usm_coh_ohsimmonsw ohsimmonsw coh usm yes Oral history with Mr. William J. Simmons Simmons, William J., 1916- Citizens' Councils of America White Citizens councils Civil rights--Mississippi--Jackson Civil rights--Mississippi--Hinds County Race relations--Mississippi--Jackson Race relations--Mississippi--Hinds County Segregation in education--Mississippi--Jackson Segregation in education--Mississippi--Hinds County Veterans--Mississippi--Jackson Veterans--Mississippi--Hinds County Newspaper editors--Mississippi--Jackson Newspaper editors--Mississippi--Hinds County Simmons, William J., 1916- Oral history interview conducted on June 26, 1979 with Mr. William J. Simmons at his office in Jackson, Mississippi. Simmons was born in 1916 in Utica, Mississippi. He attended Millsaps College and Mississippi College, graduating from the latter in 1937. After serving in World War II, Simmons returned to Jackson, Mississippi and became active in organizing the Jackson Citizens' Council. He devoted his full-time service to the Citizens' Council movement. Simmons functioned as editor and publisher of The Citizen, Administrator of Citizens' Councils of America, and President of Citizens' Council Forum. As a Citizens' Council representative, he appeared on local and network television and spoke before audiences throughout the United States. Simmons published "Race in America: The Conservative Stand" in <i>The Search For America<i>. Electronic version made available through a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. 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) 2002-03-13 Transcripts Oral histories http://digilib.usm.edu/u?/coh,6382 (Extent) Digital reproduction of 101-page document. Mississippi Oral History Program of the University of Southern Mississippi, vol. 372, 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. 1979-06-26 Mississippi Jackson (Miss.) Hinds 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