Biography: J. Wayne Cranford died February 15, 2020 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is survived by his wife, Frances Anderson Cranford, and three sons: Jay Wayne, Anderson Ross, and Christopher Benjamin, and his brother Bill Cranford, all of Little Rock. He was pre-deceased by his parents and brother Bob Cranford of Rector.
 
Wayne was born on New Year’s Day 1933 in Bald Knob, Arkansas, the son of Rachel Jacobs Cranford, an elementary school teacher and Benjamin Franklin Cranford, a carpenter. Teaching and building would be a hallmark of everything he did for his family, career and community. He believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. And he did many things right.
 
            In 1962, Wayne married Frances Anderson of Pine Bluff. In 1961, Wayne co-founded Cranford/Johnson, Inc. which would become the state’s largest advertising, marketing and public relations agency and one of the largest in the Southwest.
 
            As the leader of Cranford/Johnson, Wayne helped create countless campaigns and brands for many of Arkansas’s successful and well-known companies, including Alltel, Acxiom, Riceland Foods, Tyson Foods, Arkansas Power & Light and Middle South Utilities (now Entergy), Oaklawn, and many state agencies such as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. Over the ensuing decades, the name Cranford became synonymous in Arkansas with creative excellence and commanding quality.
 
Wayne also worked on many campaigns for politicians such as William Fulbright, Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker. “Wayne Cranford’s vision, imagination, and integrity made him one of the most respected leaders in the advertising industry — not just in Arkansas, but across America,” said President Bill Clinton.
 
            Wayne’s heartfelt commitment to building a better community in Little Rock and across Arkansas can be seen in the countless civic positions he held and boards upon which he served, such as the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas Childrens’, Thea Foundation, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Fifty for the Future, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and many more. He was chairman of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Commission across the terms of four governors. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the President’s Advisory Council on the Arts, for which he served as Chair from 1994-2001.
 
            A 1953 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, Wayne was editor of the newspaper and associate editor of the yearbook. He was named a UCA Distinguished Alumnus in 1995 and was Co-Chair of the Centennial Celebration Executive Committee in 2011.
 
            In 2008 Cranford was named to the inaugural class of the American Advertising Federation Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame and in 2012 he was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. Other awards and honors he received include the Arkansas Advertising Federation Silver Medal and the William F. Rector Memorial Award from Fifty for the Future.
 
            Prior to going into advertising, Wayne was Director of Public Relations for the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, a writer for both the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Gazette, and a teacher of English and journalism for the Bald Knob Public Schools.
 
            Over the years, Wayne mentored and inspired legions of communications professionals — many of whom went on to found other successful advertising and PR agencies, including his sons Jay, Ross, and Chris who now carry on his legacy of bringing Madison Avenue quality to Main Street at Cranford Co. in Little Rock.
 
            The funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday, Feb 21, at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. A graveside service for family and friends will be held at 1 p.m. at Mount Holly Cemetery.
 
            The family suggests that memorials be sent to the UCA Foundation/Wayne Cranford Memorial Fund, UCA Box 4986, Conway, AR, 72035; or to the cultural institutions he held dear — the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Arkansas Arts Center; or to Second Presbyterian Church.