Committee in 1971. The organization was ultimately responsible for streamlining the criminal laws in the State. It was on his return from one of those meetings that he was involved in the accident that would claim his life.
"When he was buried on March 14, 1973, the legislature adjourned to allow those who wished to attend his funeral," said Robert Jr. "The Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, numerous legislators and scores of law enforcement officers were there to pay their last respects. But mainly the church was filled and the grounds crowded with the ordinary citizen, black and white, who knew him and loved him for the respect and compassion he had always shown towards them."
"I always felt there was nothing Daddy couldn't handle, nothing he couldn't conquer," said Robert Jr. "It was hard to accept that an untimely death would take him away."
Today, both the street and the Desha County Courthouse that housed his office are both named after Sheriff Moore. A placard at the new Delta Heritage Trail pavilion in Arkansas City also honors the late Sheriff and his wife Dorothy who passed away in 2008.
