Oct. 16 - Murphy's birthday; Attempted bombing of Old Main

1799 — Isaac Murphy was born on this day. Murphy, who moved to Fayetteville in 1834, was Washington County's first treasurer, a founder of the Far West Seminary, and later a state representative from Washington County to the Arkansas General Assembly. When the state held a secession convention, Murphy, by then a resident of Madison County, was the only person in the final tally to vote against secession. Once the Union regained control of Arkansas during the Civil War, Murphy was elected governor by 12,000 voters, garnering all but about 25 of the votes.
1971 — A former University of Arkansas student tried to fire-bomb Old Main on this day. Police and FBI agents arrested Mark Vanciel on charges of attempted arson after he tried to throw a Molotov cocktail onto the front door of Old Main.