The Elected Leaders (1 of 2) | Choosing To Participage Online Module

"Arkansas is now an occupied territory."
--Orval Faubus, September 26, 1957

THE STAND TAKEN BY ORVAL FAUBUS

"The governor has called out the National Guard to put down trouble where none existed. He did so without a request from those of us who are directly responsible for preservation of peace and order. The only effect of his action is to create tension where none existed. I call the Governor's attention to the fact that after almost a week of sensational developments brought about by his own actions, the Little Rock police have not had a single case of interracial violence reported to them."

--Little Rock Mayor Woodrow W. Mann, September 3, 1957

On Friday, September 20, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald N. Davies ordered the state of Arkansas to stop interfering with integration. Faubus promptly withdrew the Arkansas National Guard. The following Monday, over 1,000 angry white men and women from Little Rock, other parts of Arkansas, and surrounding states gathered outside Central High. The Little Rock police could not contain them. When the crowd heard the black students had entered the school, they beat up reporters, smashed windows, and threatened the "Little Rock Nine"

On September 24, 1957, President Eisenhower sent 1,200 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock. He told the American people:

"I have today issued an executive order directing the use of troops under federal authority to aid in the execution of federal law at Little Rock... Our personal opinions about the [Brown] decision have no bearing on the matter of enforcement... Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts."

Polls taken in 1957 indicated that Orval Faubus was one of the 10 most admired men in the United States. In 1958, he was elected to a third term as governor. He would go on to serve an unprecedented three more terms.