RUSSELLVILLE — Bert Marshall Mullens,
aged 94, peacefully departed this life on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, in the comfort of his home. A dedicated leader who played a pivotal role in the community of Russellville and his beloved Alma Mater, Arkansas Tech University, he was respected in the fields of banking, student lending, and industrial development.
Born December 3, 1928, in Russellville to the late Bert Columbus and Helen Smith Mullens, he was a devoted husband and father, fearless leader, and a loyal friend.
He is survived by a brother, Dr. Patrick (Jean) Mullens of Tulsa, Okla.; sister, Carol (Harold) Hutton of Norman, Okla.; nephew, Patrick Hutton of Tulsa; and niece, Jenifer Arndt of Ashville, N.C.
He was preceded by his parents; his wife of 70 years, Laura Annette Henry Mullens; and beloved daughter, Sharon Mullens.
His caregivers became his extended family over the past several years and we express our deepest gratitude to each one, Tammy Smith, Kori Lemmons, Tabbatha Johnson, Jennie Sue Hardin, Kristi Shaffer, Janie Sims, and Freddie Harris.
Bert was a 1947 graduate of Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Okla., where a life-long passion for football began. He attended Arkansas Polytechnic College, now ATU, between 1947 and 1951, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance. During his time at Tech, Bert played with the Wonder Boys football team under head coach John Tucker, whose 1947 final season ended 8-1 in Conference play. Bert went on to play under successive Tech head coaches, Raymond Burnett, and Fred Croom. He served with 217th Maintenance Battalion of the Arkansas National Guard from 1963 until 1988, retiring at the rank of Captain.
He and Laura Annette Henry were married on December 17, 1950, at the First Christian Church in Russellville. Bert’s career in banking began in 1951 at People’s Exchange Bank, where he was mentored by Donald Barger. His initial position as bookkeeper soon advanced to Executive Vice President.
While working at the bank he also studied at the Louisiana State University’s School of Banking, graduating in 1954.
During his 16-year career at People’s Bank, Russellville’s growth accelerated dramatically, first with the construction of the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System of the Arkansas River, which created the Dardanelle Lock and Dam system. The creation of Lake Dardanelle laid the foundations for nuclear power generation by Arkansas Power & Light. With fierce competition between communities in the state for location of the new nuclear plants, Bert worked tirelessly to ensure Russellville would be selected. Arkansas Nuclear One was brought online on August 17, 1974, and Unit Two on December 26, 1978.
Speaking of his career, Bert would reflect many years later “the McClellan-Kerr navigation system, Lake Dardanelle, are what put Russellville on the map, and resulted in the building of those two nuclear plants. I believe many of the seeds of those events can be traced squarely to the influence of the visionaries who graduated from Arkansas Tech with their commitment to making Russellville the best place in Arkansas to live and raise a family.”
Industrial development became a focal point for Bert, initially through the Russellville Chamber of Commerce’s Industrial Contact Team which worked to locate and forge strong relationships with new companies including Morton Frozen Foods, now Con-Agra, Firestone, DOW Chemical, International Paper, Minneapolis Moline, Tyson Foods, and many others. He served on the Industrial Contact Team and then REDPI, now the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development-Russellville.
In 1967, Bert and Annette moved to Searcy, where he joined First Security Bank as President. His work in industrial development continued in Searcy and his leadership in banking at the state level expanded to include a term as Secretary-Treasurer of the Arkansas Bankers Association, and President for 20 years of the Arkansas Student Loan Guaranty Foundation. Bert took great pride in the hundreds of millions in loans made to Arkansas’ future leaders and he worked tirelessly to ensure their pathway to success by providing low-interest loans for college.
In 1982, Bert returned to Russellville, joining a partnership in Purchasing First National Bank of Russellville from the Robert Neale Family, and serving as Board Chairman. His involvement and leadership in community organizations was extensive and included charter member and Past President of the Russellville Kiwanis Club, Friendship Services Board, Russellville Country Club Board.
Bert continued working in the area of industrial development through REDPI and was active with the Russellville Chamber of commerce, serving as President in 198485. He also became very active in Legislative affairs on the state and national level, and started the Chamber’s Leadership Russellville Program. In his role as President of Russellville Industries, he was instrumental in saving the Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad.
The bank was acquired by First Commercial Corp in Little Rock in 1993, with Bert serving as Board Chairman in Russellville and on the executive board of First Commercial in Little Rock. First Commercial was acquired by Regions Bank in 1998. Bert officially retired from his 43-year banking career in 1994, but he has remained active in many efforts to make Russellville a great place to live and raise a family. He was a long-time member of First United Methodist Church in Russellville.
A celebration of Bert’s life will be held at Humphrey Funeral Chapel in Russellville Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 2 p.m. with Rev. Lauren DeLano officiating. A time of visitation will also be at the chapel from 1-2 p.m. Following the service, Bert will be laid to rest at Rest Haven Memorial Park in Russellville.
Memorials may be made to Manna House, 304 S. Commerce Ave, Russellville, Ark. 72801, www.russellvillefirst.org/mannahouse, or to ATU Foundation, Bert & Annette Mullens Scholarship, 1509 North Boulder Ave., Russellville, Ark. 72801, www.atualumni.com.
To extend your condolences and celebrate Bert’s life, we invite you to visit to visit Bert’s online memorial page and guest book at www. humphreyfuneral.com/obituaries/bert-mullens.