A Pryor Commitment: The Autobiography of David Pryor by David Pryor; Don HarrellReview by: Harold F. BassThe Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. 68, No. 2 (Summer, 2009), pp. 224-225Published by: Arkansas Historical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40543186 .

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Book Reviews A Pry or Commitment: The Autobiography of David Pryor. By David Pryor

with Don Harrell. (Little Rock: Butler Center Books, 2008. Pp. 415. Acknowledgments, introduction, illustrations, index. $29.95.)

David Pryor has mastered the storyteller's art. His autobiography is chock-full of memorable, illustrative anecdotes that colorfully capture an era of tumultuous transitions in Arkansas, one in which Pryor played a leading role. Preeminently a public man, he also writes revealingly about his private life. Indeed, he nicely balances and integrates four narratives: one pertaining to his formative years and his family; another to his nu- merous campaigns for public office; a third to his efforts in office to shape and implement public policies; and one, finally, to his very active retirement.

Born and raised in Camden, Pryor vividly portrays the ambience of mid-twentieth-century small-town life in south Arkansas. He inherited an interest in politics and a commitment to public service from both parents. His family connections facilitated his climbing aboard the political escala- tor, securing him opportunities to serve as a congressional page one sum- mer in Washington, to drive Gov. Francis Cherry across the state in his unsuccessful 1954 re-election bid, and to attend the 1956 Democratic Na- tional Convention as the state delegation's sergeant-at-arms.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 1957, he be- came a crusading hometown newspaper publisher before entering the electoral arena. His political career consisted of three terms in the Arkan- sas House of Representatives (1961-1967), during which he earned his law degree, three in the U.S. House (1967-1973), an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate (1972), two terms as governor (1975-1979), and three terms in the U.S. Senate (1979-1997). Since leaving the Senate, he has held academic positions at the University of Arkansas, Kennedy School of Government, and Clinton School of Public Service, and a presidential appointment to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also en- gaged in humanitarian relief in Albania through the International Rescue Committee. Pryor completed his memoir before taking on yet another public role, chair of the state Democratic party for the 2008 fall cam- paign.

For younger Arkansans, and many older ones, Pryor 's deserved rep- utation is that of a comfortably reassuring mainstream figure, the quint- essential representative of our political establishment. His autobiography reminds us that, notwithstanding his undeniable estab-

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BOOK REVIEWS 225

lishment connections, he emerged on the public scene as a progressive "Young Turk." From the outset, he courageously, insistently, and with considerable effectiveness challenged outrageous injustices he encoun- tered. Indeed, he maintained this "Pryor commitment" into his retire- ment years, tirelessly advocating on behalf of underdogs, be they African- American, working class, elderly, or victims of the abuse of governmental power. This account helps explain how Pryor managed to locate and position himself at the political center, enabling him to reach out to voters on either side.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that it occurred during an era of heightening political polarization, wherein many success- ful politicians were fleeing the center toward ideological extremes. Fur- ther, Pryor's political career encompassed an era of partisan transformation in the South. The face of the long-dominant Democratic party changed dra- matically, while the Republican party gained electoral credibility. Pryor's broad, enduring voter appeal, along with that of Dale Bumpers and Bill Clinton, is a noteworthy personal factor in explaining the relative success that Arkansas Democrats had in resisting the Republican tide rolling across the region.

Pryor modestly divulges instructive keys to these significant accom- plishments. He declined to demonize his opponents as enemies. In turn, a sizable number of his one-time adversaries later became allies. He pre- ferred building bridges to burning them. Although not an outstanding ora- tor, he was a gifted communicator who could present his often controversial agenda in a reasonable and non-threatening fashion. In both campaigning and governing, Pryor instinctively and intentionally sought and found common ground.

Pryor forthrightly confronts painful episodes in his life story, both personal and political. They include deaths in his family, his one elec- toral defeat, a brief marital separation, the failure of his Arkansas Plan to reform state finance, and a heart attack. Nevertheless, the tone of the vol- ume is overwhelmingly optimistic and uplifting, befitting the autobiog- rapher.

This fascinating volume will appeal to anyone interested in twentieth- century Arkansas history, politics, and culture - general readers and schol- ars alike. Students of the U.S. Congress will also find Pryor's account of his decades on Capitol Hill entertaining and enlightening.

Harold F. Bass Ouachita Baptist University

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