A History of Convening

October 24, 2025November 11, 2025 General

by Austin DuVall, Marketing & Communications Manager

“Winrock has become something else besides a farm. It has become a center for people to bring all manner of problems. Their themes vary, but their purpose is usually the same: to improve mankind’s quality of living. They say we entrap them in a web of hospitality starting at the front door. I hope you can appreciate the paradox of private property being put to such public use. I know I can and do.”

Winthrop Rockefeller in To Do Justly (1970)

If you’ve attended a program, conference, or retreat at the Institute, you’ve often heard it said that “convening is in our DNA.” We know that during his 20 years in Arkansas, Winthrop hosted more than 200 formal and informal discussions with leaders across various sectors to hammer out solutions to a wide range of issues. We know this because books written about his life and the people who knew him said so.

But what were they doing? Who attended? What was their goal? Why did they need to meet here, specifically? We didn’t have answers to those questions, which is why Brittany Reese, Kimberly Bolin, and I recently took a day to look through Winthrop’s archives at the Center for Arkansas History & Culture.

Just a few weeks prior, I had come across the quote above in a video produced by Winthrop in 1970. In it, he recounts his move to Arkansas, the development of Winrock Farms, and its contributions to the state’s progress. Hearing those lines, in his voice, was the most succinct confirmation of how we think of our work today: that we carry forward a legacy of convening. That’s what was running through my head as the three of us sat down with our first round of boxes.

Examples of what we found:

In total, we found 11 complete examples of a meeting either hosted or organized by Winthrop and Jeannette Rockefeller on this campus. By complete, I mean we could see the list of invitees, agendas, lodging room assignments, and discussion questions. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And as a bookend to each convening, almost all included a collection of thank-you notes.

“It is difficult to tell you what a wonderful opportunity it was to visit again with you at Winrock Farms. Many thanks for your gracious hospitality, which impressed us both tremendously.”

“I thoroughly agree with you that the best way to tell guests goodbye is to give them a good breakfast.”

“You continue to be the perfect host, and once again we felt completely at home. I hope that something good comes out of our discussion.”

“Everyone isn’t lucky enough to have Winrock as a partner when putting on a conference.”

“I think what you both have done in such a short time to better the spirit of an entire state is nothing less than a miracle. I am so glad I had an opportunity to observe it.”

I hope that by reading this, you feel as I do: that what we’re doing today — welcoming people to this place, making space for them, offering not just rooms but room to think — isn’t new. It’s a continuation of what started more than 70 years ago. Chalkboards and typewritten agendas may be things of the past, but the intention remains the same. We’re creating a setting where people feel heard, supported, and inspired to do meaningful work.

Every detail, from the way we greet our guests to the way we facilitate dialogue, is an extension of the same hospitality that once welcomed scientists, business leaders, politicians, advocates, and celebrities to the top of Petit Jean Mountain (and still does).

We don’t just host meetings. We’re not just another conference center. We are convening people focused on bringing the best solutions forward for my neighbors and yours. We’re helping shape outcomes that will improve the lives of Arkansans now and in the future — just as Winthrop and Jeannette did.

It is a legacy worth continuing.