Reprise | Sheffield Nelson: Businessman, Lawyer, Political Figure

Up in Your Business with Kerry McCoy

You’ll recognize the name of my guest today on Up In Your Business with Kerry McCoy because he is a long-time activist, businessman, and political figure in Arkansas; Mr. Sheffield Nelson. Born in the Arkansas Delta, Mr. Nelson studied and worked hard to overcome his geographic and socioeconomic station in life and became the president of ARKLA Gas by the age of 32. After a decade as CEO, Nelson resigned from his position at ARKLA and began to dabble in politics. In 1990, he switched from the Democratic Party to the struggling Republican Party to oppose Bill Clinton for the governorship. Unsuccessful at this first attempt, he ran again in 1994 against incumbent Jim Guy Tucker, who became Governor when Bill Clinton resigned for the Presidency of the United States. Though Nelson never held an elected office, he continued to work in Arkansas politics through appointments. He also proposed an increase to the natural gas severance tax to fund highway improvements and opposed the Game and Fish Commission’s attempts to exempt itself from the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act in regard to fiscal matters.