usm_coh_mus-ohblass mus-ohblass coh usm yes Oral history with Mr. William Joel Blass Blass, William Joel, 1917- Civil rights--Mississippi Lawyers--Mississippi--Interviews Politicians--Mississippi Mississippi--Race relations--Political aspects Racism--Political aspects African Americans--Civil rights Mississippi--Politics and government University of Mississippi White Citizens council Blass, William Joel, 1917- Holleman, Jesse Boyce, 1924- Meredith, James, 1933- Barnett, Ross R. (Ross Robert), 1898-1987 Oral history. Interview conducted on March 26, 1977 with William Joel Blass (born 1917). As a lawyer in 1952, he successfully prosecuted the Boyce Holleman case by proving that voter fraud had kept Holleman from winning. Beginning in 1953, he served two terms in Stone County's legislative seat, retiring from that position in 1960. While in office, most considered him an extreme liberal on racial issues. He favored putting truth to the policy of "separate but equal." Because he opposed the "red meat" bills proposed by the legislature's segregationists, he endured vigorous, hostile attacks on his reputation by both private citizens and state legislators. Electronic version made available through a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to the University of Southern Mississippi. Hattiesburg, Miss.: University of Southern Mississippi Libraries Caudill, Orley B. Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage University of Southern Mississippi. Libraries Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive Collection (University of Southern Mississippi) Mississippi Oral History Program Collection (Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive) 2000-05-15 Transcripts Oral histories http://digilib.usm.edu/u?/coh,8309 Digital reproduction of 88-page document. Mississippi Oral History Program of the University of Southern Mississippi, vol. 639, McCain Library, University of Southern Mississippi. Forms part of the Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive. Forms part of the Mississippi Oral History Program Collection in the Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive. Forms part of University of Southern Mississippi Digital Collections. Forms part of the Mississippi Digital Library. 1977-03-26 Mississippi Biloxi (Miss.) Harrison County (Miss.) Copyright protected. Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required. 20090817 151132