- Collection:
- Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century Information: Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Title:
- Telegram from Mayor of Little Rock, Woodrow Mann, to President Eisenhower
- Creator:
- Mann, Woodrow Wilson, 1916-2002
- Publisher:
- Collection: Dwight D. Eisenhower's Records as President (White House Central Files), Series: Official File, Box Number: 732, Folder Title: OF 142-A-5-A.
- Date of Original:
- 1957-09-23
- Subject:
- Federal-state controversies--Arkansas
School integration--Arkansas--Little Rock
African American students--Arkansas--Little Rock
High school students--Arkansas--Little Rock
Segregation in education--Arkansas--Little Rock
Race riots--Arkansas--Little Rock
Violence--Arkansas--Little Rock
Governors--Arkansas
Race relations
Little Rock (Ark.)--Race relations--History--20th century
Central High School (Little Rock, Ark.)
Soldiers--United States
Presidents--United States
Mayors--Arkansas--Little Rock
Intervention (Federal government)--Arkansas--Little Rock - People:
- Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
Mann, Woodrow Wilson, 1916-2002 - Location:
- United States, Arkansas, Pulaski County, Little Rock, 34.74648, -92.28959
United States, Rhode Island, Newport County, Newport, 41.4901, -71.31283 - Medium:
- telegrams
- Type:
- Text
- Description:
- Telegram sent by Little Rock, Arkansas mayor Woodrow W. Mann to President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 23, 1957. In the three-page telegram, Mann updates Eisenhower on the situation in Little Rock, explaining that while local law enforcement had tried to control the mob at Central High School, they eventually had to remove the African American students for their own safety. Mann accuses Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus of being aware of the mob's plans. He pledges the support of local police "if the Justice Department desires to enforce" court-ordered integration. The Little Rock school district voted to integrate its schools in 1957. Governor Faubus, opposed to integration, sent members of the Arkansas National Guard to prevent African American students--the "Little Rock Nine"--from entering Little Rock Central High School on September 4. Federal courts ordered Governor Faubus to remove the troops and permit the nine students to enter the school on September 23, 1957. However, because of the rioting that continued outside, the students were removed from the school after three hours. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered troops from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to restore order and to protect the students. After a single year of integration, Governor Faubus closed the Little Rock public high schools to avoid further integration. The United States Supreme Court declared Faubus' action illegal and the public schools reopened August 1959.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the aggregation and enhancement of partner metadata. - Metadata URL:
- http://presidentialtimeline.org/html/record.php?id=124
- Rights Holder:
- Rights Status: Restricted - Possibly
Rights Object: Woodrow W. Mann - Contributing Institution:
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
- Rights:
-
