Natural Heritage Commission, and he was a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1976 to 1977. In 1977 Senator John Little McClellan died in office. Pryor appointed Hodges to serve out the remainder of McClellan's term. His time in the Senate was most noted for his stands in favor of the Panama Canal treaties and against tuition tax credits for parents of private school students. Under Arkansas law, an appointed Senator was not allowed to run for a full term. Hodges stepped down at the end of his term in 1979, and was replaced by Governor Pryor, who won the 1978 election for a full term. Later life Hodges returned to Newport after his Senate term. He became involved in several business ventures, including real estate development in Arkansas and adjoining states. He was also active in several civic and charitable causes, including the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Nature Conservation Foundation, Winrock International, and the Arkansas Justice Foundation. The Lindley and Kaneaster Hodges Jr. Reading Room at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville is named for Hodges and his wife. He was the uncle of Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. He died from an aortic aneurysm in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 23, 2022, at the age of 83. References External links Kaneaster Hodges Jr. at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture 1938 births 2022 deaths American prosecutors Democratic Party United States senators from Arkansas People from Newport, Arkansas Princeton University alumni Arkansas Democrats Perkins School of Theology alumni University of Arkansas School of Law alumni