Sympathy Extended to Family and Former Colleagues of Dr. Lonnie Talbert
JONESBORO – The university community extends sympathy to the family, friends and former colleagues of Dr. Lonnie Talbert, emeritus professor of economics, who died Friday. Talbert lived in Little Rock.
Talbert joined Arkansas State University’s faculty in 1966, becoming professor and department chair before being appointed in 1976 as dean of the Griffin College of Business.
Among the major achievements during his tenure as dean was leading the college in its successful drive to attain AACSB accreditation for the first time. He was dean for 17 years before returning to fulltime faculty duties.
After serving in the Air Force, Talbert completed his bachelor’s at A-State, then a master’s at LSU and his doctoral degree in economics at North Carolina State. He was a research economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture then taught at Clemson before returning to Arkansas State and serving on the faculty for 32 years, retiring in 1998.
During the university's Centennial Celebration in 2009-10, Talbert was honored by the Faculty Association as one of the “First 100 Distinguished Faculty” of the institution. He and his wife Lavern were members of the Legacy Society.
A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, April 20, in Paron, Ark. Details are in the obituary.
The clock tower of the Dean B. Ellis Library will be lighted scarlet Thursday evening in memorial tribute to Talbert’s service and contributions to higher education and Arkansas State University.
