From left: Sam Alley, John W. Allison, Jerry Brewer and John N. Roberts III.
The Sam M. Walton College of Business and a selection board have selected four visionary business leaders for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Class of 2025:
- Sam Alley, chairman, KVC
- John W. Allison, chairman and chief executive officer, Home BancShares
- The late Jerry Brewer, chairman and co-founder, Staffmark
- John N. Roberts III, executive chairman, JB Hunt Transport Services Inc.
“The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Class of 2025 represents an outstanding addition to an institution that honors our state’s legacy of business excellence. These four outstanding individuals have profoundly impacted their respective industries, the Arkansas economy and beyond, says Brent Williams, dean of Walton College “Their extraordinary careers and commitment to their communities will inspire our students and future business leaders for years to come.”
Sam Alley, John W. Allison, the late Jerry Brewer and John N. Roberts III will be recognized for their contributions to the construction, banking, staffing and transportation industries in Arkansas and the region at a black-tie optional ceremony at the Convention Statehouse Center in Little Rock on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Jason LaFrance, a Walton College alumnus and president of Dale Capital Partners, chaired the 11-member selection committee charged with reviewing the nominations and selecting the inductees. The committee evaluated the nominees based on three main criteria: their significant impact as business leaders, their commitment to the betterment of the community and their demonstration of ethical business practices. Additionally, all living inductees must be at least 60 years old to be considered for this prestigious honor.
The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is located in the atrium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development (RCED) at Walton College on the U of A campus in Fayetteville.
Questions about tables, tickets or event sponsorships for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony? Please call 479-575-6146 or email abhf@walton.uark.edu. You can contact the team at their physical office at RCED 217, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201.
About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The college maintains AACSB accreditation and is consistently ranked among the best business schools in the United States.
Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges, while its management information systems program ranks 14th among public schools in US News & World Report2025 national ranking. Additionally, the university’s supply chain management program is recognized as the best program in North America by Gartner. In 2023, The Princeton Review included Walton’s MBA program in its list of best business schools for on-campus MBA programs.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A offers an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to the Arkansas economy through learning new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity, while also providing training for professional disciplines . The Carnegie Foundation ranks the U of A among the few American colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. US News & World Report ranks U of A among the best public universities in the country. See how the U of A is working to build a better world in Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.