Robert A. Young, Jr. (1908-1973) was born at Greenwood (Sebastian County), Arkansas. He attended Greenwood public schools and Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri before attending Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where he graduated in 1930. Young then attended the University of Arkansas Law School where he graduated in 1933.

Immediately upon graduating, Young formed the law partnership of Miles, Armstrong, and Young. In 1940, he secured a permit for the operation of the Chaffee Transit Company between Ft. Smith and Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas. Eleven years later, in 1951, Young purchased Arkansas Motor Freight Lines, Inc. In 1957, he added to this the Best Motor Lines, of Dallas, Texas, combining the two companies under the name Arkansas-Best Freight Systems, Inc.

Robert A. Young, Jr. was also a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, the Transport Insurance Company Board of Directors, and the City National Bank of Fort Smith Board of Directors. Young's wife was the former Vivian Curtis, another native of Greenwood, Arkansas. Young had three children--Mrs. Janelle Hembree, Mrs. Marilyn Speed, and Robert A. Young, III.