Obscured in history by her internationally renowned son, Sen. J. William Fulbright, Roberta Waugh Fulbright was, nonetheless, an extraordinary person deserving of tribute. Here, finally and fittingly, is her biography - a sensitive portrait of a complex woman who was one of Arkansas's dominant figures. Traditional mother of six children, gardener, thinker, and provocative conversationalist, Roberta Fulbright became a sudden widow at age forty-nine. She eventually took charge of the inherited, fragmented business holdings originally assembled by her husband, Jay, and molded them into a multi-enterprise family firm. As such, she emerged as an influential newspaper publisher and columnist, bank president, savvy business owner, and conscientious civic crusader. Through her own self-confidence and canny business sense, she became a formidable competitor in Fayetteville's male-dominated business establishment.
