The information below is the actual nomination language used by the person who submitted the nomination. All submissions had to answer three questions: one about the nominee's career, one about their contribution to the communist they served, and finally, about their contribution to the broadcasting industry in Arkansas.

Career and accomplishments as an Arkansas Broadcaster

Dr. Larry Foley has made significant contributions to the broadcast and broadcast education community in the state of Arkansas. He began is career at KATV in Little Rock as a reporter, assignment editor, morning news anchor and host, and sports producer. He moved to Arkansas PBS as a senior producer, putting together numerous documentary films related to the many facets of Arkansas history. He joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas in 1993, and moved up the ladder to helm the School of Journalism and Strategic Media as its department chair and director. He generated many accomplishments. He cares passionately about the state’s broadcast community and its future direction. He has also been an active member of ABA for many years. He’s retiring from the University of Arkansas after this school year, so it would be a great time to honor his service to the ABA.

Contributions to their community during their time as an Arkansas Broadcaster

At the University of Arkansas, he founded the campus television station UATV, and has been inducted into the Lemke Alumni Society Hall of Honor and the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor. As Chair (2014-23), Foley lobbied successfully to upgrade his academic unit from Lemke Department of Journalism to School of Journalism and Strategic Media. He secured millions of dollars in support to build new teaching and lab facilities, steered the school through two successful national accreditation reviews, and led his program to record enrollment. He is winner of the University of Arkansas faculty research award, Fulbright College Master Researcher award, the Individual Artist Governor’s Award from Arkansas Arts Council, and the Henry Award from Arkansas Parks and Tourism. In 2024, he was honored as Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Press Association.

Contributions to our industry

Foley’s documentary credits include Cries from the Cotton Field, Indians, Outlaws, Marshals and the Hangin’ Judge, Bass Reeves, the Invincible Black Marshal, If This Walk Could Talk, Making Straight the Way, Make Room for Pie, The Favored Strawberry, The First Boys of Spring (MLB Network/Fox Sports Networks), After the Tsunami, The Art of Crystal Bridges, Up Among the Hills, Growing Hope, Bridge to War Eagle, Sacred Spaces-The Architecture of Fay Jones, The Greatest Coach Ever, Beacon of Hope-The Story of the University of Arkansas, Charles Banks Wilson-Portrait of an American Artist, The Forgotten Expedition, It Started Here: Early Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase, 22 Straight, Arkansas’ Natural Heritage, Out of the Woods, The Keetoowahs Come Home, The Black Swamp, The Governor from Greasy Creek, Arkansas-A Special Place, Hell on the Border, and Natural, Wild & Free.