COLUMBIA, Miss. — The late Mormon cowboy artist Earl W. Bascom was honored by the Marion County Cattlemen's rodeo committee during its annual two-day rodeo Jan. 13-14 in Columbia, Miss. Brother Bascom, who was known internationally for designing early day rodeo equipment, was recognized for his design and supervision of the construction of the first permanent rodeo arena and grandstands in the state of Mississippi. The original 1936 arena has since been replaced with a modern indoor arena.
Included in this year's rodeo was an exhibit of Brother Bascom's cowboy art. A BYU student, he cowboyed and rodeoed in Mississippi during summer breaks during the mid-1930s. He is an honored inductee of the Marion County Cattlemen's Hall of Fame. Born in Vernal, Utah, he died in 1995 at age 89.
