Writing about UA’s first botched attempt at integration and George Wallace’s segregationist grandstanding required quite a bit of research. One great resource for me was The Schoolhouse Door: Segregation’s Last Stand at the University of Alabama by E. Culpepper Clark.
You can read the introduction and certain excerpts from the work at Google Books.
The book talks in detail about the entire integration struggle, from the initial legal maneuverings of the NAACP in the 1950′s to the June 11th, 1963 confrontation between George Wallace and the federal government. It includes commentary from many of the major players, including Autherine Lucy herself and several University administrators of the era.
The book does a really good job chronicling many of the black applicants of the period besides Autherine Lucy, Vivian Malone Jones, and James Hood. The stories of the students who were simply rejected outright are also important.
Also interesting are the dynamics between the University President, the Board of Trustees, and the state and national governments. The text really gives you a sense that the things going on here at UA had an incredible nationwide scope and impact.
Great narrative style, strong voice, fascinating information. Highly recommended. Book is available at Gorgas and McClure Education Library.
