Opening the Doors: The Desegregation of the University of Alabama and the Fight for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa

7. The Law of the Land: June 5–11, 1963

chapter 7 The Law of the Land June 5–11, 1963 I don’t think we’re going to have any trouble whatsoever. On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 5, 1963, J. Hal McCall—president of the Tuscaloosa Historical Society—along with probate judge David M. Coch­rane,PastorJ.H.Chitwood,andotherlocaldignitaries,placedpictures, employment lists, and a variety of other memorabilia into a copper box to be in­ serted into the cornerstone of the newly constructed Tuscaloosa County Courthouse. The city hoped the time capsule would preserve a piece of its history for future generations, though the city’s history that would remain mostpreservedhadyettooccur—lingeringlikeastormcloudlessthanaweek away. The day after the time capsule was sealed into place, federal officials met with administrative vice president Jefferson Bennett and district judge SeybournH .Lynne.JusticeDepartmentlawyerJohnDoarandDeputyAttorney General Nicholas Katzenbach were also present—both of whom had witnessed the horrors of Ole Miss firsthand, and who hoped to put their hard-­ earned knowledge to use in Alabama’s desegregation efforts. Alsopresentwerethestudentsthemselves,VivianMaloneandJamesHood, The Law of the Land 63 who planned to register at the University of Alabama’s main campus in Tuscaloosa six days later, as well as African Ameri­can David M. McGlathery, who would register at the Huntsville branch soon after. Bennett, who had endured the Lucy incident years prior, remained convincedthatoneoftheprimaryfailuresof1956wasLucy ’slimitedinteractions with university administrators prior to her enrollment. “In spite of all our efforts to protect her, the only personal conversation she had with any mem­ber of our staff was with [dean of women] Sarah Healy, certainly not with me. She had no reason to assume that I, a white south­ ern university administrator , was on her team at all.” Lucyherselfreiteratedthisproblemina2003interview,noting,“thepresident [Carmichael] said nothing to me”—further proof of a communication breakdown. As a result, in the days leading up to the 1963 desegregation attempt, Bennett contacted Judge Lynne in the hopes that he might assist in rectifying the problems Lucy had encountered, requesting that the judge arrange a meeting between university administrators, federal officials, and the students prior to Hood and Malone’s entrance. Lynne agreed, and the group met in the judge’s chambers soon after. Bennett recalled chatting with the students, and in particular , how the group of men advised Hood and Malone on how they might more easily fit in, in­clud­ing some criti­cal information for any new University of Alabama student: “We talked about football.” % On Thursday, June 6, the Tuscaloosa News printed a map that marked the streets that had been sealed off to nonstudents. President Rose, Dean Blackburn ,andotherUniversityofAlabamaadministratorshadbecomewellversed in the failings at Ole Miss and, with the university’s own tarnished reputation from seven years prior, knew that this sec­ond effort at desegregation demanded far more forethought to ensure a far less damning outcome. While Ole Miss had set up ineffective barricades that did little to keep the mobs away, the University of Alabama enacted a tight seal that offered a wide berth around all sides of the campus. The perimeter stretched down toward the Black Warrior River with checkpoints set up at all entries. Clumps of armed officers guarded the checkpoints, demanding students present identification cards in order to gain access to their school. 64 The Stand As a further precaution to deter the possibility of outside threats, parents were barred from participating in the traditional moving-­ in ceremony for their sons and daughters. Instead, parents were kept outside the barriers while driversshuttledstudentsandtheirbelongingsontothecampusgrounds.University student and Crimson White reporter Harris Cornett landed one of the driving jobs, earning himself a front-row seat to history. “Everyone was worried about a bomb,” Cornett recalled. “Students couldn’t come on campus until someone working for the university put them on campus . Mostly we drove vans and trucks. That’s what I spent all day doing,” he explained, though he hardly regretted it. “That’s why I was here to see what was taking place.” % Days later, when George Wallace made his infamous stand in the schoolhouse door, it was not the first time Harris Cornett found himself in close proximity to the governor. “I had dated his daughter once or twice,” Cornett explained ,“andshehadarrangedformetointerviewhimwhenhecameuphere for Homecoming in ’62.” Onthatfalldayeightmonthspriortothestand,theyoungreporterwaited patientlyasthenewlyelectedgovernorfinishedhishomecomingresponsibilities before slipping back into his car to be driven to his next stop in nearby Fayette.AsapersonalfavortoCornett,BobbiJoWallaceconvincedherfather to allow the Crimson White reporter to ride alongside him in the ­ backseat. “George told me a lot...