Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - Foreword to Arizona’s Hal Empie...His Life, His Times and His Art

	FOREWORD BY JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR for the book “Arizona’s Hal Empie...His Life, His Times and His Art”
	The strength of America comes from the ability of its people with talent to succeed in life regardless of background, economic circumstances, or geographic location. Some of America’s greatest political leaders, business tycoons, and artists have come from humble backgrounds and small towns across the land. One such person is Hal Empie, Arizona’s most senior resident artist. Hal has painted the scenes of eastern and southern Arizona for a lifetime. He was born in Safford, Arizona in 1909, and moved to Duncan Arizona in 1934, where he established the ‘Art Gallery Drug’. My family first came to the area near Duncan in 1880 and established a cattle ranch. My father took over management of the ranch in the early 1920's. Duncan was the nearest town and my parents, Harry and Ada Mae Day, became friends and customers of Hal and Louise Empie from the time the Empies moved to Duncan. My mother and Hal both attended the University of Arizona in the 1920s. They enjoyed sharing their happy memories of those days. There has never been another drugstore quite like the Art Gallery Drug. It was in a wood frame building on the main street of Duncan, which was part of the East-West Highway between El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona. The population of Duncan was only around 500 people, although additional people lived on nearby farms and ranches along the Gila River Valley. The drugstore was the only one for many miles in all directions. It provided all the prescription and non-prescription drugs and health items for residents of that part of Arizona and New Mexico. The drugstore also had a soda fountain. Among my fondest memories of “going to town” from the ranch were the inevitable stops at the Art Gallery Drug to see Hal, and often Louise, to feel their warmth and hospitality, to have a root beer float seated at the soda fountain, and to look at the many Empie paintings displayed on the walls of the drugstore. The colours glowed. The scenes of local areas were dramatically depicted. We always knew we were in a special place. On the way out, if we had a little money left, we would buy one of Hal Empie’s amusing Empie Kartoon Kards. Hal and Louise enjoyed exploring the countryside for miles around Duncan. They would look for arrowheads and pottery shards in areas frequented by Indians in centuries past. They would picnic and Hal would sketch ideas for new paintings. My mother loved going along on some of these outings, which she counted among her happiest days. The Empies also enjoyed playing bridge. Over the years the Days and Empies scheduled a number of card playing evenings either at the Lazy B Ranch or at the Empie home in Duncan. Over time Hal studied art and improved his technical skills. He also succeeded in creating a good market for both his paintings and His Kartoon Kards. All the while, the drugstore produced a steady stream of income. The story of Hal Empie’s life is a pleasure to read. It tells in a lively fashion how a youngster growing up in a rural area in Arizona during times of economic stress developed his intellectual and artistic talents and over time contributed to the public appreciation of this arid, difficult part of the Southwest. It is a story worth telling and worth reading. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Washington D.C. Prior to opening the Art Gallery Drug, the Empies owned the Duncan Drug Store. TELEPHONE ORDERS TOLL FREE 1-888-758-9595*
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The strength of America comes from the ability of its people with talent to succeed in life regardless of background, economic circumstances, or geographic location. Some of America’s greatest political leaders, business tycoons, and artists have come from humble backgrounds and small towns across the land. One such person is Hal Empie, Arizona’s most senior resident artist.

Hal has painted the scenes of eastern and southern Arizona for a lifetime. He was born in Safford, Arizona in 1909, and moved to Duncan Arizona in 1934, where he established the ‘Art Gallery Drug’. My family first came to the area near Duncan in 1880 and established a cattle ranch. My father took over management of the ranch in the early 1920's. Duncan was the nearest town and my parents, Harry and Ada Mae Day, became friends and customers of Hal and Louise Empie from the time the Empies moved to Duncan. My mother and Hal both attended the University of Arizona in the 1920s. They enjoyed sharing their happy memories of those days.

There has never been another drugstore quite like the Art Gallery Drug. It was in a wood frame building on the main street of Duncan, which was part of the East-West Highway between El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona. The population of Duncan was only around 500 people, although additional people lived on nearby farms and ranches along the Gila River Valley. The drugstore was the only one for many miles in all directions. It provided all the prescription and non-prescription drugs and health items for residents of that part of Arizona and New Mexico. The drugstore also had a soda fountain. Among my fondest memories of “going to town” from the ranch were the inevitable stops at the Art Gallery Drug to see Hal, and often Louise, to feel their warmth and hospitality, to have a root beer float seated at the soda fountain, and to look at the many Empie paintings displayed on the walls of the drugstore. The colours glowed. The scenes of local areas were dramatically depicted. We always knew we were in a special place. On the way out, if we had a little money left, we would buy one of Hal Empie’s amusing Empie Kartoon Kards.

Hal and Louise enjoyed exploring the countryside for miles around Duncan. They would look for arrowheads and pottery shards in areas frequented by Indians in centuries past. They would picnic and Hal would sketch ideas for new paintings. My mother loved going along on some of these outings, which she counted among her happiest days. The Empies also enjoyed playing bridge. Over the years the Days and Empies scheduled a number of card playing evenings either at the Lazy B Ranch or at the Empie home in Duncan.

Over time Hal studied art and improved his technical skills. He also succeeded in creating a good market for both his paintings and His Kartoon Kards. All the while, the drugstore produced a steady stream of income.

The story of Hal Empie’s life is a pleasure to read. It tells in a lively fashion how a youngster growing up in a rural area in Arizona during times of economic stress developed his intellectual and artistic talents and over time contributed to the public appreciation of this arid, difficult part of the Southwest. It is a story worth telling and worth reading.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Washington D.C.

*Prior to opening the Art Gallery Drug, the Empies owned the Duncan Drug Store.

TELEPHONE ORDERS TOLL FREE 1-888-758-9595

FOREWORD BY JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR for the book “Arizona’s Hal Empie...His Life, His Times and His Art”

FOREWORD BY JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR
for the book “Arizona’s Hal Empie...His Life, His Times and His Art”