UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
College of Arts and Sciences
History Department
February 5, 1956
Dear Mother:
Well, I suppose the papers out there are full of the "riots" on the University of Alabama campus. It is not as bad as that, but it is ugly and disgusting nevertheless. As you know, a colored girl was allowed to register because of the order of the Supreme Court. Most of the faculty here believe the University has handled the whole matter very badly. Another girl was to be admitted, but at the last moment she was refused entrance because of her "marital conduct" - a phrase that no one seems to understand. She has appealed to the courts and we feel that the University will be forced to admit her. The one that got in was not allowed to have a room in the girls’ dormitory and when she went to class she was escorted by two policemen. None of the students bothered her in any way, and she later said that everyone had been polite to her. None the less, on Friday and Saturday nights large crowds of students assembled and behaved in a rowdy manner, burning crosses. etc.
We on the faculty think that some of this came from the University’s manner of handling the case; that is, making it more important than should have ever become. A good part of the commotion was also due to worse than a desire to have fun and let off steam. But also there was a minority that was ugly and determined to cause trouble. Friday night the crowd milled around the campus in a good humor, listened to a few impromptu student orations about saving the white race and finally drifted off to bed. The affair last night was obviously better organized, but was still good humored and did no damage. This sort of thing can easily go in either direction. I think the account from the Tuscaloosa News I am sending you is fair and accurate. Several fiery crosses have been burned on the campus, but no one has been caught doing it. A lot of peuple claim that the Klan is behind all this, but it is doubtful, I would say. When any sort of action involving race issues occurs, people always nod their heads wisely and say "its the Klan", and, of course, if there is any organized Klan movement, they will not deny it because they want people to think they are secretly involved in everything. But whether they are or not is hard to say. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that this whole issue will revive the Klan in some areas. Well, I have gone into this at length because I thought you would be interested and also to correct any mistakes that might get into the western papers. I must say I admire the courage of Arthurine Lucy, this Negress. She has, at the least, a lonely time ahead of her.
I am having a small party tonight to pay off social indebtedness. My guests will be the Kilgrows, the Pancakes, General Brown and his wife. With cocktails I shall serve
little fried, smoked sausages, salted nuts, and an elegant cream cheese dip involving onions, paprika and smoked oysters. The main dish is broccoli and chicken cooked in a sherry cream sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and toasted almonds. With it I will serve wild rice cooked in consomme and garnished with mushrooms and pimentos, tossed green salad, bread sticks and coffee. Would you like to eat with me? Ask Mrs. Lischer to serve this for her ladies some night.
I have written Mrs. Storm, but it is too early for a reply. Would you like me to send you more money? On second thought, I think I will. This will take care of your next rent check or whatever expenses you wish to use it for. We have been having a great deal of rain such as we often get in January. It is much warmer and very sticky and muggy. The Warrior River is at flood stage and will probably go over it soon. It is gloomy today and more rain is predicted for tomorrow. Well, this letter has gone on enough. I’ll keep you informed as to the details of this revival of the Civil War.
Love,
John
P. S.: I have written Carrie Winstead.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
College of Arts and Sciences
History Department
February 7. 1956
Dear Mother:
I suppose you have read plenty by now about the disgraceful events of the last few days. I’ll try to tell you what I know about them.
As I wrote you recently, the mass meeting of last Friday night was mostly University students - fraternity men who had a little too much to drink. On the whole it was good natured and not too rowdy. Saturday night marked the appearance of the first "outsiders" who seemed to be factory workers and poor white trash from the countryside. They were ugly and menacing, but did not dominate the gathering.
On Monday morning the situation changed markedly for the worse. I saw some of these characters and they were some of the roughest looking toughs you have ever seen. When Miss Lucey went to her first class the building was immediately surrounded by these toughs, but with the help of the police she got out all right and went to her next class which I think was at eleven. Then the real trouble started. The building was quickly surrounded and the crowd, almost entirely outsiders, was ugly and looking for trouble. By a ruse, they managed to get her outside and into a car, before she could be caught, but the University officials said if they had been twenty-seconds slower, they would have never made it. The car was stoned as it drove away.
Other acts of senseless violence were committed: the car of a Negro simply driving through town was attacked, but he got away. One part of the mob tried to overturn a Greyhound bus, but failed to do it.
That afternoon at four-thirty President Carmichael called the whole faculty together and spoke to us. I noticed that he looked perfectly terrible. He told us what had been done and how they expected help that night in keeping order. To complicate matters, we had a big basketball game Monday night with Vanderbilt on our campus.
Well, last night there was another demonstration, mostly of roughnecks who never went to the University. A crowd marched from downtown to the campus, burned a cross, listened to some inflammatory speeches and then finally went home. And last night the Board of Trustees who were in session all evening, voted to exclude Arthurine Lucey from the campus in the interests of her safety and the safety of the students and faculty.
Today again at four-thirty the President convoked the faculty and it was a hot meeting. Dr. Carmichael explained that the Board had acted as it did because it felt there was no other immediate alternative. He said this arrangement was only temporary, but felt it was unavoidable if they wished to prevent murder on the campus. He spoke very well, but when he had finished, several of the younger members of the faculty took him to task rather severely, and criticized the policy of the Board with equal vehemence. Since there were many reporters and photographers present, it was most embarrassing and, I felt, decidedly out of place.
Behind all this lie a few facts that you should make clear to our friends out there. By Monday, very few students had anything to do with the demonstrations. It was the white trash, the scum of the county
that was involved. We all think the state and local authorities deliberately cooperated as little as possible in trying to give protection. Many of the politicians from the governor down, didn’t want to be involved in anything that might cost them their precious political necks. The local police force were little better than nothing. The highway patrol did help some, but for mysterious reasons, the University could not get as many as they wanted. At first, the governor promised to help in any way and offered the use of the National Guard. Later, he backed down on this and stated this morning that he did not intend to use the Guard. And yet, a part of the Guard was drilling in Tuscaloosa Monday night and it would have been very easy to get about 100 of them which would have helped a great deal. Certainly the University did not get the help they should have had, and that is probably why the Trustees voted as they did. Of course, the faculty as a whole are deeply humiliated at this miserable and dreadful business. The University has been beaten by mob rule and that isn’t pleasant to think about. And, of course, none of the basic issues are settled. The courts will probably order the University to take the girl back and we may have to go all over it again.
I’ll keep you informed, and don’t worry about me. I am in no danger. This has been a long letter, and I’ll just add one bit of news. I got a letter from Betty Doty saying that Murph’s father had died Saturday and Murph was in Mississippi helping to get things settled up. I tried to call him there, but missed him.
Well, off to bed.
Love,
John
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
College of Arts and Sciences
University, Alabama 35486
Office of the Dean
January 20, 1971
Dr. John F. Ramsey
Box 1513
University, Alabama 35486
Dear Dr. Ramsey:
Upon recommendation by your faculty colleagues and the concurrence of the central administration of the University, I am pleased to extend to you an offer to accept the headship of the Department of History effective February 1, 1971, at a nine-months salary of $17,000 per year.
This appointment, like all other administrative appointments, is not a tenured one and is offered for an initial period of four years if not terminated earlier. As you know, there is the possibility that the University will approve a system of mandatory retirement at age 65 for all administrative positions.
You have the strong support of your faculty colleagues and will have the strong support of this office. Your leadership to the department has been significant and refreshing. I hope that together we can accomplish a great deal for the good of the discipline and the University.
I should appreciate your acceptance of this appointment at your earliest convenience.
Cordially,
Douglas E. Jones Dean
DEJ/jl
cc: Dr. McLain
Professor Gray
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
University, Alabama 35486
College of Arts and Sciences
History Department
3 March 1977
Dr. Grady McWhiney
Chairman, Department of History
University of Alabama
Dear Grady:
This is an official note to inform you that I plan to retire from the history faculty of the University of Alabama at the conclusion of the spring 1977 semester.
Since our nine months salary is divided into 12 installments, I am assuming that my regular checks will continue until the end of the 1976-77 academic year.
Sincerely yours,
John F. Ramsey
Professor of History
JFR: rink
cc: Dean Douglas E. Jones
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