Inspiring Professor, Master Storyteller
"It's always a highlight of this job to recommend anything from the gifted filmmaker and state treasure Larry Foley--anything from The Lost Squadron and The Buffalo Flows to The First Boys of Spring."
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
"Here's the story," Larry Foley is known to say, before launching into a descriptive tale that has the added benefit of being true. He's a career journalist, and decorated documentary filmmaker...a beloved teacher and trusted mentor as professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas. In 2024, he was honoured as Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Press Association.
Foley has also been inducted into the Mid America Emmy Silver Circle for a distinguished career invested in teaching, reporting, writing, producing and directing stories, mostly about his beloved home state of Arkansas.
https://news.uark.edu/articles/38951/foley-to-be-honored-with-silver-circle-award-for-broadcasting-career?utm_source=Newswire&utm_medium=email2017-06-13&utm_campaign=foley-to-be-honored-with-silver-circle-award-for-broadcasting-career&fbclid=IwAR0XSnSAavNnpwC7ONUW1rYE5xo0RLuC1G_SG4icofn3rv-9h8CuIES5msM
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
"Here's the story," Larry Foley is known to say, before launching into a descriptive tale that has the added benefit of being true. He's a career journalist, and decorated documentary filmmaker...a beloved teacher and trusted mentor as professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas. In 2024, he was honoured as Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Press Association.
Foley has also been inducted into the Mid America Emmy Silver Circle for a distinguished career invested in teaching, reporting, writing, producing and directing stories, mostly about his beloved home state of Arkansas.
https://news.uark.edu/articles/38951/foley-to-be-honored-with-silver-circle-award-for-broadcasting-career?utm_source=Newswire&utm_medium=email2017-06-13&utm_campaign=foley-to-be-honored-with-silver-circle-award-for-broadcasting-career&fbclid=IwAR0XSnSAavNnpwC7ONUW1rYE5xo0RLuC1G_SG4icofn3rv-9h8CuIES5msM
Foley’s films have earned eight Mid America Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and 25 Emmy nominations in writing, directing, journalistic enterprise, historical & cultural documentary, special program and community service. His films have also received four Best of Festival of Media Arts awards from the international Broadcast Education Association.
"One of the Best documentarians this state has ever known."
Rex Nelson, Arkansas Demorat Gazette
Foley’s documentary credits include Cries from the Cotton Field, Indians, Outlaws, Marshals and the Hangin' Judge, Bass Reeves, the Invincible Black Marshal, If This Walk Could Talk, Making Straight the Way, Make Room for Pie, The Favored Strawberry, The First Boys of Spring (MLB Network/Fox Sports Networks), After the Tsunami, The Art of Crystal Bridges, Up Among the Hills, Growing Hope, Bridge to War Eagle, Sacred Spaces-The Architecture of Fay Jones, The Greatest Coach Ever, Beacon of Hope-The Story of the University of Arkansas, Charles Banks Wilson-Portrait of an American Artist, The Forgotten Expedition, It Started Here: Early Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase, 22 Straight, Arkansas’ Natural Heritage, Out of the Woods, The Keetoowahs Come Home, The Black Swamp, The Governor from Greasy Creek, Arkansas-A Special Place, Hell on the Border, and Natural, Wild & Free.
His films are streamed on venues that include Tubi, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Local Now, Plex, Docubay, Vizio, Roku and StreamGo. His national PBS credits include The Buffalo Flows, Saving the Eagles, The Lost Squadron and When Lightning Struck: Saga of an American Warplane. Foley’s scripts have been narrated by: President Bill Clinton, Academy Award winners Billy Bob Thornton, Mary Steenburgen and Ray McKinnon, country music Star Joe Nichols and NFL Hall of Fame broadcaster Charlie Jones.
Foley joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas in 1993. He is founder of the campus television station UATV, and has been inducted into the Lemke Alumni Society Hall of Honor and the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor. As Chair (2014-23), Foley lobbied successfully to change the name of his academic unit from Lemke Department of Journalism to School of Journalism and Strategic Media. He secured millions of dollars in support to build new teaching and lab facilities, steered the school through two successful national accreditation reviews, and led his program to record enrolment. He is winner of the University of Arkansas faculty research award, Fulbright College Master Researcher award, the Individual Artist Governor’s Award from Arkansas Arts Council, and the Henry Award from Arkansas Parks and Tourism.
https://youtu.be/MLR00oqj6F4
Foley began his television career in 1977 at KATV Channel 7, covering Southeast Arkansas as Pine Bluff Bureau chief, and host of Good Morning Arkansas. He spent 7 ½ years at KATV, working as a reporter, news assignment editor, morning news anchor and host, and sports producer. Foley joined Arkansas PBS in 1984 as senior producer, writing, directing and producing films about natural and cultural history. In nine years he worked his way up the ladder, becoming Director of Production, Director of Programming and Production, and finally Deputy Director, the network’s number two position.
He and his wife Susan are empty nesters. They live in Fayetteville, Arkansas with their three dogs and two cats.
"One of the Best documentarians this state has ever known."
Rex Nelson, Arkansas Demorat Gazette
Foley’s documentary credits include Cries from the Cotton Field, Indians, Outlaws, Marshals and the Hangin' Judge, Bass Reeves, the Invincible Black Marshal, If This Walk Could Talk, Making Straight the Way, Make Room for Pie, The Favored Strawberry, The First Boys of Spring (MLB Network/Fox Sports Networks), After the Tsunami, The Art of Crystal Bridges, Up Among the Hills, Growing Hope, Bridge to War Eagle, Sacred Spaces-The Architecture of Fay Jones, The Greatest Coach Ever, Beacon of Hope-The Story of the University of Arkansas, Charles Banks Wilson-Portrait of an American Artist, The Forgotten Expedition, It Started Here: Early Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase, 22 Straight, Arkansas’ Natural Heritage, Out of the Woods, The Keetoowahs Come Home, The Black Swamp, The Governor from Greasy Creek, Arkansas-A Special Place, Hell on the Border, and Natural, Wild & Free.
His films are streamed on venues that include Tubi, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Local Now, Plex, Docubay, Vizio, Roku and StreamGo. His national PBS credits include The Buffalo Flows, Saving the Eagles, The Lost Squadron and When Lightning Struck: Saga of an American Warplane. Foley’s scripts have been narrated by: President Bill Clinton, Academy Award winners Billy Bob Thornton, Mary Steenburgen and Ray McKinnon, country music Star Joe Nichols and NFL Hall of Fame broadcaster Charlie Jones.
Foley joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas in 1993. He is founder of the campus television station UATV, and has been inducted into the Lemke Alumni Society Hall of Honor and the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor. As Chair (2014-23), Foley lobbied successfully to change the name of his academic unit from Lemke Department of Journalism to School of Journalism and Strategic Media. He secured millions of dollars in support to build new teaching and lab facilities, steered the school through two successful national accreditation reviews, and led his program to record enrolment. He is winner of the University of Arkansas faculty research award, Fulbright College Master Researcher award, the Individual Artist Governor’s Award from Arkansas Arts Council, and the Henry Award from Arkansas Parks and Tourism.
https://youtu.be/MLR00oqj6F4
Foley began his television career in 1977 at KATV Channel 7, covering Southeast Arkansas as Pine Bluff Bureau chief, and host of Good Morning Arkansas. He spent 7 ½ years at KATV, working as a reporter, news assignment editor, morning news anchor and host, and sports producer. Foley joined Arkansas PBS in 1984 as senior producer, writing, directing and producing films about natural and cultural history. In nine years he worked his way up the ladder, becoming Director of Production, Director of Programming and Production, and finally Deputy Director, the network’s number two position.
He and his wife Susan are empty nesters. They live in Fayetteville, Arkansas with their three dogs and two cats.
