George Wallace - Political Leaders, Birthday and Life
George Wallace's Personal Details
George Wallace was a renowned politician and the 45th Governor of Alabama
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | August 25, 1919 |
| Died on | September 13, 1998 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | African Americans, University Of Alabama, Leaders, Political Leaders |
| City/State | Alabama |
| Spouses | Cornelia Ellis Snively, Lisa Taylor, Lurleen Brigham Burns |
| Known as | George Corley Wallace Jr. |
| Childrens | Bobbi Jo Wallace-Parson, George Wallace Jr., Janie Lee Wallace-Dye, Peggy Sue Wallace-Kennedy |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Clio, Alabama |
| Political Ideology | Democratic, American Independent Party (1968) |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | George Corley Wallace Sr. |
| Mother | Mozell Smith |
| Sun Sign | Virgo |
| Born in | Clio, Alabama |
| Died at Age | 79 |
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George Wallace's photo
Who is George Wallace?
Who would have ever thought, that a young boy, who worked his way through school by boxing professionally or serving as a kitchen helper, would turn out to become one of the most loved/hated politicians in the United States of America. George C. Wallace was the 45th Governor of Alabama, who served two consecutive and two non-consecutive terms. He was fascinated by politics from a very young age, and despite his financial constraints very early on in life, he received a degree in law and also served the US Army Air Corps for a brief period of time. His political career took off when he served as the assistant attorney general for the state and was then elected to the state legislature. His administrative career was marked by several acmes including his opposition to desegregation busing. A segregationist and a popular idol among white racists, he was also responsible in hedging the admission of African-American students in the University of Alabama during his tenure. He enforced similar rules in places like Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville. Till date, he is remembered as a chief figure, who vehemently opposed the civil rights movements. Martin Luther King is quoted to have commented Wallace as ‘perhaps the most dangerous racist in America’. He was also the victim of a failed assassination attempt, which paralyzed him till the end of his life.
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Childhood & Early Life
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was born to George Corley Wallace, Sr. and Mozell Smith, in Clio, Barbour County, Southeast Alabama. He was raised a Methodist, just like his parents.
He involved himself in boxing when he was in high school and soon became a professional boxer, earning money from the sport. He then worked in a number of odd jobs and used the money that he collected, to study at the University Of Alabama Of Law. He graduated with an LL.B. degree, in 1942.
He joined the United States Army Air Corps, and although he failed to complete his course, he flew over Japan in 1945, as a staff sergeant.
During his tenure with the army, he had a near-death experience when he was diagnosed with spinal meningitis. However, sulfa drugs saved his life. Nevertheless, he was released from the army with nerve damage and partial hearing loss.
Career
In 1945, he was appointed as the assistant attorney general of Alabama and the next year, he was elected as a member to the Alabama House of Representatives.
In 1952, he was elected as the Circuit Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, in Alabama and at the time, he was known for his liberal ways even with African-American members.
He was defeated by John Malcolm Patterson, in the primary election, in 1958. Patterson was an advocate of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that Wallace was against. He, however, supported the NAACP, an organization that worked to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
After he lost the 1958 elections, Wallace shed his liberal image and became a staunch racist. In the 1962 elections for the governor of Alabama, he decided to make use of a racist campaign against the African-Americans; he won a landslide victory, and was elected as the governor.
He took the oath of office on January 14, 1963. His most infamous lines, ‘Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever’ were one of his first lines in his speech as the governor of Alabama.
In 1963, Wallace stood in front of the Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama, where he refused to let Black-American students enter the university and this event popularly came to be known as the ‘Stand in the Schoolhouse Door’.
The same year, he once again attempted to halt the entry of four black students from enrolling in a number of different schools in Huntsville, but in vain. He desperately wanted to retain segregationist ideas in order to become more ‘popular’ among the white majority in Alabama.
Towards the end of 1963, he entered the Democratic primaries, voiced strong opposition against John F. Kennedy, who was shot weeks later and also campaigned about taking a tough stance on crime. With his upfront campaign, he garnered nearly a third of the votes from Wisconsin, Indiana and Maryland in Democratic primaries.
He could not seek a second term as Governor in 1966 due to term limits in Alabama constitution and thus, offered for Lurleen Burns Wallace to stand up as a candidate for the position of governor. She defeated two former governors and a U.S. Representative viz, Attorney General Richmond Flowers, Sr., James E. Folsom and Carl Elliot, respectively.
During the general elections in 1966, his wife was elected as Governor, but her term was cut-short after her demise due to cancer.
In 1968, he ran for Presidential election as the American Independent Party candidate, for which he received major support from extremist groups like White Citizens’ Council. He lost the Presidential elections but won almost ten million popular votes and swept votes across five Southern states.
He was elected for the second term as Governor on January 18, 1971 after a series of aggressive campaigns using television as a medium, defeating Albert Brewer.
After he was appointed as governor, he flew to Wisconsin to campaign for the 1972 U.S. presidential election, where he declared himself a Democratic candidate. It was during this time, he stated that although he supported desegregation busing, he was always a ‘moderate’ on racial matters.
After a failed assassination attempt on May 15, 1972, he won primaries in Michigan and Maryland, but his left-side waist-down paralyses and the attempted assassination worked negatively for his campaign.
He easily won the 1974 elections for the again won the governor of Alabama by defeating Republican State Senator Elvin McCary.
In November 1975, he once again announced his bid for the presidency as the Democratic candidate but eventually lost the race to Jimmy Carter in the primaries.
In the late 1970s, Wallace renounced his racial approach and apologized to black leaders for his past actions.
In the 1982 general elections, he once again won and was made the Governor of Alabama for the last time from January 17, 1983 to January 19, 1987. During this term, he mellowed down as a segregationist and a number of African-Americans were appointed to the cabinet and other important state positions. He refused to campaign for other term, retiring after a total of 16 years in office.
Major Works
During his first term as governor, he initiated a revolution in Alabama industrial progress and was the first to propose tax abetments and other spurs to whole firms or industries to relocate to Alabama.
Awards & Achievements
He received an honorary doctorate from Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina.
Personal Life & Legacy
He was married to Lurleen Brigham Burns, who passed away in 1968. They had four children together. After Lurleen’s death, his children were sent to live with relatives.
On January 4, 1971, he married Cornelia Ellis Snively. However, this marriage ended in divorce in 1978.
He then married country music singer, Lisa Taylor on September 9, 1981 and divorced her six years later.
He already suffered from permanent nerve damage and partial hearing loss in his younger days. The assassination attempt in 1972 left Wallace with a number of bullets lodged in his spine, his chest and abdomen. He was paralyzed and confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life.
He passed away of septic shock due to a bacterial infection at the Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery.
Today, the George Wallace Tunnel on Interstate 10 is named after him. The documentary ‘George Wallace: Settin’ The Woods on Fire’ and the film, ‘George Wallace’ were also based on his life and works.
Trivia
This famous politician and the governor of Alabama died on the same night when Gary Sinise won an Emmy for portraying his character in a mini-series based on his life.
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George Wallace biography timelines
- // 25th Aug 1919George Corley Wallace, Jr. was born to George Corley Wallace, Sr. and Mozell Smith, in Clio, Barbour County, Southeast Alabama. He was raised a Methodist, just like his parents.
- // 1942He involved himself in boxing when he was in high school and soon became a professional boxer, earning money from the sport. He then worked in a number of odd jobs and used the money that he collected, to study at the University Of Alabama Of Law. He graduated with an LL.B. degree, in 1942.
- // 1945He joined the United States Army Air Corps, and although he failed to complete his course, he flew over Japan in 1945, as a staff sergeant.
- // 1945In 1945, he was appointed as the assistant attorney general of Alabama and the next year, he was elected as a member to the Alabama House of Representatives.
- // 1952In 1952, he was elected as the Circuit Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, in Alabama and at the time, he was known for his liberal ways even with African-American members.
- // 1958He was defeated by John Malcolm Patterson, in the primary election, in 1958. Patterson was an advocate of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that Wallace was against. He, however, supported the NAACP, an organization that worked to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
- // 1962After he lost the 1958 elections, Wallace shed his liberal image and became a staunch racist. In the 1962 elections for the governor of Alabama, he decided to make use of a racist campaign against the African-Americans; he won a landslide victory, and was elected as the governor.
- // 1963He took the oath of office on January 14, 1963. His most infamous lines, ‘Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever’ were one of his first lines in his speech as the governor of Alabama.
- // 1963Towards the end of 1963, he entered the Democratic primaries, voiced strong opposition against John F. Kennedy, who was shot weeks later and also campaigned about taking a tough stance on crime. With his upfront campaign, he garnered nearly a third of the votes from Wisconsin, Indiana and Maryland in Democratic primaries.
- // 1966He could not seek a second term as Governor in 1966 due to term limits in Alabama constitution and thus, offered for Lurleen Burns Wallace to stand up as a candidate for the position of governor. She defeated two former governors and a U.S. Representative viz, Attorney General Richmond Flowers, Sr., James E. Folsom and Carl Elliot, respectively.
- // 1968In 1968, he ran for Presidential election as the American Independent Party candidate, for which he received major support from extremist groups like White Citizens’ Council. He lost the Presidential elections but won almost ten million popular votes and swept votes across five Southern states.
- // 1971He was elected for the second term as Governor on January 18, 1971 after a series of aggressive campaigns using television as a medium, defeating Albert Brewer.
- // 15th May 1972After a failed assassination attempt on May 15, 1972, he won primaries in Michigan and Maryland, but his left-side waist-down paralyses and the attempted assassination worked negatively for his campaign.
- // 1974He easily won the 1974 elections for the again won the governor of Alabama by defeating Republican State Senator Elvin McCary.
- // Nov 1975In November 1975, he once again announced his bid for the presidency as the Democratic candidate but eventually lost the race to Jimmy Carter in the primaries.
- // 1983 To 1987In the 1982 general elections, he once again won and was made the Governor of Alabama for the last time from January 17, 1983 to January 19, 1987. During this term, he mellowed down as a segregationist and a number of African-Americans were appointed to the cabinet and other important state positions. He refused to campaign for other term, retiring after a total of 16 years in office.
- // 13th Sep 1998He passed away of septic shock due to a bacterial infection at the Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery.
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George Wallace's FAQ
What is George Wallace birthday?
George Wallace was born at 1919-08-25
When was George Wallace died?
George Wallace was died at 1998-09-13
Where was George Wallace died?
George Wallace was died in Montgomery, Alabama
Which age was George Wallace died?
George Wallace was died at age 79
Where is George Wallace's birth place?
George Wallace was born in Clio, Alabama
What is George Wallace nationalities?
George Wallace's nationalities is American
Who is George Wallace spouses?
George Wallace's spouses is Cornelia Ellis Snively, Lisa Taylor, Lurleen Brigham Burns
Who is George Wallace childrens?
George Wallace's childrens is Bobbi Jo Wallace-Parson, George Wallace Jr., Janie Lee Wallace-Dye, Peggy Sue Wallace-Kennedy
What was George Wallace universities?
George Wallace studied at University Of Alabama, University of Alabama School of Law, University of Alabama
What was George Wallace notable alumnis?
George Wallace's notable alumnis is University Of Alabama
What is George Wallace's political ideology?
George Wallace's political ideology is Democratic, American Independent Party (1968)
What is George Wallace's religion?
George Wallace's religion is Methodist
Who is George Wallace's father?
George Wallace's father is George Corley Wallace Sr.
Who is George Wallace's mother?
George Wallace's mother is Mozell Smith
What is George Wallace's sun sign?
George Wallace is Virgo