AR SMR5

Mr. Isadore Banks was born on July 15, 1895, and served in the United States Army during World War I from 1917 until his honorable discharge in 1919.

Mr. Banks worked for Arkansas Power and Light Company in the 1920s to bring electricity to Marion, Arkansas, and became a respected leader, Freemason, successful farmer, and businessman in Crittenden County.

Mr. Banks owned hundreds of acres of farmland, provided employment for many African Americans, and helped establish a black-owned cotton gin business in the 1940s.

Mr. Banks demonstrated generosity by providing supplies to the black school in Sunset, Arkansas, and offering loans to other black farmers for seed and equipment.

The Senate recognizes Mr. Isadore Banks' contributions to the African-American community in Crittenden County, Arkansas, and directs that a copy of this resolution be presented to his family.