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Submitted: 11/28/08 • Approved: 9/3/10 • Last Updated: 7/29/12 • R112457-G0-S3
15 March 1851 – 29 October 1916
Judge, Twelfth Judicial Circuit
1896 – 1890
US Congressman
1894 – 1907
Governor of Arkansas
January 18, 1907 – February 11, 1907
John Sebastian “Bass” Little was born in Jerry Lind and was reputedly the first male child born in the newly created Sebastian County. His parents were Jesse and Elizabeth Tatum Little, pioneer settlers of western Arkansas. After attending local schools and one term at Cane Hill College in Washington County, Arkansas, he taught school for three years while studying law with a local judge. He was admitted to the bar in 1874 and established a practice in Greenwood, Sebastian County, but soon moved to Paris in Logan County. Bass became interested in Democratic Party politics soon after moving to Paris and was elected prosecuting attorney for the Twelfth Judicial District and reelected for three consecutive two year terms. During this time, on January 4, 1877, he married Elizabeth Jane Irwin of Paris and they had five children. He then moved his residence back to Greenwood, where he was to remain for the rest of his life and was elected to represent Sebastian County in the lower house of the General Assembly in 1885. He only served one term and was elected judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in 1896, a position he held until 1890. That year he entered the race for US Congressman for the fourth district, but withdrew from the race because of “nervous exhaustion.” Feeling fully recovered in 1894, he won a special election to fill the remaining term of US representative Clifton R Breckinridge. Little held that seat until 1907 when he was inaugurated as Arkansas’ twenty-first governor on January 18. Unfortunately, two days later Little suffered a mental breakdown and disappeared for a week or more. He returned to Greenwood and his son, Paul Little serving as his secretary, was in charge of the governor’s office. Official documents were delivered to Greenwood for the governor’s signature. After failing to improve, on February 11, 1907, Little departed for an extended period of recuperation on the Gulf Coast of Texas. On that day the president pro tempore of the state Senate assumed the position of acting governor. A series of events followed causing several people to sit as acting governor during the remainder of Little’s term and resulted in the position of lieutenant-governor being enacted. Little returned to Little Rock, but never regained his health and died in the Arkansas State Hospital for Nervous Diseases.
References Consulted:
Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sebastian_Little (Accessed 11/28/2008)
Ref:http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=112 (Accessed 11/28/2008)
Ref:http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/governors/the_progressive_era/little.asp (Accessed 11/28/2008)
Contributed on 11/28/08 by tomtodd
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Record #: 112457