Lester Gene Hatfield was born on November 23, 1925 in Conway, Arkansas to Lester and Gertrude Powers Hatfield. Gene’s birth took place in the family home at 407 Center Street. He was the youngest of five children, having three older sisters and one older brother. The oldest child was Maurine, who was eighteen years older than Gene, who was ten years older. Frank was 9 years his senior and Myra was four years older.
The Hatfield family has had a very long relationship with the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), which began in 1922. Gene, along with siblings Mildred, Frank, and Myra attended the training school at UCA, formerly known as Arkansas State Teachers College. His eldest sister, Maurine, attended Central College for Girls in Conway. She transferred to Arkansas State Teachers College where she graduated in 1929. Gene’s mother, Gertrude Hatfield, also attended Central College for Girls, as did Maurine and Mildred, who finished high school there and completed their first two years of college.
Gene’s father, Lester Hatfield, was a building contractor and built many homes in Conway during the 1920’s. In 1929 the stock market crash occurred and Lester’s business was adversely impacted. This financial setback was the impetus for the Hatfield family to move back to Mount Vernon in 1932. Mount Vernon was Lester and Gertrude’s hometown and they would move into a house directly across the road from Gene’s grandmother.
In 1937, the Hatfield family moved back to Conway and Gene would attend Conway High School, where he graduated in 1942. After graduation from high school, he entered Arkansas State Teachers College and found college life very pleasant. Due to World War II, there were very few males on campus with the exception of Navy pilots and army recruits. In addition, Women’s Army Corps Branch Number Three was on campus, which added to the already disproportionate number of females to males.
After his first sophomore semester, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1944. He received his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In September 1944 he was sent to France, where he landed at Marseilles and waded ashore. His unit camped in a field outside Marseilles until they were picked up by trucks and taken to the war-front in Northern France. In northern France they had to fight through to Vosges Mountains to the Rhine River.
In April 1945, Gene was wounded by shrapnel from an anti-tank grenade, which exploded in a tree right above him. The shrapnel hit his face, missing his left eye while severing the muscle below the left eye. At a field hospital near Stuttgart, Germany a brilliant surgeon removed all the shrapnel and saved his sight. He was then sent to a hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he recovered.
After being discharged from the Army, Gene again enrolled at Arkansas State Teachers College and graduated with a B.S.E. degree in the summer of 1947. After receiving his B.S.E. degree Gene studied at Northern Colorado University and earned a M.A. degree. Upon completion of his Master’s Degree he began teaching at A.S.T.C. with Miss Marie Schichtl in the Art Department. During the summer Mr. Hatfield continued his education by taking courses in painting and sculpture at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In addition, during the summers he took advanced classes in Saint Ives, England, Paris, Fontainbleau, and Aix-en-Provence, France.
In 1957, he would marry Miss Nicole Wable in Montreuil Sur-Mer France. They would have three children all born between 1960-1970. Their names are Hadrian, Marc, and Mathilda. The long-term Hatfield association with UCA which began in 1922, continued with all three children of Gene and Nicole Hatfield attending the University of Central Arkansas. Marc attended UCA and graduated from the University of Arkansas; Hadrian graduated from UCA and did graduate work at Vanderbilt University where he earned a Juris Doctorate Degree; Mathilda graduated from UCA and received her Masters Degree in Student Affairs from the University of Kentucky at Louisville. She went on to become Director of Alumni Services at UCA and served admirably in this position for several years.
Mr. Hatfield was a member of Alpha Chi, Alpha Psi Omega, Arkansas Art Teacher Association (President – 1952), and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. Mr. Hatfield was voted Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art at UCA in 1987. He retired from UCA in 1985 after completing 37 years of service with the university. As of April 2001, Gene and Nicole Hatfield continue to make Conway their home.
Box 1
File 1 – Gene Hatfield’s “baby locks” (blond baby hair, July 1929)
File 2A- Photographs
Envelope 1 – Hatfield’s Boyhood
Envelope 2 – Hatfield’s Grandmother
Envelope 3 – Gertrude Powers Hatfield & Aunt Mandy (1933-1934)
Envelope 4 – Hatfield’s Grandmother House
Envelope 5 – Hatfield’s Sister Myra
Envelope 6 – Hatfield’s Sisters (Maurine and Mildred)
Envelope 7 – Hatfield’s family and friends, 5 photos
Envelope 8 – Hatfield as a young man (1945)
Envelope 9 – Hatfield and two students, 2 photos
Envelope 10 – Former Hatfield Home
Envelope 11 – Front Street in Conway, Arkansas
Envelope 12 – Hatfield with Christmas Artwork, 2 photos (1942 and 1946)
Envelope 13 – Hatfield in the Army, 11 photos (1944-1945)
Envelope 14 – Hatfield with Army Buddy, 4 photos (1999)
Envelope 15 – Hatfield Family Home at Mt. Vernon, 9 photos
Envelope 16 – Anderson Adkisson, Amanda Malcom, Justice Franklin Powers, and Susan Marie Wood
File 2B - Photographs
Envelope 1 - Gene Hatfield and Emily Montgomery, c.1989
Envelope 2 – Gene Hatfield, c.1942
Envelope 3 – Gene and Nicole Hatfield (on Honeymoon) Dreux, 1957
Envelope 4 – Mathilda Hatfield daughter of Gene and Nicole, c.1983
Envelope 5 – Gene, Nicole, and Mathilda Hatfield at UCA Homecoming 1996, & Gene Hatfield at home November, 1994
Envelope 6 – UCA Archives Reception for Gene Hatfield Collection, 2001
Envelope 7 – Gene Hatfield and Art at Rockville, Maryland home of H & H Hatfield, & Gene Hatfield and Army buddy Peter Dobkowski in Washington D. C., 2001
Envelope 8 – Gene near Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida take by Pat Larson
Envelope 9 – Gene Hatfield, 2001-2002
Envelope 10- Marc and Leigh Hatfield, c. 2001
Envelope 11- Hatfield and brother, 1995
Envelope 12- Nicole and Gene Hatfield, 1998
Envelope 13- Bob Adams
Envelope 14- Life Magazine Hatfields and McCoys, May 22, 1944 & Arkansas Democrat Gazette, “Hatfield, McCoy Kin Peacefully Sign Truce” June 15, 2003
Envelope 15- Paper copies of family photographs of the Hatfield family, 1888- c. 2005
Envelope 16- Gertrude Hatfield, c.1984
Envelope 17- Gene Hatfield taken by Myra Hatfield Adams Edmondson, 1990s
Envelope 18- Photo of four children
Envelope 19- Hatfield family and Friends
Envelope 20- Hatfield family
Envelope 21- Gene, Nicole, and friends.
Envelope 22- Cemetery Memorial
File 3A- Family Photos
File 3B- Photos, 2007-2010
File 4 – Gene Hatfield’s Mother – Gertrude Powers/Hatfield
File 5 – Mathilda Hatfield, daughter – Gene Hatfield, photograph & Article
File 6 – Important Legal papers as in Marriage and Wills
File 7 – Awards and Certificates
File 8 – The Echo, Who’s Who Selections are named, Gene Hatfield is #8 (Oct. 25, 1946)
File 9 – Memorabilia as in School, College, Work, and Trips
File 10- Mathilda’s and Jeffery’s Wedding, September 14, 2002
File 11- Nicole A. Wable Hatfield, 1930-2004
File 12- Brochure for the Arsenal Building and Walk of Honor dedication, December 2001
File 13- Three Was Ration Books for World War II
File 14- War Department Pamphlet No. 21-4 Information for Soldiers Going Back to Civilian Life, 1944
File 15- World War II Correspondence, 1944
File 16- Connection! An Outgrowth of “Dancin” with Dollies A Memoir of World War II 384th Bomb Group, March 1994
File 17- Newspaper Article “Silence of the Camps” about Arkansas Two World War II interment sites for Japanese-Americans (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Mary 5, 2000)
File 18- Log Cabin Democrat, Newspaper, Article on preserving history on World War II and interview of veteran Gene Hatfield May 31, 2004
File 19A- Book - The Test and Study Speller by Daniel Starch and George A. Mirick - 1921 - This book belonged to Gene Hatfield - April 1933 - 2nd grade
File 19B- Worship and Conduct Songs for Beginners and Primaries by Elizabeth McE. Shields, 1929
File 20- Movie Life Magazine April , 1957
File 21- Myra’s Tour of Europe by Myra Hatfield Adams, 1994
File 22- Correspondence of Charles W. Colson and Frank Hatfield, 1960s-1970
File 23- Newspaper articles of Hatfield family members
File 24- Newspaper coverage of Ken Hatfield’s Career, 1983-1991 and undated.
File 25- Interview with Brother C.C. Turner at his place of business “Brother T.s Soul Food” in Conway, Arkansas, 2008
End of Box 1
Box 2
File 1 – Teacher’s Class Record Book, September 13 1948 - June 5, 1949
File 2 – Teacher’s Class Record Book, 1949-1952
File 3 – Teacher’s Class Records Book, 1951-1954
File 4 – Teacher’s Class Records Book, 1955-1958
File 5 – Teacher’s Class Records Book, 1958-1961
File 6 – Teacher’s Class Records Book 1961-1964
File 7 – Teacher’ Class Records Book, 1964-1968
File 8 – Teacher’s Class Records Book – 1976, 1978, 1983-1984, December 1985, and 1985-1986
File 9 – Teacher’s Class Records Book 1986 and undated
File 10- UCA Alumni Bulletin/Contact 1974 – 1984 and 1996
File 11- The Starwagon Troupe (1960)
File 12- Play Scripts cutting by Gene Hatfield, Hamlet-Macbeth-Medea-Oedipus Rex-Hecuba-The Gypsy
File 13- UCA Productions, programs (undated)
File 14- Programs and Flyers of Art Exhibits of Gene Hatfield and other artists
End of Box 2
Box 3
File 1 – Hatfield interview with Madam George
File 2 – The Fortune Teller by Faye McCormick, written for Children’s Gems (Nov. 1930)
File 3 – Book of Poems, A Chance to Enchant by Gene Hatfield (1998)
File 4 – Chocolate Chicanery by Gene Hatfield, book cover and miscellaneous (1991)
File 5 – Chocolate Chicanery, manuscript by Gene Hatfield (1991)
File 6A – Chocolate Chicanery, manuscript by Gene Hatfield (c. 1993)
File 6B – Chocolate Chicanery, manuscript by Gene Hatfield (c. 1993)
File 7 – The Devil’s Toupee, manuscript by Gene Hatfield and Lester Retsel (c. 1989)
File 8 – Enola Victrola by Gene Hatfield (1987)
File 9 – Miscellaneous pages from the manuscript Enola Victrola (undated)
File 10- Sketches by Gene Hatfield for book EnolaVictrola
File 11- Poems by Gene Hatfield
End of Box 3
Box 4
File 1 – Portrait paintings by Gene Hatfield, Lois Georges, and Hal Prestwood
File 2 – Reprints of painting by Gene Hatfield
File 3 – Color Photographs of Houses and Streetscapes or Landscapes painted by Gene Hatfield
File 4 - Color Photographs of Nudes, Still Lifes, and flower paintings with women's faces painted by Gene Hatfield
File 5 - Color Photographs of Sculptures in Ceramic, Clay and Yard Art by Gene Hatfield
File 6 – Color Photographs of Wood Carvings and Other Mediums by Gene Hatfield
File 7 – Three Matted Photographs of Sculptures by Gene Hatfield
File 8 – Yard Art by Gene Hatfield
File 9 – Yard Art at Gene Hatfield’s Home on Donaghey Street near UCA
File 10- More yard art at Gene Hatfield’s Home on Donaghey Street near UCA
File 11- An Installation by Gene Hatfield, Snow Fine Arts Gallery, UCA Remnants and Fetishes of Pleasant Plunder, July-August 1987
File 12- Newspaper Copies and Originals of Gene Hatfield’s Art, 1954-1993
File 13- Newspaper Copies and Originals of Gene Hatfield’s Art, 1995-1996
File 14- Newspaper Copies and Originals of Gene Hatfield’s Art, 1998-1999
File 15- Newspaper Copies and Originals of Gene Hatfield’s Art, 2000-2009
File 16- Controversy with City of Conway over “Yard Art,” 2002
File 17- A Thesis in American Culture Turning the Inside Out: An Ethnographic Exploration of Yard Artists and Consequences for the Display of Material Objects by Erin Mitchell, 2003
File 18- Cartoons on Art and other topics
File 19- Art by Marc Hatfield
File 20- Poem by Caroline Hatfield, April 2004
File 21 - Video: "Stained Glass"
File 22 - Video & flyers on "The Garbage Project"
File 23 - Video "Been in the Storm so Long" produced by Lee Stokes & directed by Kamal Kozah and Lee Stokes
End of Box 4
Box 5
File 1 – Correspondence of Gene Hatfield, 1930s,1989
File 2 – Correspondence Gene Hatfield, 1990-1995
File 3 – Correspondence of Gene Hatfield, 1996-1997
File 4 – Correspondence of Gene Hatfield, 1998-1999
File 5 – VIP Letters, 1993-2001
File 6 – Correspondence Dorrance Publishing Co., 1989-1993
File 7 – Correspondence, 2000-2003
File 8 – Correspondence of Gene Hatfield, 2007
File 9 – Correspondence of Gene Hatfield, 2008
File 10- Correspondence, 2009
File 11- Correspondence – Father Charles Tessing, 2006-2009
File 12- VIP Letters – 1978, 1984, 1991, 1993-2005
File 13- Correspondence Dorrance Publishing Co., 1989-1993
File 14- Letter from friend Bob Thompson describing Hurricane Katrina destruction Sept. 15, 2005
File 15- Birthday Cards
File 16- Greeting Cards – Christmas, Father’s Day, etc.
File 17- Gene Hatfield Scholarship Fund, 2008
End of Box 5
Box 6
File 1 – James Bridges: ASTC Alumni, Author and Movie Director
File 2 – Dee Brown (an Arkansas Author) Article Active Years, August 1993
File 3 - Dorris Curtis
File 4 – Helen Gurley Brown Active Years, May 1993
File 4B - Program - The Bear Claw Follies - Oct. 16, 1997
File 5 – Cadron Settlement Park Blockhouse, Newspaper Article, July 19, 1998
File 5B - Typed History of Conway - formerly Conway Station - 1870
File 6 – Newspaper Articles on Cherokee Indians
File 7 – Newspaper The Conway Times Vol. 29 No. 6, April 29, 1925
File 8 – Arkansas Democrat Gazette, article on “Scipio Afracanus Jones” having to do with the Elaine, Arkansas Race Riot (Tues., Jun. 8, 1999)
File 9 – Letters form Mary Medearis, 1990-1996
File 10 – Mary Medearis, Arkansas Author and Music Teacher a Newspaper Articles, Sunday December 29, 1996
File 11- Article on the Life of Junius Sloan
File 12- Newspaper Article on 1957 Little Rock School Integration crisis, 1996-1997
File 13- St Louis Post-Dispatch “Salute to Television- What People Remember Most in 25 Years of Television” September 10, 1972
File 14- Arkansas Democrat Gazette, article on “Arkansas Post celebrates its history”, Reenactments depict miserable days as Spanish-French possession (Feb. 24, 2003)
File 15- Time magazine, articles on Vietnam and Noah’s Ark (Feb. 23, 1968)
File 16- The Log Cabin Democrat articles on Cambodia and Saigon, South Vietnam, 96th year – No. 153 (Mar. 13, 1975)
File 17- Newspaper Washington for Jesus Vol. 1 Issue 1, April 1980
File 18- Miscellaneous Newspaper articles 1964-1999
File 19A- Miscellaneous Newspapers, 2000-2008
File 19B- Newspaper Article related to Gene Hatfield, 1996-2009
File 20- Book, The Alienist by Caleb Carr, 1994
File 21- Book, The Fatal Englishman by Sebastian Faulks, 1996
File 22- Book, The Game of Life and How to Play It, by Florence Scovel Shinn, 1927
File 23A- Pamphlet – Exhibition Opening – “Daughter of The Bayou,” Aug. 19, 2000
File 23B- Magazine, Oxford American Issues 32-36, March–December 2000 “A Painted House” by John Grisham
File 24- “Picnic Proverbs” by Howard Johnson, 2001
File 25- Short Stories by Doc Hart
File 26- “Short Stories of Science and Invention,” by Charles Franklin Kettering
File 27- Magazine - UCA Magazine - 1, Vol. 100 Issue, Spring 2007 “UCA Centennial Anniversary
File 28- Article- Legacy of French Modernist print maker (Henri) Goetz celebrated in Carbonundum exhibition, Henri Goetz, artist/teacher, 1909-1989
End of Box 6
Box 7A
File 1 – Political Cartoons
File 2 – Political Writings by Gene Hatfield
File 3 – Political Writings by Gene Hatfield
File 4 – Political Newspapers, 1964-1995
File 5 – Political Newspapers, 1997-1999
File 6 – Political Newspapers, 2002-2009
File 7 – Bill Clinton
File 8 – Correspondence & Newspapers - Barack Obama, 2008-2009
File 9 – Miscellaneous Items
End of Box 7A
Box 7B
Item 1 – 11” x 14” blk./whi. Photo – Gene Hatfield, Freshman Ark. State Teachers College
Item 2 – 11” X 16” Color Copy of Photo – Gene Hatfield and his yard Art.
Item 3 – 10 ½ “by 11”½ Color Copy of Photo “Chair Art” on display
Item 4 – Old (very fragile) Newspapers in vinyl holders, 1940’s and 1950’s
Item 5 – 2 14” by 24” photo Copy of Newspaper Gene Hatfield with Yard Art, 12/14/2008
Item 6 – Faulkner County Centennial, April 25-May 5, 1879-1973 – Centennial Belle
End of Box 7B
Box 8
File 1 – Conway Symphony Orchestra – Feb. 2009 - Video Cassette, DVD - R
End of Box 8
End of Collection