Joe Purcell

Infobox Governor
name= Joe Purcell


caption=
order= Acting
office= Governor of Arkansas
term_start= January 3, 1979
term_end= January 9, 1979
lieutenant= N/A
predecessor= David Pryor
successor= Bill Clinton
birth_date= birth date|1923|6|29|mf=y
birth_place= Warren, Arkansas
death_date= March 1987 aged 64
death_place= Benton, Arkansas
spouse=
profession= attorney
party= Democrat
footnotes= Served unexpired term of David Pryor, following Pryor's ascent to the United States Senate

Joe Edward Purcell (July 29 1923 – March 1987) was the Democratic acting governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas for six days in 1979 as well as the state's attorney general from 1967-1971 and its lieutenant governor from 1975-1981.

Purcell was born in Warren, the seat of Bradley County, in southern Arkansas. He graduated from Little Rock Junior College and served in the United States Army during World War II. He graduated from the University of Arkansas law school in 1952 and practiced law in Benton, Arkansas.

From 1955-1959 he served as a city attorney in Benton. He was municipal judge from 1959 until 1966, when he was elected attorney general. He defeated the Republican Jerry Thomasson in 1966 and again in 1968. As attorney general, Purcell instituted a number of reforms and innovations, including a pro-active consumer protection office which sided with ratepayers and borrowers against public utilities and banks and which strictly enforced election laws to ensure honest balloting.

Purcell developed a reputation for integrity which led many to encourage him to run for governor in 1970. In that race, he placed third, behind former Governor Orval Eugene Faubus and Dale Leon Bumpers, a 45-year old Charleston lawyer whose boiling, telegenic appeal edged out Purcell's laconic, almost wooden speaking style. Bumpers went on to defeat Faubus in the runoff and then Republican Governor Winthrop Rockefeller in the general election. Purcell ran again in 1982 and secured a runoff berth, but he lost to former Governor Bill Clinton, who went on to topple incumbent Republican Governor Frank D. White in November, avenging a 1980 defeat by the latter.

Purcell was elected lieutenant governor in 1974. He handily defeated the Rockefeller Republican Leona Troxell of Rose Bud in White County. He was reelected to the post in 1976 and 1978. He served as Acting Governor for six days in 1979, having filled the unexpired term of then senator-elect David Hampton Pryor of Camden.

Purcell resided in Benton until his death at the age of sixty-three.

Purcell married the former Helen Hale. Purcell and Helen had two daughters: Lynelle and Ede.

Purcell has three grandchildren: Brian Hogue, David Hogue, and Erin Hogue.