Drake Field was acquired by the city of Fayetteville in 1929 thanks to a professor at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Noah Drake, who donated $3,500 (a stunning $64,283.13 in 2024) to purchase the land.

James Lamar Stone was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1922. He spent most of his childhood and high school years in Hot Springs, Arkansas, before going to the University of Arkansas.