2020.07.02 THROW BACK THURSDAY - DICKSON FLAKE plus Class News
THROW BACK THURSDAY - DICKSON FLAKE plus Class News
Flake, LR developer key in tech park, dies at 81
L. Dickson Flake, the commercial real estate developer whose major projects include the 33-story Regions Center in Little Rock and J.B. Hunt Transport Services headquarters in Lowell, died Tuesday in Little Rock. He was 81.
Over a 55-year career, Flake played a role in several major commercial projects in Arkansas, including Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield's downtown Little Rock headquarters, the USAble Corporate Center, the Breckenridge Village shopping center, the Arkansas Department of Human Services downtown Little Rock headquarters, the Jones Eye Institute at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.
"For such a small man of stature, he looms large in so many, many ways, from his business leadership, obviously in the real estate community — not only in Little Rock but in Arkansas, in the Mid-South for that matter — to his work helping so many different organizations, especially in Little Rock," said Jay Chesshir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber.
A 2011 inductee into the University of Arkansas' Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, Flake pioneered the concept of development management in Arkansas. Throughout his career, he developed more than 2 million SF of real estate.
In 1971, Flake co-founded Barnes Quinn Flake & Anderson Inc. — now Colliers International Arkansas — and was a managing partner and shareholder until 2002.
“Dickson was an Arkansas business legend, a service-oriented leader w h o g a v e his time to family, our firm and our community,” Kevin Huchingson, chairman and chief executive officer of Colliers Arkansas, said in a statement announcing Flake’s death.
His passing was one month after Flake was honored with the 2020 Business and Professional Leader award by Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock.
Flake was the youngest of the four principals at Barnes, Quinn, Flake & Anderson. The principals, including Cotton Barnes, Luke Quinn and Sam Anderson, worked on salaries rather than commissions, which Flake said fostered a collegial atmosphere.
“We’ve always been employees,” Flakes said in a 2010 interview for The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History at the University of Arkansas. “We’ve always acted as a team. We share all information. We share ideas. We share solutions.”
Their experiences also complemented one another.
“We didn’t realize it at the time because we didn’t, I don’t think, give it this type of analysis,” he said. “But we were — the four of us were totally different, and we brought complementary contributions to the aggregate.”
They tapped Barnes’ relationship with First National Bank before its merger with Commercial National Bank to become First Commercial Bank — and later Regions — to develop Regions Tower at Capitol Avenue and Broadway.
“And so with that relationship, and they were convinced they needed a new headquarters, we assembled the block where the Regions Building is now and then were the leasing agents and managers of that building and helped in the development,” Flake said “Were not the development managers, but we helped in the development. And then handled the leasing and management.
“His unrelenting effort to bring to Little Rock a Technology Park was one of many selfless acts he did for the betterment of our community,” Birch said. “Without Dickson Flake, there would be no Little Rock Technology Park.”
Flake, a Little Rock native, almost made his mark elsewhere. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in business administration in 1960 and went to work for Burroughs Corp.in Detroit. He continued his education at the University of Michigan and obtained a master’s in business administration in 1963, graduating at the top of his class.
His time at Burroughs left an indelible mark. In the interview, he recalled his boss, R.S. “Dick” McNeal, would counsel him by “asking questions. He was a great coach.” There was a change in upper management at the company and the new team wanted things done its way, much to Flake’s consternation. McNeal discussed it with him two or three times before the “light went on that this was just so shortsighted on my part and so stupid to handle it the way I was, and he taught me, without over lecturing, how to reach the same objective without going through the wall but goin’ around it.”
Flake was more than a businessman, he said.
“Dickson was a public servant, and he found ways to volunteer his knowledge to the community,” Duvall said. “That is reflected in the work he did at the tech park. Way before the tech park, he was involved with envisioning what the tech park could look like.
“It’s just not his work at the tech park, it’s just not as career as a businessman in the community, it is the fact that he was a dedicated public servant.”
Dickson was married to Linda Clement, a 1957Classmate . Linda died very unexpectedly last June almost to the day one year ago.
Class News
HAPPY 62nd ANNIVERSARY, JUDY STOUT and MIKE McCARTHY!!!!
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Who remembers a quite impressive looking -- though small -- breast badge imprinted with "Pulaski County Jr. Deputy Sheriff". It was
shiny silver and of heavy enough stock to feel "real". DO YOU STILL HAVE YOURS??? Or if you were lucky enough to be included in this group,
please send me your remembrances, but would LOVE to have a picture of the real badge!
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A Personal Note: Gwen Shepherd, Judy Callaway and I actually HAD LUNCH OUT today!!!! I said I felt like I was going to the Prom it had been so
long since I had since anyone! Judy replied, "whatever will I wear????" She didn't over-do it . . . and we had a great time!!!!
HAPPY FOURTH EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
ML