TO REMEMBER ATTORNEY JOHN GILL FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN ARKANSAS.

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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SMR 5 3
4
By: Senators M. Johnson, C. Tucker, F. Love 5
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SENATE MEMORIAL RESOLUTION 8
TO REMEMBER ATTORNEY JOHN GILL FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS 9
TO THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, 10
AND TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN ARKANSAS. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO REMEMBER ATTORNEY JOHN GILL FOR HIS 15
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF LITTLE 16
ROCK, TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND TO 17
THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN ARKANSAS. 18
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WHEREAS, John Purifoy Gill, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away on 20
Saturday, March 7, 2026; and 21
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WHEREAS, John Gill was born on December 9, 1936, in Fort Smith, 23
Arkansas, to Georgia Belle Burnett Gill and Keener Purifoy Gill; and 24
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WHEREAS, John Gill initially attended Hendrix College for undergraduate 26
studies before transferring to Vanderbilt University, where he was a member 27
of the Naval ROTC and where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees; 28
and 29
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WHEREAS, John Gill met the love of his life, Marjem Gill, while 31
attending Hendrix College, and John Gill and Marjem Gill were married on June 32
30, 1960; and 33
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WHEREAS, following his graduation from Vanderbilt University Law 35
School, John Gill moved to Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he served first 36
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as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, and later as a 1
member of the Naval Judge Advocate General's Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant 2
Colonel; and 3
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WHEREAS, John Gill joined the Arkansas Bar in 1962 and built a 5
distinguished legal career in Little Rock; and 6
7
WHEREAS, the legal accomplishments of John Gill include serving as a 8
delegate to the 1969 Arkansas Constitutional Convention, as special counsel 9
to the Governor for the proposed Arkansas Constitution Revision of 1996, on 10
the faculty of the Arkansas College of Trial Advocacy, as a founding member 11
of the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure, and as a 12
member of the Arkansas Water Code Study Commission from 1981 to 1982; and 13
14
WHEREAS, John Gill served as President of the Arkansas Bar Association, 15
as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and was instrumental in 16
adding the Attorney Oath of Office to the Arkansas Attorney's License; and 17
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WHEREAS, John Gill was founder of Gill Ragon Owen, P.A., one of the 19
largest law firms in Arkansas; and 20
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WHEREAS, John Gill was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to serve on the 22
State Parks, Recreation, and Travel Commission in 2011, where he proudly 23
served for twelve (12) years; and 24
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WHEREAS, John Gill was an avid supporter of Preserve Arkansas, and was 26
awarded the Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019; and 27
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WHEREAS, John Gill had a lasting and significant impact on landmarks 29
across Arkansas, including through strategic planning, fund raising, and 30
renovations to the Little Rock Visitor Information Center at Historic Curran 31
Hall and the Firehouse Hostel in MacArthur Park, and through the 32
installations of the La Petite Roche plaque and historical marker at the 33
Little Rock River Market, the glass sculpture "Straight Lines on a Round 34
World" at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, and the portrait 35
of leading civil rights attorney Scipio Africanus Jones at the Scipio A. 36
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Jones Post Office in Little Rock; and 1
2
WHEREAS, John Gill was an accomplished author, penning and publishing 3
seven (7) books, including (4) books concerning his beloved Arkansas: "On the 4
Courthouse Square in Arkansas", "Post Masters: Arkansas Post Office Art in 5
the New Deal", "Open House: The Arkansas Governor's Mansion and Its Place in 6
History", and "The Crossroads of Arkansas"; and 7
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WHEREAS, John Gill brought together his intellectual and spiritual 9
interests through a variety of activities, including his research and 10
lectures on "The Trial of Jesus", founding the John and Marjem Gill Preaching 11
Workshop, and endowing the John and Marjem Gill Lecture; and 12
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WHEREAS, John Gill was an active member of First United Methodist 14
Church in Little Rock, where he served as a trustee, organized the Bowen 15
Sunday School Class, and held the roles of vice chairman and chairman of the 16
Administrative Board; and 17
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WHEREAS, John Gill is survived by his wife of nearly sixty-six (66) 19
years, Marjem Gill, by his brother, George Gill, by his children, Elizabeth 20
Gill Myers, Ward Gill, and David Gill, and by his seven (7) grandchildren and 21
six (6) great grandchildren, 22
23
NOW THEREFORE, 24
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 25
STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
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THAT the Senate remember John Purifoy Gill and recognize his many 28
contributions to Little Rock, to the State of Arkansas, and to the practice 29
of law in the State of Arkansas. 30
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption of this resolution, an appropriate 32
copy be provided to Marjem Gill and family by the Secretary of the Senate. 33
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