TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
O n the evening of January 25, 2025, Northridge Country Club was abuzz with a special kind of energy. Over 350 residents from Texarkana and the surrounding area gathered in the ballroom to attend the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Celebration and to welcome home one of Texarkana’s favorite sons, businessman and entrepreneur, Truman Arnold, and his wife, Anita. A stunning couple, the two were surrounded by family members and associates as they modestly entered the venue. They quickly settled into their seats, greeted by countless familiar faces and lifelong friends. A renewed affection for home seemed to surround the family, and the room reflected all things Texarkana. The Arnolds sat back and observed as a host of chamber awards were presented. Their favorite local singer, Danny Maxey, accompanied by Perry Steitler and Pete Jones, sang a few songs to celebrate a shared love for their hometown, Texarkana, USA. As Arnold was introduced and approached the stage for the portion of the evening billed as a “fireside chat,” members of the crowd rose to their feet in celebration of this family, whose contributions shaped and molded us into the city we are today. With his quick wit and sense of humor still intact, Arnold said the reason he came back home to speak after all these years and the reason he drew such a crowd were one and the same. The explanation was simple—“There ain’t no football tonight,” he said. This response drew both laughter and applause from the audience. As he spoke and responded to questions for more than 30 minutes, the pattern of laughter and applause continued. With a somewhat emotional response, Arnold elaborated, “Within five miles of where we sit, everything my family and I accomplished is centered right here. We built five or six major businesses, all generated with ingenuity, spirit, and workmanship from this community. We had the capital and intelligence to do it. Our leaders, lawyers, bankers, and accountants were right here. Ben Sandefur was the only banker my family ever used for 30 years. We had the attitude and the work ethic to make anything work.” Reminding the audience of the “elephant in the room,” Arnold explained, “State Line is always there, and sometimes our efforts get fractured and split. We have to learn to live with it and celebrate it. We did that in the 70s. We transformed State Line and overcame it by making it invisible. There was a time when inflation was 20% and interest rates were 20%. Gas was $2.50 a gallon in 1979, and lines were two blocks long
glory days of chamber leadership under Swede Lee and Linda Crawford emerged. “The rest of us just got out of the way.” During this era, the state line was bridged. “All of a sudden, we didn’t really care about our differences. For 20 years, this continued,” he said. “There was a oneness. The Chamber was the genesis and the heartbeat of what happened in Texarkana, politically and otherwise. Red River Army Depot (RRAD) set us apart. It transformed Texarkana. Everything happening today is a ripple effect of RRAD. It was a time when we could draw 500-600 people to the post office, and Linda Crawford and Swede Lee navigated having two governors from two states in our city simultaneously. Senator David Pryor was from Arkansas, which didn’t matter to the Texans. He was our senator—He was Texarkana’s senator. There was oneness and unity, and things seemed to progress.” As he spoke fondly of the thrill of business, industry, and progress in Texarkana, Arnold took a moment to reflect on his childhood and those who influenced him through the years. The son of a sharecropper, he first attended Sacred Heart School, later becoming a student at Pleasant Grove, Nash, and Texas High. Boasting a great life, free from issues like drug abuse that plague society today, and enjoying simple pleasures, a little mischief, and a lot of fun, Truman Arnold treasured his growing-up years. His favorite memories included softball trips, a chimp named Maggie, and the timeless tradition of Arkansas versus Texas football games. Not taking his humble beginnings lightly, he states, “Thank you, Texarkana College. My whole family, wife, and kids went to Texarkana College. Getting a walk-on scholarship to Texarkana College meant as much to me as Archie Manning’s $3 million scholarship means today. I transferred to Lamar University and came back to Texarkana in 1964. I started my first business with $3,000. That business evolved into Road Runner and eventually all my other businesses.” During the fireside chat, Dr. James Henry Russell, seated on the couch near Arnold, reflected on the fact that he sits behind a desk formerly occupied by Arnold. “I think about you every day. I sit at your desk and contemplate your work ethic, which makes me work harder. When I worked at Texarkana College (TC) and gazed at the Truman Arnold Student Center, I knew I couldn’t disappoint you because you are my mentor.” Russell asked Arnold to reflect on his mentors and those who helped him along the way. “One of the reasons I am committed to education is because educators influenced me,” explained Arnold. “I had an English professor, C.O.
at the service stations. When we came out of that, changes had to be made.” Arnold reminisced that Dr. Carl “Cheesie” Nelson was the Chairman of the Chamber Board and past Chamber Chair Dean Barry asked Truman to be the Chair-Elect. One of the first orders of business was to replace the retiring president and CEO of the Chamber. Swede Lee’s name quickly rose to the top, and he was the only candidate the Board interviewed. Subsequently, the
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BUSINESS & POLITICS
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