A theatre within the Arcade Building on the main campus of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) in Little Rock, Arkansas will bear the name of Ron Robinson, a Phi Delta Theta alumnus (1962) of the Arkansas Alpha Chapter of the University of Arkansas.

The Ron Robinson Theatre will house Robinson’s expansive collection of sheet music, film posters and other memorabilia that carry an Arkansas theme, a collection more than 50 years in the making.

Robinson, chairman emeritus of Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods of Little Rock and Springdale, Arkansas, served as the agency’s chairman and chief executive officer for many years before retiring.

The Ron Robinson Theater will be a 325-seat multi-purpose event venue designed for all ages and will include films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers and children’s activities.

Robinson’s collection includes a large number of pieces of sheet music of songs about Arkansas or with the state’s name in the song’s title, vintage recordings and other material depicting the state’s music. The collection features Arkansas-related movie posters, as well as many pieces of Arkansas political memorabilia.

Besides serving as the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for many years, Robinson has served on numerous boards and committees including the Friends of Central Arkansas Libraries (FOCAL), Arthritis Foundation, United Way, Junior League of Little Rock, American Red Cross Public Information Committee, Arkansas Arts Center and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Other organizations using the theater space include the Clinton School for Public Service and the Little Rock Film Festival. As with other CALS meeting space, the theater is available for public use, subject to availability.

Through a public-private partnership between CALS, Clinton-Commerce LLC (which includes Moses Tucker Real Estate), and Monroe Cache, retail stores, offices, and a restaurant will fill the Arcade Building, a three-story, 60,000-square foot structure.