Biographical Sketch of Jessie B. Carr Bryant
January 28, 1926
Jessie B. Carr Bryant was born in Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas on January 28, 1926. In the 1930 U. S. Census 4 year old Jessie was living in Fayetteville with her grandparents Lee B. and Ballie J. Joiner. In the 1940 U. S. Census 13 year old Jessie remained in her grandparents household. “African Americans weren’t allowed to enroll in Washington or Benton County high school until integration in 1954. Instead those who wanted a secondary school education had to travel to the nearest all-black high school, Lincoln High in Ft. Smith. Others traveled farther. At the age of 13 Bryant packed up to school a year in Atlanta, Texas. She then returned to Arkansas and attended James C. Corbin High School, the prep school attached to what is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.”
An article from the April 11, 1962 Northwest Arkansas Times reads: “Church Women Plan May Fellowship Day. Eight churches were represented at the Board meeting of United Church Women of Fayetteville, Friday at St. James Methodist Church. Mrs. Jessie Bryant opened the meeting with a devotional, entitled “One Family Under God.”1 “In 1975 Jessie organized a community choir which gave concerts. The choir was sponsored by by the Fayetteville Community Club.”2
“In 1986, Jessie Bryant recognized a pressing need for accessible, no-cost medical care for uninsured residents in Northwest Arkansas. She founded the Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center in a small church basement, offering critical care to those in need. As word spread, the clinic quickly outgrew its original space. Patients traveled from Washington, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, and Sebastian counties as well as neighboring states like Oklahoma and Missouri to access the clinic’s services. Originally run entirely by volunteers, the clinic operated one day a week, providing essential medical care to underserved communities. Over the years, the clinic evolved to meet the growing demand. In 2013, the clinic moved to its current location on Woolsey Avenue in Fayetteville.
Today Welcome Health operates five days and one evening a week. What began as a volunteer-only operation has grown into a robust healthcare facility with dedicated staff and expanded services, remaining steadfast in its mission to deliver high-quality, no-cost healthcare to those who need it most.”3
As part of a care giving trip to Africa, Jessie’s roommate was Dr. Betty Battenfield. Jessie was urged to run for Quorum Court and to become the first African-American woman to hold that position in Washington County. She won, and served 17 years as justice of the peace. In 2007 she was honored by the Washington County Historical Society as a Distinguished Citizen for her outstanding service to the community.
To quote Mrs. Bryant: “You know that old saying ‘stay in your place?’ I never knew where my place was.”
1 onlyinark.com/culture/forgotten-fayetteville/
2 Northwest Arkansas Times (Fayetteville, Arkansas), April 11, 1962
3 History of Washington County Arkansas, Shiloh Museum Springdale, Arkansas 1989
4 www.welcomehealthnwa.org/our-history
John T. Mitchell, BBA June 21, 2025