31 Facts About David Pryor

David Hampton Pryor was an American politician who served as a representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1966 until 1973 and as a senator from Arkansas from 1979 until 1997.

David Pryor served as the acting chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party from 2008 to 2009, following Bill Gwatney's assassination.

David Hampton Pryor was born in Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas, to William Edgar Pryor and the former Susan Pryor.

William David Pryor moved to Camden from Holly Springs in 1923 and started selling cars.

David Pryor attended public schools in Camden, attended Henderson State Teacher's College in Arkadelphia, and graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1957.

David Pryor was founder and publisher of the Ouachita Citizen from 1957 to 1960.

David Pryor graduated from law school at the University of Arkansas in 1964 and was admitted to the bar that same year.

David Pryor first won elected office representing Ouachita County in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1960.

In 1966, Pryor was elected to Congress following a vacancy that year after US President Lyndon B Johnson appointed fellow Democrat Oren Harris to a federal judgeship.

David Pryor was not a candidate for reelection in 1972, instead challenging longtime US Senator John L McLellan in the Democratic Primary.

David Pryor lost to McLellan in a runoff by less than 20,000 votes.

David Pryor narrowly avoided a runoff in the primary, defeating former governor Orval Faubus and Lt.

David Pryor was reelected in 1976, gaining 66 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary against former Razorback football great Jim Lindsey, and 86 percent in November against a token Republican.

David Pryor served as Governor of Arkansas from January 14,1975 to January 3,1979.

David Pryor declined a third term in order to seek McLellan's former seat in 1978 and faced two congressmen: Jim Guy Tucker and Ray Thornton in the Democratic Primary.

David Pryor defeated a Republican and Independent opponents in the General Election with 76 percent of the vote.

In 1984, in spite of the Ronald Reagan landslide, David Pryor defeated central Arkansas Congressman Ed Bethune in a race dominated by national GOP money backing Bethune.

In 1990, David Pryor defeated a write-in candidate; no other Democrat or Republican filed.

David Pryor retired in 1996 and was replaced by Republican congressman Tim Hutchinson.

David Pryor was known for his advocacy for the aged and for promoting taxpayer rights.

In 2000 David Pryor became Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

David Pryor served as dean of the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock from 2004 to 2006.

David Pryor's son is former United States Senator Mark Pryor, a Democrat who held the same seat from 2003 until 2015.

In 2004, David Pryor was one of the five-member board of directors of the Clinton Foundation.

David Pryor briefly returned to politics, when he served as chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party following the assassination of Bill Gwatney.

In 1957, David Pryor married Barbara Jean Lunsford, who at the time was a 19 year old freshman at the University of Arkansas.

David Pryor had quadruple bypass surgery performed by Dr Tamim Antaki at UAMS Medical Center on October 11,2006.

David Pryor had suffered a heart attack the previous day.

David Pryor's recovery was satisfactory and he was released from the hospital on October 17,2006.

David Pryor died at his home in Little Rock, on April 20,2024, at the age of 89.

David Pryor would be buried at Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.