Gwatney

While the State of Arkansas remembers Bill Gwatney as the State Chairman of the Democratic party and a major automobile dealer in Pulaski County, longtime Razorbacks of the Razorback Foundation remember him as a friend and utterly avid yet utterly selfless University of Arkansas fan.

At the Arkansas Democratic headquarters in Little Rock, Gwatney of Jacksonville was murdered Wednesday by a gunman, who later was shot and killed by police.

Arkansas athletics director emeritus Frank Broyles, for 50 years either the UA’s AD or head football coach and now headquartered at the Razorback Foundation, knew Gwatney, 49, all Gwatney’s life.

Harold Gwatney, Bill’s father, started the family car dealership and the longtime UA athletic department ties of providing cars for Razorback coaches.

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“ His father was a great friend of mine, ” Broyles said Thursday. “ Bill was a great citizen of this state. A great Razorback fan, of course, but a great leader always for the good of Arkansas. I was so shocked and saddened. He can not be replaced. ”

Jeff Long, Broyles’ successor as AD since Jan. 1, was only two days away from a scheduled lunch with Gwatney. He learned of Gwatney’s death Wednesday while at KATV in Little Rock for what was going to be a press conference that was reduced to an announcement about the Razorbacks’ football and basketball broadcasts.

“ I had the pleasure of meeting him when I first arrived, ” Long said Thursday, “ and I was scheduled to visit him in Little Rock for lunch on Friday. Obviously we are very saddened, and that’s why we made the decision not to go forward with the press conference. ”

Chuck Dicus, the Razorback Foundation president and former Razorback All-American, and Harold Horton, the Razorback Foundation vice president and a longtime former Razorback coach, recruiting coordinator and player, both fondly recalled Gwatney’s fondness for the Hogs and the important yet unobtrusive ways he showed it.

“ Bill Gwatney made my heart smile, ” Horton said. “ He was always fun. Bill was one of those quiet supporters who loved the Razorbacks. He was a fan that supported us by being here and supporting us with his giving. ”

One of Gwatney’s gifts parks in the head football coach’s parking spot in front of Razorback Stadium.

“ Bobby Petrino drives a Bill Gwatney automobile, ” Horton said. “ Bill didn’t stop at one. Our maintenance department has a vehicle supplied by Bill Gwatney. He has been providing the athletic department two automobiles as long as I can remember. That goes back to his dad. Any time we’d fly into Memphis and needed a car, Bill’s brother in Memphis has a car dealership and would provide us one. ”

Gwatney was a fixture at the annual football coaches / media / car dealer golf scramble and apparently a man for all seasons for all things Razorback.

“ The Bill Gwatney I knew, ” Dicus said, “ was a good businessman, a good politician and a big Razorback fan. He liked to talk about his love of the Razorbacks. It’s such a sad moment for all of us. ”

Both Dicus and Horton said that “ all” envelops the state.

“ It’s not just a loss to the community of Jacksonville and Pulaski County, ” Horton said. “ He touched a lot of people. His loss will be felt. ”