Arkansas Gazette Company v. Pickens

Carleton Harris, Chief Justice.

The sole question presented on this appeal is whether committees of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas are required by the Freedom of Information Act to permit newspaper reporters to be present at meetings. Stated differently, are committees of a board which is itself subject to the provisions of that act exempt from such provisions because they are only subgroups?

The Board of Trustees of the University is composed of ten members, one of whom serves as chairman, and on November 2, 1973, prior to a meeting of the entire board, five trustees,…