Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Don Munro
Manufacturing/Philanthropy
| | Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2024
1. Don Munro Marker
1959 created largest nationwide American-made shoe manufacturing co in Arkansas Became Munro & Co Inc. in 1972 Pioneer in employee relations and operations of multiple factories Journalist in Army before entering Yale Devoted tireless years in philanthropy and charitable foundations in USA and Arkansas with compassion, integrity and kindness
Hot Springs, Arkansas Inducted 2021
Erected by Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1959.
Location. 34° 30.638′ N, 93° 3.233′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue (State Highway 7) and Spring Street, on the right when traveling north on Central Avenue. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk on the west side of the Hot Springs City Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 629 Central Avenue, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Henry Bernard Glover (here, next to this marker); James Smith McDonnell (here, next to this marker); Dale Evans (here, next to this marker); Rodger Bumpass
this page online
Also see . . . Donald Munro (September 27, 1927 April 27, 2022) (www.dignitymemorial.com).
Excerpt: In its prime, Munro was one of the largest privately held shoe manufacturers in the US. Don Munro embraced his adopted home town of Hot Springs and spent the rest of his life making it, and Arkansas, a better place. His business accomplishments were many, and garnered the respect of his peers, as evidenced by his election as President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association in 2003, his induction into the Footwear Hall of Fame in 2004, and induction into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2005.(Submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
But it was his philanthropic endeavors for which he will be most remembered. In 1985 he was awarded the T. Kenyon Holly Award, the highest philanthropic honor in the shoe industry. In 1992 he became the first recipient of the Pew FoundationsAmerican Philanthropy Award. Also in 1992 he was awarded the Roots and Wings Award and the Lugean Chilcote Award from the Arkansas Community Foundation, which he led as President for ten years. On April 14, 2021, he received a star on the Arkansas Walk of Fame in Hot Springs, which was officially declared Don Munro Day by Hot Springs Mayor, Pat McCabe.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20242. Don Munro MarkerLooking west across Central Avenue from the Hot Springs City Visitor Center; it is the leftmost of four markers in this photo.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
