Orval Faubus

Orval Faubus was an American politician who served as the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967. He is most remembered for his role in the Little Rock Crisis of 1957, when he used the Arkansas National Guard to block the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in defiance of a federal court order. His twelve-year tenure, the longest in the state's history at the time, was marked by significant economic modernization alongside his staunch defense of racial segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. Faubus's political career was defined by this pivotal confrontation with the federal government and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Early life and career

Orval Faubus was born in the remote Ozark Mountain community of Combs, Arkansas, to Sam Faubus and the former Addie Joslen. His early education was sporadic, but he eventually attended Harding University and the radical Commonwealth College in Mena. Before entering politics, he worked as a teacher, a rural postal worker, and served with distinction in the United States Army during World War II, rising to the rank of major in the 35th Infantry Division. His political career began with appointments to state positions, including the Arkansas Highway Commission, and he served as the director of highways under Governor Sid McMath.

Governor of Arkansas

Elected in 1954, Faubus initially governed as a relative moderate, increasing spending on public schools, mental health facilities, and the state's infrastructure, including an extensive expansion of the Arkansas highway system. He was re-elected five times, maintaining power through a populist appeal to the state's rural voters. His administration oversaw industrial growth and the establishment of new state agencies, but his political strategy became increasingly intertwined with the politics of segregation following the Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Little Rock Crisis

The defining event of his governorship occurred in September 1957, when he ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African-American students—the Little Rock Nine—from entering Little Rock Central High School. This act of defiance against a federal desegregation order from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas created a constitutional crisis. In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the National Guard and deployed elements of the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students, asserting the supremacy of the United States Constitution. The confrontation was broadcast internationally, making Faubus a symbol of massive resistance and profoundly damaging the image of Arkansas.

Later political career

After leaving the governor's office in 1967, Faubus remained a political figure but never regained high office. He made unsuccessful comeback bids for governor in 1970, 1974, and 1986. In the 1970s, he briefly served as the director of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Quitman, Arkansas. His later campaigns and public statements often sought to reframe his legacy, but he remained inextricably linked to the events at Little Rock Central High School. His political decline coincided with the rise of Republican Winthrop Rockefeller, who succeeded him.

Personal life and death

Faubus was married three times: to Alta Haskins until her death in 1969, to Elizabeth Westmoreland until her death in 1983, and finally to Jan Wittenburg. He had one son, Farrell Faubus. In his later years, he lived in Conway, Arkansas, and wrote his memoirs. Orval Faubus died of prostate cancer on December 14, 1994, in Conway and was buried in the Combs Cemetery near his birthplace. His complex legacy is that of a transformative yet divisive governor whose actions placed Arkansas at the epicenter of a national struggle over civil rights.

Category:1910 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Governors of Arkansas Category:Democratic Party governors of Arkansas Category:People from Madison County, Arkansas Category:American army personnel of World War II