The Squire of Petit Jean

To the first head of the newly created Arkansas Industrial Development Commission, Governor Orval Faubus had one admonition: "Think of Arkansas first in all that you do." That was in 1955, and since then Millionaire Winthrop Rockefeller, a transplanted New Yorker, has certainly paid heed to Orval's words. In fact, he has perhaps done too well at helping Arkansas redeem itself from poverty. For Democrat Faubus is now trying to oust Republican Rockefeller from the A.I.D.C. chairmanship.

Winthrop, 50, the fourth of the five Rockefeller brothers, settled in Arkansas ten years ago, built himself a big showplace of a farm on Petit Jean Mountain, about 60 miles from Little Rock. He proceeded to put his abundant money and energies into Arkansas' sad economic and cultural life. Among his personal and business achievements: a public school rejuvenation program in Morrilton, including a model elementary school and donations totaling $500,000 for the school district; a clinic in poor Perry County; a campaign that raised $700,000 for an arts center; a homebuilding program that includes Negro communities.

A Bit of a Scare. As A.I.D.C. chief, moreover, Rockefeller has led a nation-scouring effort to bring new industry to the state. Under Rockefeller, the A.I.D.C. has helped bring in a total of 523 new industries, gained 70,684 new jobs, boosted Arkansas' industrial payroll by $212 million and the state treasury's annual income by $10.3 million. Today, Arkansas' per capita income is among the fastest-rising in the country.

All well and good. But the squire of Petit Jean Mountain is also an active Republican--and in Arkansas, that's not so good. Last year, with Rockefeller as G.O.P. state chairman, the Republicans actually put up 22 candidates for the state legislature. Rockefeller personally financed campaigns against Faubus and Senator William Fulbright. All the Democrats, of course, won. But they had been given a bit of a scare, and Faubus decided to do something about it.

Sneaking Suspicion. A few weeks ago, Faubus inspired a bill to abolish the A.I.D.C. This was such a transparent hatchet job that even some legislative Democrats rose to defend Rockefeller. Then, one man introduced a bill that would have prohibited any party official--Rockefeller, that is--from sitting on the A.I.D.C. This brought a deluge of angry telegrams and phone calls from all over the state, and Orval Faubus, a pretty shrewd judge of local sentiment, temporarily called off the attack.

But no Arkansan, least of all Winthrop Rockefeller, thought that this was the last of the get-Rockefeller effort. Addressing a Young Republican Club meeting in Jonesboro last week, Winthrop said: "We're entitled to better government in Arkansas. I am working for that which I think is right for Arkansas, so that we will take our position with the ranks of states with dignity, not buffoonery." In a more private moment, he built a monument to understatement: "I have a sneaking suspicion that the Governor's bipartisan policy is coming to an end."

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