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By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO -- Dr. Nancy Hendricks, alumni affairs coordinator in the Arkansas State University Office of Alumni Relations, has been portraying the late Sen. Hattie Caraway since 1999.

She will reprise the role at the second annual Hattie Caraway Event beginning Monday on the Arkansas State University campus.

Caraway was the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She served from 1932-45. Hendricks said it was "a phenomenal feat" for Caraway to win, run for re-election and win again against men who were heavyweights in the political arena during that era.

Sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the theme of the 2-day event is "Southern Women: Political Action-Public Service."

Hendricks said she heard the name Hattie Caraway, who was a longtime Jonesboro resident, come up in conversation when she was young, but the female political leader held little significance for Hendricks at that time. Hendricks recalled that Caraway was highly spoken of, but it was during the late 1990s when Hendricks became involved in municipal government and realized the significance, she said.

Over the seven or so years that Hendricks has been portraying Caraway, she has perfected the role to the point that she sometimes feels as if she is more Caraway than Hendricks, she said.

"I've heard recordings of her voice, read her journals and understand her thoughts," she said. With the costume on and her hair pulled back, "There's a great deal more of Hattie Caraway than there is me."

The role-playing began, Hendricks noted, when she wrote a play, "Miss Caraway and the Kingfish," a comedic look at the campaign of Hattie Caraway and Huey Long, a Louisiana politician, barnstorming the state in 1932.

From that play Hendricks developed a 1-woman show, "Hattie to Hilllary: Women in Politics," an informative and entertaining performance featuring Hendricks in character as Caraway. The show covers what's changed and remained the same with women in politics in some 70 years.

"I absolutely love it," Hendricks said, adding that the best part for her is hearing comments made by people who saw the performance. She also said she is honored to appear with panelists who share her passion for Caraway or the ones who she can enlighten with her portrayal.

This year Hendricks will read from Caraway's journal, including Senate issues, and some of Caraway's correspondences with V.C. Kays, an A-State president.

Hendricks will begin with an introduction at 9 a.m. on the second day of the event, and her comments will be interspersed throughout the day, she said.

On Monday, the event will begin at 11 a.m. and will continue until 8 p.m. Three documentaries about the Civil Rights Movement will be shown in rotation.

They include: "At the River I Stand," "Hoxie," and an untitled, new documentary featuring Margaret Block, a freedom singer from Cleveland, Miss.

After Hendricks' opening remarks on Oct. 24, panel discussions, which will take place throughout the day, will begin, said Dr. Ruth Owens, associate professor of languages, one of the organizers.

The first panel discussion will be on Southern women and political action and will feature Dr. Betty Koed, a U.S. Senate historian, a couple of faculty members and a couple of student leaders.

The second session will feature panelists concerned with women and non-profit public service, with Sister Elaine Willett of Jonesboro and Janie Hipp, University of Arkansas agricultural law and natural resources public policy specialist, as panelists.

The third panel, "Southern Women and Documentary: Voices for Social Justice," will feature Block, documentary filmmaker and author Allison Graham, as well as ASU officials.

The final session, "Hattie Wyatt Caraway: Memory, Legend and Legacy," will feature local members of the community.

The event is designed to honor Caraway as an individual, but also to recognize the contributions of females and their diversity that came before and after Caraway, said Cherisse Jones-Branch, assistant professor of history, one of the event organizers.

"It's also to make people aware that politics -- public service -- is not just a man's game," she said.

sherry@jonesborosun.com