Page 17 - 2020-21 Chamber Booklet (2)_Neat

SOUTH LOGAN COUNTY 16

floyd speer

Floyd Speer was born in Booneville
in 1913. He became a professional
baseball pitcher, getting his
debut in the major league with
the Chicago White Sox in 1943.
His major league career was short
and he returned to the minors in
1945 to play for the St. Paul Saints,
the Milwaukee Brewers, and the
Oakland Oaks until 1948 when
he returned to Arkansas for the
remainder of his life until 1969. He
is buried 5 miles south of town in
the Carolan Cemetery.

general john paul mcconnell

General John Paul McConnell
was the son of Dr. Samuel Paul
McConnell, a medical doctor, and
Dessau M. McConnell. A native of
Booneville. McConnell was the sixth
Chief of Staff of the United States Air
Force. As chief of staff, McConnell
served in a dual capacity. He was
a member of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff which, as a body, acts as the
principal military adviser to the
President of the United States, the
National Security Council, and the
Secretary of Defense. In his other
capacity, he was responsible to
the Secretary of the Air Force for
managing the vast human and
materiel resources of the world’s
most powerful aerospace force.
The Booneville Public Library has
memorabilia from his career.