James R. Rodgers Sr., who became the first African American airport executive director when appointed to the role in Little Rock, was honored recently by the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission.
Rodgers was a trailblazing figure in American aviation and a prominent community leader who was appointed director of what was then the Little Rock Regional Airport in 1980. He oversaw more than $70 million in expansion projects, terminal upgrades and new construction projects, including the development of a parallel runway that doubled passenger boarding.
He also played a key role in bringing Southwest Airlines to Little Rock and was an early supporter of expanding Dassault Falcon Jet…