Verona Belle Spatz
Jan 17th, 1934 - Feb 15th, 2026- Birth Date: Jan 17, 1934
- Death Date: Feb 15, 2026
- Funeral Date: Feb 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm
- Location: Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock, Arkansas
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Biography:
Verona Belle Spatz was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, January 17, 1934. She passed away on February 15, 2026. Belle was the only child of Arthur and Hazel Spatz. Belle graduated from Mount St. Mary’s in 1951, received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Belle later received her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her PhD from MIT in Environmental Health.
Belle spent three years working as a community planner at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. Her work as an Urban Planner allowed her to enjoy one of her favorite hobbies which was traveling. Belle enjoyed being with friends, playing Mahjong, tennis and her dogs, Cotton and Misty (who predeceased her).
Belle volunteered for numerous agencies and served as a Trustee for the Arkansas Arts Center. She also served on the Pulaski County Quorum Court as a Justice of the Peace.
Belle’s Celebration of Life will be a graveside service to be held Friday, February 20, 2pm at Roselawn Cemetery.
Here is an even bigger part of her political story. Belle was known in her family as the one who could level set her father, Art Spatz, and settle him down when necessary. In the 1950s, he served on the Little Rock City Council.
On a September day in 1957, when Art was the acting mayor of Little Rock, Belle was summonsed downtown to help with her father.
The Mayor of Little Rock was in Washington, D.C., because of the school desegregation crisis.
When Belle got downtown, she was with her father when they saw a regiment of black troops marching across the bridge into Little Rock toward Central High School.
Art said “hell no,” and rushed upstairs with Belle to contact the Mayor and tell him what was happening.
Knowing that the Mayor had been at the White House -- presumably waiting there for three days to see the President -- he phoned the White House switchboard (no cell phones in those days!).
After introducing himself as Art Spatz and asking for the Mayor, the next thing he knew was that he was talking with President Eisenhower.
Eisenhower had heard the name “Spatz,” and thought it was Carl Spatz (or Spaatz) calling. Carl was the first chief of staff of the U.S. air forces during WWII, under Eisenhower’s command.
Art proceeded to explain to the President why sending black troops against an armed, angry, white mob at Central High School was a bad idea. It likely would have been a blood bath and many could have been killed.
According to Belle, for the next 24 hours, the skies over Little were filled with military planes and vehicles rumbling around. And the next day, a regiment of white solders were the ones escorting the black students into Central High School.
I am thankful to Art Spatz, and all those involved, that Arkansas didn’t get an even worse reputation during this dark moment in our history. Lives were potentially saved.
And I’m thankful to Belle for being a great storyteller and keeping us entertained for all those years. This story, however, was one of “behind the scenes” foresight and courage and is one worth remembering.
Dan Spatz, first cousin once removed to Belle Spatz
dan.spatz@healthyflavors.net
(615) 972-2843 (cell)