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| George Wallace | |
|---|---|
| |
| Wallace being interviewed by CBS | |
| 37th President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 1969 – January 20, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Reagan |
| 45th Governor of Alabama | |
| In office January 16, 1963 – January 16, 1967 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 25, 1919 Clio, Alabama |
| Died | May 14, 2000 (aged 80) Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – May 14, 2000) was the 37th President of the United States and the 45th Governor of Alabama.
History[]
As Governor of Alabama[]
When Wallace was governor of Alabama, He promised and worked hard to keep segregation in the state of Alabama. His term was most noted when he blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He was also famous for giving the "Segregation Now, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever" quote in his 1963 inauguration speech.
1968 Presidential Election[]
When the election was first starting, Wallace was dead last in the polls behind Nixon and Humpries. As the election went on, he became the clear winner in most of the presidential debates but even then, most polls were showing him ahead of Nixon but behind Humphrey. It was not toward the end of the election when Wallace was topping some polls (most notably the ABC News polls and the Washington Post Polls). On November 5, 1968, Wallace won a majority of 189 Electoral votes.
1969: The First Year as President[]
On January 20, 1969, Wallace was inaugurated as the 37th President of the United States. During his inaugurated speech, he made a promise that in the first 90 days in office, he would sent all of the troops in Vietnam home. He did just that in mid April-May 1969. The removal of the troops helped his overall approval rating but his approval rating remains low among the African-Americans who were living in the South. They felt that Wallace was not giving enough equal rights for them.
1970 Assassination Attempt[]
On February 21, 1970, President George Wallace was on a trip to Atlanta, GA to observe the damage done after strong storms hit the North Georgia area. Wallace was walking down the stairs and was ecorted to Roswell, GA, one of the hardest hit areas of the storm. When Wallace exited the motorcade, 7 shots were fired by three members of the Black Panther Party. Three of the bullets hit President Wallace, one to the arm, leg and just to the left of his heart. President Wallace was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta and was immediately up for surgery. He was then placed on ICU for 2 weeks. Meanwhile, Vice President Curtis LeMay took on the job as president until Wallace was well enough to do his job. Wallace returned to his job on August 16, 1970.