Bill Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Johnson of Conway, graduated from Conway High School in 1957 and from State Teachers College (currently UCA) in August 1960.
Now a veteran sports writer and broadcaster, his interests in broadcasting peeked in the mid 1950’s when store owner Grant Hazelwood, who did the play-by-play for Conway Schools at that time, asked him to spot for him. Soon after, Mr. Johnson began his radio career as an announcer at KCON, as a part time employee, in September 1958, while going to college (cited from the Log Cabin Democrat, 3/8/1998).
Soon after graduating from college, Mr. Johnson got a job in the North Little Rock School district as a faculty member, but soon realized that he wanted to focus on radio broadcasting full-time. After starting to work, full-time, at the station in 1961, Bill asked James E. Clayton, the late owner of the station, if he could broadcast the games of the NAIA basketball tournament being held in Pine Bluff; Clayton agreed. Bill Johnson began broadcasting the SCA and Conway High School football games in the mid 1960’s and eventually called games for UCA, Hendrix College, and the University of Arkansas (cited from Faulkner County, Its Land and People, page 174-176).
A full time employee in 1961, Johnson’s love for radio inevitably propelled him into the position of general manager of KCON in 1962. He held this position until December 1977, when he entered the banking business and became the president and CEO of the Security Savings Bank of Conway. In 1989, he was elected chairman of the Arkansas League of Savings Institutions.
Additionally, Bill Johnson has served in various capacities with the Conway Kiwanis Club, the Conway Development Corp, the Conway Chamber of Commerce, the Faulkner County Museum Commission, the Arkansas Higher Education Board, the Faulkner County Quorum Court, the Toad Suck Council, and the Conway Area Men’s Chorus (cited from Log Cabin Democrat, Jan. 2004). Mr. Johnson also served on UCA’s Board of Trustees for 14 years.
Today, Mr. Johnson is still involved with broadcasting for football and basketball games. He is currently the president of Simmons First National Bank in Conway, but he will forever be associated with the history of radio in Faulkner County.
Box 1A
File 1 – Log Cabin Democrat article on UCA archiving Bill Johnson Collection,
January 2004; Johnson family information and photo
File 2 – Microfiche finding aid for Bill Johnson Collection
File 3 – Correspondence from L.M. Rose, St. Genevieve, MO 1946 – 1948
File 4 – Conway Broadcasting Company, Conway, AR Frequency Allocation Survey, July 8, 1947
File 5 – Federal Communication Commission – Application for a Broadcast Station license and correspondence, 1947-1948
File 6 – Contents of drilled lock box #1200: Articles of incorporation; Lease November 11, 1947; lease agreement and supplement 1966.
File 7 – Conway Broadcasting Co. – Board of directors and stockholders meetings 1947- 1962
File 8 – Engineering Exhibit Application for construction permit, April 13, 1948
File 9 – Engineering amendment, October 1948
File 10 – Receipt, Clark’s Studio, May 15, 1948
File 11 – Hearing exhibit #3, proposed new station, January 1949
File 12 – Piano – loan agreement between Sam M. Clark, stockholder and Conway Broadcasting Co. – April 21, 1949
File 13 – Conway Broadcast Co. Correspondence 1948
File 14 – Conway Broadcast Co. Correspondence 1949
File 15 – Conway Broadcast Co. Correspondence 1950
File 16 – Conway Broadcast Co. Correspondence 1953 – 1968
File 17 – Conway Broadcast Co. Inc. minutes of director’s meetings 1947 – 1978
File 18 – Proposed site of radio antenna – undated
File 19 – Ownership Report, Conway Broadcasting Co. – 1950
File 20 – Lumberman’s Mutual Casualty Co. – 1950-52
End of Box 1A
Box 1B
File 1 – Conway Broadcasting Co. Income tax returns, 1947-1957, 1962
File 2 – Conway Broadcasting Co. Stock, 1948-1963
File 3 – Engineering report for Conway Broadcasting Co. radio station KCON, June 12, 1964
File 4 – Conway Broadcasting Co., Inc. Clayton Stock transfer, June 25, 1964
File 5 – Lease and remodeling agreement between Conway Broadcasting Co. and Robert L. and Patrica W. Ott, May 9, 1966
File 6 – Compact disc – Robert Kennedy shooting June 5, 1968 and 1965 Conway tornado (converted from original reel-to-reel tapes)
File 7 – Radio telephone third class operator permit, May 27, 1976
File 8 – KCON Broadcasting Co. Inc. articles of incorporation, March 1980
File 9 – Voice of the Razorback football games, Bill Johnson, 1969-1987
File 10 – KCON Broadcasting Co. stockholders, 1980
File 11 – Conway Broadcasting Co. Board of directors meetings, 1980-1985
File 12 – President of KCON, Mrs. Madge Clayton obituary, May 24, 1991
File 13 – KCON/Bill Johnson – 1976-1998 & 1999-2004
File 14 – History of KCON radio 1947 to 1998
File 15 – 2 Original cassette tapes – Recording of Oral History of KCON 12:30 AM Radio Station, Conway, AR – Nov. 13, 1950 – March 10, 1998, Recorded by Bill Johnson, converted to compact disc – Feb. 2004
File 16 – KCON closes, March 10, 1998 (49 years old)
End of Box 1B
Box 1C
File 1 – “Onions in the Stew,” 3-Act comedy presented by Conway High School Senior Class, April 11 and 12, 1957
File 2 – SCA Board of Trustees – Correspondence – 1970-1971
File 3 – Commemorative Program – Faulkner County and Conway, AR Centennial – April 25, 1973 and May 5, 1973
File 4 – Newspaper, Log Cabin Democrat, “Move Underway Seeking to Block Johsnon’s Reappointment to Board,” December 1976
File 5 – 3 Photos – dedication of Cadron Settlement Park, October 14, 1972
File 6 – UCA Board of Trustees – Correspondence – 1983-84, 1993-1999
File 7 – Compact disc – “Sinatra Sings,” Rogers and Hammerstein, 1996
File 8 – Appointment to Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Gov. Mike Huckabee, May 27, 1997
File 9 – Security Bank of Conway, 1990s, Bill F. Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, 1993-1998
File 10 – First Financial Bank – 1998-1999
File 11 – Personal Correspondence, 1965-2003
File 12 – Newspaper articles, Johnson’s career, 1967-2006
File 13 – “Humor” – 3 articles of Humor – 2003 and undated
File 14 – Simmons First National Bank – 2005-2006
File 15 – “Bill Johnson Day” – September 30th, 2016
End of Box 1C
Box 2
File 1 – Compact disc of UCA vs. TA&I game, 1st half
File 2 – Compact disc of UCA vs. TA&I game, late in the 1st and 2nd quarter
File 3 – Compact disc of UCA vs. TA&I game, half time and 3rd quarter
File 4 – Compact disc of UCA vs. TA&I game, 3rd and 4th quarter
File 5 – Compact disc of UCA vs. Carson Newman
File 6 – Compact disc of UCA vs. Carson Newman
File 7 – Compact disc of NAIA, 1984
File 8 – Compact disc of NAIA, UCA vs. Carson Newman
File 9 – Compact disc of NAIA Championship #4, UCA vs. Carson Newman, 1984
File 10 – Compact disc of NAIA, UCA vs. Carson Newman, 1984
File 11 – Compact disc of NAIA, UCA vs. Hillsdale
File 12 – Cassette tape of Ron Marvel’s retirement news conference in the Hall of Fame Room of Estes Stadium, March 2004
File 13 – Compact disc of Ron Marvel’s retirement news conference in the Hall of Fame Room of Estes Stadium, March 2004
File 14 – Cassette tape of Head Sugarbears Basketball Coach, Checola Seals, news conference, March 2004
File 15 – Compact disc of Head Sugarbears Basketball Coach, Checola Seals, news conference, March 2004
File 16 – Compact disc of dialogue of Dr. Christie and Arkansas State Senator Guy H. “Mutt” Jones on Equal Rights Amendment, January 1975
File 17 – UCA vs. T.A. & I game
File 18 – NAIA – UCA vs. Carson Newman, 1984
File 19 – NAIA Championship Bowl game of UCA vs. Hillsdale, December 1985
File 20 – Ron Marvel’s Retirement Conference in the Hall of Fame Room, March 2004
File 21 – Dialogue with Dr. Christie and Arkansas State Senator Guy H. “Mutt” Jones on Equal Rights Amendment
Note: Items 17-21 have been changed over to compact discs (cd’s).
End of Box 2
Box 3 – Reel-to-Reel tapes
UCA Games:
Item #1 – Blank 5” reel
Item #2 – UCA Bears vs. Elon, 5” reel-to-reel, no. 1-3
Item #3 – UCA Bears in Kansas City, 5” reel-to-reel, no. 1-4
Item #4 – SCA Las Vegas game, 5” reel-to-reel, no. 1-5, September 1973
Item #5 – UCA Bears Cheers, 5” reel-to-reel, 1975
Item #6 – Hendrix SCA game, 5” reel-to-reel, last time in the SCA gym
Item #7 – Hendrix / Harding wrap-up, Bill Johnson’s 500th Broadcast, 5” reel-to-reel, January 1974
Item #8 – Hendrix College, Fausett Hall Dedication, 7” reel-to-reel, October 1983
Item #9 – SCA game, 7” reel-to-reel
Item #10 – News cuts, 7” reel-to-reel, February-March 1981
Conway High School Games:
Item #1 – Conway High vs. Benton, AAAA State Championships, 5” reel-to-reel, November 1977
Item #2 – Conway High vs. Hot Springs, no. 1-4 (5” reel-to-reel), no. 5-6 (7” reel-to-reel)
Item #3 – Conway High vs. Morrilton, 5” reel-to-reel, no. 1-4
Item #4 – Conway High vs. Southside, 5” reel-to-reel, no. 1-4, 1977
Item #5 – Conway High vs. El Dorado, no. 1 (5” reel-to-reel), no. 2 (7” reel-to-reel)
Item #6 – Conway High vs. Springdale, 7” reel-to-reel, no. 1-2, October 1976 and February 1977
Item #7 – Conway High vs. Helena, no. 1 (5” reel-to-reel), no. 2 (7” reel-to-reel), March 1976
Conway High School Games:
Item #8 – Dialogue with Mayor for 25th Anniversary of KCON, November 1975
Item #9 – Conway High vs. Blytheville, 7” reel-to-reel
Item #10 – Conway High vs. Northside, 7” reel-to-reel
End of Box 3
End of Collection