Orval Faubus (1910-1994)
Orval Eugene Faubus was born in the rural hills of Madison County, Arkansas, in 1910. His father, Sam Faubus, was a left-wing activist, having organized a local chapter of the Socialist Party of America and chosen Orval's middle name in honor of Eugene V. Debs, one of Sam's personal heroes. In 1918, Sam was arrested for "distributing seditious material" in opposition to American involvement in World War I. Orval shared his father's passion for politics, though his views were more moderate. In 1936, he ran as a Democrat for the Arkansas General Assembly. While he lost this particular race, he was not discouraged and soon managed to secure two terms as circuit clerk and recorder.
During World War II, Faubus served in Europe as an intelligence officer under General George S. Patton. Upon returning home to Arkansas, Faubus resumed his involvement in the Democratic Party, serving as chairman of the state's highway commission under progressive governor Sid McMath. When he ran for Governor in 1954, it was at the tail end of the McCarthy era, and his opponents pointed to his leftist upbringing in an attempt to label him a "dangerous radical." Although Faubus' promises to increase spending on schools and roads proved a more effective campaign tactic, the attacks apparently struck a personal nerve.
In the early years of his administration, Faubus integrated public transportation and investigated the possibility of integrated schools. When these moves prompted further bitter attacks from the right, Faubus apparently felt compelled to demonstrate a swing in the opposite direction as soon as the opportune moment presented itself. This moment came when Little Rock's school board made plans to begin the process of gradual integration, which Faubus bitterly opposed. While Faubus realized that integration was inevitable and that the federal order would have to be enforced, his opposition to the integration of Little Rock Central High School won him record support in many parts of the state, enabling him to serve an unprecedented six terms as Arkansas' governor. However, after the poll tax was eliminated in 1964, and especially following the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the increasing influence of African-American voters brought more progressive voices to prominence. Faubus declined to run for a seventh term in 1966, but he ran ill-fated reelection campaigns in 1970, 1974, and 1980. In 1988, he endorsed Rev. Jesse Jackson for president. In the late 1970s and early '80s, Faubus had severe financial problems, and was forced to sell his home and work as a bank teller. Orval Faubus died of cancer in 1994.
Civil Rights Era
Governor Orval Faubus dramatically opposed the integration of Little Rock Central High School. After unsuccessful litigation, Faubus deployed National Guard troops to keep out the nine black students who had been selected to attend Central High School. While he claimed that his actions were prompted by reliable intelligence leading him to believe that violence would erupt if the black students were allowed into Central High School, he initiated a dramatic, high-profile confrontation between the state and federal governments. At the height of the tension, Faubus' picture could be seen on the cover of Time magazine. President Eisenhower tried for eighteen days to persuade Faubus to allow the integration of Central High. When negotiations failed, Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard, ordered them back to their barracks, and brought in the 101st Airborne Division to ensure the safe matriculation of the nine black students. Faubus publicly referred to these troops as an occupying power in order to stir up resentment against Eisenhower and support for himself. In a 1958 poll, Faubus was voted one of the ten most admired men in the world.
Bibliography
Information for this biography was gathered from the following sources: