Fay Boozman
Encyclopedia
Fay W. Boozman was a Republican
politician
from the U.S. state
of Arkansas
, a close friend of former Governor Mike Huckabee
and a brother of U.S. Senator John Boozman
.
involved in politics while working on Huckabee's 1993 special election campaign for lieutenant governor
. As health department director, Boozman was the front man for Huckabee's Healthy Arkansas initiatives and earned national attention for his commitment to reducing obesity
.
From 1995 to 1998, Boozman was a member of the Arkansas State Senate from Rogers
in Benton County
. He succeeded the Democrat
Reid Holliman, a supporter of former U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers
and U.S. President Bill Clinton
. In 1998, rather than running for a second term for the state Senate, Boozman was the unsuccessful Republican nominee against current Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln
. Lincoln received 385,878 votes (55.1 percent) to Boozman's 295,870 (42.2 percent). Ironically, in 2010, Boozman's brother, John, defeated Lincoln for the same Senate seat he had unsuccessfully ran for.
During the campaign against Lincoln, Boozman came under criticism when he claimed that victims of rape
were rarely impregnated as a result of the crime. He later apologized for the statement, saying that it was "not statistically based." Boozman, who was strongly pro-life, saw his role as director of the health department as that of a "Christian" and a "servant." Those who worked with him found him "caring, sensitive, a family man [with] a servant's heart, nice, compassionate, principled, and moral." Dr. Boozman was also a former medical advisor to a crisis pregnancy center
.
A Republican, Dave Bisbee, was elected to succeed Boozman. The seat is now held by Kim Hendren
, another Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate nomination and a brother-in-law of former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson
and former U.S. Representative Asa Hutchinson
.
and a son of Tim Hutchinson. Timothy Hutchinson's twin brother, Jeremy Hutchinson, and their mother, Donna Hutchinson, who is divorced from Tim Hutchinson, have also served in the Arkansas House.
Asa Hutchinson, a former U.S. representative and the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2006 who is also Timothy Hutchinson's uncle, said that Dr. Boozman rendered aid to the victims of the accident despite his serious injuries. "I've never known a more tender-hearted human being. His life was an encouragement to everyone who came in contact with him every day, and losing him is just devastating," said Asa Hutchinson.
when a barn in which he had been engaged in farm chores collapsed. In addition to his brother, he was survived by his wife, Josephine Victoria "Vickie" Boozman (born 1946), their three children, and his mother, the former Marie Nichols, who lives in Fort Smith
, the seat of Sebastian County, where John Boozman was born and both brothers were reared. His father was Fay Winford Boozman, Jr. (1923–1991), whose last residence was in Rogers.
Governor Huckabee released this statement on Boozman's death: "[He] was not only one of my most trusted team members, but he was a close personal friend and Christian
brother. One of my happiest days as governor was when he became director of the Department of Health. His death will mark the very saddest day. . . . . Many of us lose a dear personal friend, but our entire state loses one of our finest ever and most pure-hearted public servants who loved others more than self and was incapable of anything other than statesmanship and kindness."
Bob Alvey, a health department spokesman, referred to the "tragic loss" of Dr. Boozman's passing: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who knew him and knew how great a person he was." Rogers Mayor
Steve Womack
(born 1957), a Boozman family friend and a 2010 congressional candidate to succeed John Boozman, told The Rogers Morning News that Boozman was moving from his Rogers residence to another home, also in Rogers. Emergency personnel responded to the farm and found that Boozman had been crushed by a large gate.
faith in family practice and community affairs. The College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
in Little Rock
was renamed in Boozman's honor. Bozeman was a UAMS alumnus.
Vickie Boozman, now residing in Cave Springs
in Benton County, was an Arkansas alternate delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention
in Minneapolis
, Minnesota
. Earlier in 2008, she lost a primary bid for the District 99 in the Arkansas House to fellow Republican Tim Summers of Bentonville
. In 2010, she has been a surrogate speaker for her brother-in-law, John Boozman, in his U.S. Senate campaign. John Boozman defeated incumbent Blanche Lincoln
in the Senate election of 2010.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, a close friend of former Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
and a brother of U.S. Senator John Boozman
John Boozman
John Nichols Boozman is the junior U.S. Senator for Arkansas . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for .Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, he was the brother of state Senator Fay Boozman...
.
Political offices
At the time of his death at the age of fifty-eight as a result of a freak accident, Boozman, an ophthalmologist, was the director of the Arkansas Health Department. He had first becomeinvolved in politics while working on Huckabee's 1993 special election campaign for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
. As health department director, Boozman was the front man for Huckabee's Healthy Arkansas initiatives and earned national attention for his commitment to reducing obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
.
From 1995 to 1998, Boozman was a member of the Arkansas State Senate from Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
in Benton County
Benton County, Arkansas
Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 153,406. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population is 221,339. The county seat is Bentonville. Benton County was formed on 30 September 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S...
. He succeeded the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Reid Holliman, a supporter of former U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers
Dale Bumpers
Dale Leon Bumpers is an American politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975; and then in the United States Senate from 1975 until his retirement in January 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Senator Bumpers is currently counsel at the Washington, D.C...
and U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. In 1998, rather than running for a second term for the state Senate, Boozman was the unsuccessful Republican nominee against current Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
. Lincoln received 385,878 votes (55.1 percent) to Boozman's 295,870 (42.2 percent). Ironically, in 2010, Boozman's brother, John, defeated Lincoln for the same Senate seat he had unsuccessfully ran for.
During the campaign against Lincoln, Boozman came under criticism when he claimed that victims of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
were rarely impregnated as a result of the crime. He later apologized for the statement, saying that it was "not statistically based." Boozman, who was strongly pro-life, saw his role as director of the health department as that of a "Christian" and a "servant." Those who worked with him found him "caring, sensitive, a family man [with] a servant's heart, nice, compassionate, principled, and moral." Dr. Boozman was also a former medical advisor to a crisis pregnancy center
Crisis pregnancy center
A crisis pregnancy center , sometimes called a pregnancy resource center , is a non-profit organization established to counsel pregnant women against having an abortion....
.
A Republican, Dave Bisbee, was elected to succeed Boozman. The seat is now held by Kim Hendren
Kim Hendren
Kim D. Hendren is the Republican minority leader and the chairman of the Energy Committee of the Arkansas State Senate. A native and resident of Gravette in Benton County in northwestern Arkansas, Hendren represents District 9. He is a former Democrat in the most Republican part of the state....
, another Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate nomination and a brother-in-law of former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson
Tim Hutchinson
Young Timothy Hutchinson, known as Tim Hutchinson is a Republican politician and former senator from the state of Arkansas.Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, and he graduated from Bob Jones University...
and former U.S. Representative Asa Hutchinson
Asa Hutchinson
William Asa Hutchinson is a former U.S. Attorney for the Fort Smith-based Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Congressman from the Third District of Arkansas, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the first-ever Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security at the U.S...
.
Previous injury
In 1996, Boozman suffered serious injuries, including a bruised heart, broken ribs, kidney problems, a collapsed lung, and a broken hip that left him using a walker after an automobile accident. He was a passenger in the vehicle driven by Timothy Hutchinson, later a member of the Arkansas House of RepresentativesArkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
and a son of Tim Hutchinson. Timothy Hutchinson's twin brother, Jeremy Hutchinson, and their mother, Donna Hutchinson, who is divorced from Tim Hutchinson, have also served in the Arkansas House.
Asa Hutchinson, a former U.S. representative and the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2006 who is also Timothy Hutchinson's uncle, said that Dr. Boozman rendered aid to the victims of the accident despite his serious injuries. "I've never known a more tender-hearted human being. His life was an encouragement to everyone who came in contact with him every day, and losing him is just devastating," said Asa Hutchinson.
Death
Boozman died near Rogers, ArkansasRogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
when a barn in which he had been engaged in farm chores collapsed. In addition to his brother, he was survived by his wife, Josephine Victoria "Vickie" Boozman (born 1946), their three children, and his mother, the former Marie Nichols, who lives in Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, the seat of Sebastian County, where John Boozman was born and both brothers were reared. His father was Fay Winford Boozman, Jr. (1923–1991), whose last residence was in Rogers.
Governor Huckabee released this statement on Boozman's death: "[He] was not only one of my most trusted team members, but he was a close personal friend and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
brother. One of my happiest days as governor was when he became director of the Department of Health. His death will mark the very saddest day. . . . . Many of us lose a dear personal friend, but our entire state loses one of our finest ever and most pure-hearted public servants who loved others more than self and was incapable of anything other than statesmanship and kindness."
Bob Alvey, a health department spokesman, referred to the "tragic loss" of Dr. Boozman's passing: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who knew him and knew how great a person he was." Rogers Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Steve Womack
Steve Womack
Stephen Allen "Steve" Womack is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the former mayor of Rogers, Arkansas.- Early life, education, and career :Womack was born in Russellville, Arkansas...
(born 1957), a Boozman family friend and a 2010 congressional candidate to succeed John Boozman, told The Rogers Morning News that Boozman was moving from his Rogers residence to another home, also in Rogers. Emergency personnel responded to the farm and found that Boozman had been crushed by a large gate.
The Boozman legacy
The Arkansas Physicians Resource Council offers the annual Fay Boozman Award to physicians who practice their ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith in family practice and community affairs. The College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is part of the University of Arkansas System, a state-run university in the U.S. state of Arkansas...
in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
was renamed in Boozman's honor. Bozeman was a UAMS alumnus.
Vickie Boozman, now residing in Cave Springs
Cave Springs, Arkansas
Cave Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,103 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in Benton County, was an Arkansas alternate delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Earlier in 2008, she lost a primary bid for the District 99 in the Arkansas House to fellow Republican Tim Summers of Bentonville
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 2010, she has been a surrogate speaker for her brother-in-law, John Boozman, in his U.S. Senate campaign. John Boozman defeated incumbent Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
in the Senate election of 2010.