Conway, Arkansas

Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had 699,757 people in 2010 and with 877,091 people in the Combined area. Conway is home to three post-secondary educational institutions, earning it the nickname "The City of Colleges".

History
The city of Conway was founded by Asa P. Robinson, who came to Conway shortly after the Civil War. Robinson was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Part of his compensation was the deed to a tract of land, one square mile, located near the old settlement of Cadron. When the railroad came through, Robinson deeded a small tract of his land back to the railroad for a depot site. He laid off a town site around the depot and named it Conway Station, in honor of a famous Arkansas family. Conway Station contained two small stores, two saloons, a depot, some temporary housing and a post office.

Conway was long the home of the late Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice James D. Johnson (d. 2010), who ran unsuccessful races for governor in 1956 against then fellow Democrat Orval Eugene Faubus and in 1966 against the Republican Winthrop Rockefeller. The conservative Johnson later switched affiliation to the Republican Party but long after the death of his nemesis Rockefeller. Johnson also lost an important race in 1968 for the United States Senate against the incumbent James William Fulbright. His wife, the late Virginia Johnson (d. 2007), ran for governor in 1968, while he was running for U.S. Senator.

Geography
Conway is located at 35.08734°N, -92.45331°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 60.20 sqmi, of which 59.99 sqmi is land and 0.21 square miles (0.5 km², 0.60%) is water.

Districts
The area of the city east of Donaghey Avenue is called the East Side, the area west of Donaghey Avenue is called the West Side. Conway has two historic neighborhoods: the Asa P. Robinson Historic District and the Hendrix Addition.

Since 2000, downtown Conway has seen tens of millions of dollars in public and private investment. The revitalization has brought new retail, office, restaurant and residential construction to the historic downtown.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,167 people, 16,039 households, and 10,168 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,231.7 people per square mile (475.5/km²). There were 17,289 housing units at an average density of 493.3 per square mile (190.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.0% White, 12.1% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 3.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,039 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 22.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,063, and the median income for a family was $47,912. Males had a median income of $35,021 versus $25,418 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,509. About 9.3% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

In November and December 2005, the city of Conway commissioned a special census to update its demographic records. The certified results of this Special Census put Conway's population at 52,430. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 Population Estimates, Conway's population is estimated to be 59,511 as of 2009.

Education
Conway is home to the following colleges and universities: Over 36% of Conway's adult workforce hold a baccalaureate degree or higher, making it the third best educated city over 10,000 in Arkansas, after Maumelle and Fayetteville.
 * Central Baptist College
 * Hendrix College
 * University of Central Arkansas



The public school system is broken up into four different categories: Elementary (K-4), Intermediate (5-6), Middle (7-8), and High (9-10 at the East Campus and 11-12 at the West Campus).

Conway is also home to two private schools: Conway Christian and St. Joseph Catholic School.

Conway Public Schools
With more than 9,200 students, Conway Public School District is the eighth largest in Arkansas. The district has 15 schools, including one high school on two campuses, two middle schools, two intermediate schools, nine elementary schools and a preschool program. In 2012, Conway Public Schools will open a new elementary school and complete reconstruction of Conway High School West.


 * In 2011, 13 Conway High Graduates were National Merit Scholars. (3rd in the state)
 * Conway finished 2nd out of the state's 40 largest school districts on the statewide benchmark exams. Conway ranked 14th out of all 247 Arkansas school districts.
 * Of the more than 500 public elementary schools in Arkansas, Conway has three campuses in the top 15.
 * More than half of the teaching staff at Conway Public Schools have at least a master's degree.
 * The district has 35 National Board certified teachers
 * The ACT composite score for the 2011 graduating class was 22.6 (national average is 21)

Culture
Conway residents have many opportunities for cultural experiences. The Conway Symphony Orchestra performs many times throughout the year, and Conway Community Arts Association has been presenting theatre and other art opportunities to the community for thirty years. The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (http://www.arkshakes.com) is the state's only professional Shakespeare theatre and it is based in Conway with an annual summer festival held in June.

There are also many art, music and theatre opportunities provided by Conway's three colleges. The University of Central Arkansas's Public Appearances program provides a variety of dance, music, and theatre offerings each year.

Conway Public Schools has very strong theatre and music programs, with large concert and marching bands that consistently receive high marks in regional competitions.

One of the city's largest annual events, Toad Suck Daze, has been held since 1982. The three day community festival incorporates live music, food and craft vendors, and amusement rides during the first weekend of May. Proceeds from the festival fund college scholarships for local students.

Conway is also home to a very popular sport-fishing destination and the largest man-made Game and Fish commission lake in the United States. Lake Conway, home to largemouth bass, crappie, gar, catfish, bream, bowfin, etc. The Arkansas Crappie Masters state tournament is held here every year.

The city held its first ever EcoFest September 12, 2009, in Laurel Park. EcoFest included exhibits and events relating to "green" and sustainable initiatives, including a cardboard car derby and an alleycat bicycle ride. According to organizers led by Debbie Plopper, the event was a success. Mayor Tab Townsell said the event indicated to him that “interest in sustainability is flourishing in this community.”

Business and Industry
Conway was home to one of the world's largest school bus manufacturers, IC Corporation. The Conway plant was one of only two IC manufacturing plants; the other is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. IC Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar International Corporation of Illinois. IC was previously known as American Transportation (AmTran) Corporation and Ward Body Works. The company was originally founded in 1933. IC has decided to close the plant and move all bus manufacturing to the Tulsa, OK plant.

R. D. “Bob” Nabholz founded Nabholz Construction in Conway in 1949. It currently employs over 800 people company wide and it has been listed by Engineering News Record (ENR) magazine as one of the Top 400 General Contractors every year since 1986, currently the company is ranked #161.

In 1965, Baldwin Piano Company began manufacturing upright pianos at a plant in Conway. Over the years, other piano models were added to the production line. By 1998, the company's 270 employees were manufacturing 2,200 grand pianos a year. Baldwin Piano was acquired by Gibson Instruments in 2003. Gibson has now closed the Baldwin factory.

The Conway Corporation handles the local cable TV, Internet, and telephone services, in addition to electricity and water for Conway.

Acxiom Corporation, a global interactive marketing services company that uses consumer data, analytics, information technology, data integration, and consulting solutions to help companies conduct direct marketing programs, was founded in 1969 in Conway and though it has its corporate headquarters in Little Rock, AR, a large presence in Conway still remains.

On June 19, 2008, Hewlett-Packard announced it would be opening a 150000 sqft facility with 1200 employees in 2009. The building, which will be owned by the Conway Development Corporation and leased to HP, will be located in The Meadows Office and Technology Park, and is built by Nabholz Construction. The building will be LEED certified.

Largest Employers

 * Acxiom Corporation 			 2,000
 * University of Central Arkansas		 1,500
 * Hewlett Packard			 1,400
 * Conway Regional Health System		 1,330
 * Conway Human Development Center	 1,200
 * Southwestern Energy Company		 1,200
 * Conway Public School System		 1,100
 * Wal Mart (Two Stores)			  825
 * Kimberly Clark				  600
 * Snap On				  500
 * Virco Manufacturing			  500
 * Nabholz Companies			  500
 * Schlumberger				  450
 * City of Conway 			  415
 * Hendrix College			  350
 * TOKUSEN				  315
 * Kroger (Two Stores)			  300
 * Rock Tenn				  300
 * Saxon Drilling                  	   250
 * Faulkner County			  250

Notable natives and residents

 * Kris Allen – American Idol Season 8 winner
 * Samuel Barrett – American anthropologist and linguist, Alfred Kroeber's first graduate student
 * Gil Gerard – Actor known for role as Buck Rogers, in TV series by same name
 * Peyton Hillis – NFL football running back; Arkansas Razorbacks 2004–08, Denver Broncos 2008–10, Cleveland Browns 2010–present
 * Elijah Pitts - NFL football running back; Green Bay Packers 1960's, rushed for two TDs in Super Bowl I
 * James D. Johnson (d. 2010) – late Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and 1966 Democratic gubernatorial nominee; resided in Conway with wife Virginia Morris Johnson, his legal secretary and an unsuccessful 1968 candidate for Governor of Arkansas.
 * William Andrew "Andy" Long — killed in the 2009 Little Rock military recruiting office shooting
 * Bryce Molder – PGA Tour Professional golfer
 * Scottie Pippen – NBA professional basketball player; attended the University of Central Arkansas
 * Marvin Delph – Arkansas Razorback basketball player - one of the famed "Triplets" who led Hogs to 1978 NCAA Final Four
 * Sheldon Richman - left libertarian political writer
 * Hiroyuki Nishimura - Founded the popular Japanese website 2ch while studying at the University of Central Arkansas.

National Recognition
Conway and the surrounding MSA has been recognized nationally for its quality of life and growing economy.


 * Named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists
 * 7th Best Value for a City for 2011 - Kiplinger
 * 14th Best City for Young Professionals - Forbes
 * 6th "Geekiest" City in America - OnlineUniversities.com
 * 14th Cheapest City in the U.S. - Forbes
 * 24th Best Place to Retire - CNNMoney
 * 100 Leading Locations: Desirable Places for Doing Business - Area Development Online