On Boxing Day – a look back at Muhammad Ali in Arkansas

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Scott

Boxing Day has nothing to do with pugilism. But it is a fun day to recall some boxing-related stories in Little Rock history that are related to the sport.

Dan T. Sprick was a Little Rock Mayor for two years in the 1940s after having previously served on the City Council. From 1961 until 1970, he served as a State Senator from Little Rock and was a reliable ally for Governor Orval Faubus. Once Faubus left office and was replaced by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, Sprick continued to wave the banner of segregation and agitation. One of his new focuses was boxer Muhammad Ali.

In 1969, the University of Arkansas announced that Ali would be one of the speakers for its public appearance series. After refusing to be drafted and go to Vietnam, Ali was barred from earning a living as a professional boxer and so was making a living giving lectures. His refusal to submit to the draft was based on his religious beliefs as a recent convert to the Nation of Islam.

Opposition to Ali’s appearance rose almost immediately, and from Little Rock not Fayetteville. The Pulaski Businessman’s Association sent a letter to UA president David Mullins asking him to bar Ali from speaking. President Mullins insisted that he had the right to speak on campus. When that didn’t work, Senator Sprick and his cohorts in the state’s upper chamber went to work. A resolution calling for Ali to be barred from speaking failed on a voice vote after much debate.

While there were certainly some racial overtones to Sprick’s opposition, he and others seemed to be more concerned over the former Cassius Clay’s conversion to Islam plus his ensuing refusal to be drafted. Senator Sprick declared that if President Nixon would draft him now he would go to serve in Vietnam. (Sprick was in his late 60s at the time.)

Ali’s speech on the campus actually caused some controversy on its own. One of the things he advocated for segregation. He praised Alabama Governor George Wallace. The Arkansas Gazette which had been following the saga in both news stories and editorials, noted that remarks like that should have endeared Ali to Dan Sprick and others.

Ali, of course, resumed his boxing career and defined that sport in the 1970s with his talent in the ring and his showmanship.

Based on an editorial, Sprick sued the Gazette for libel. The paper settled with him out of court because his health was poor. Sprick died in 1972.

Woodrow Mann, Little Rock’s 53rd Mayor, born on Nov. 13, 1916

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Scott

Future Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Wilson Mann was born on November 13, 1916, in Little Rock. His tenure at Little Rock mayor was tumultuous from both things of his doing as well as events that catapulted him onto the international scene.

In 1955, he ran as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Little Rock and defeated two term incumbent Pratt C. Remmel, a Republican. He took office in January 1956 and immediately set about to make a lot of changes. In addition to revitalizing the City’s bus system, and removing some color barriers at City Hall, he oversaw the dismantling of the copper dome on top of Little Rock City Hall (as opposed to the repair of the dome championed by Mayor Remmel).

Mayor Mann was caught up in a grand jury investigation into purchasing practices at City Hall as well as within the City government in North Little Rock. Partially in response to this, Little Rock voters approved a new form of government in late 1956. Mayor Mann opposed the switch to the City Manager form and refused to set the election for the new officials but was ultimately compelled to do so.

He was also Mayor during the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School. He sought to keep the peace and to broker a deal between President Dwight Eisenhower and Governor Orval Faubus. His powers within the city were, no doubt, hampered because of his lame duck status as Mayor. In November 1957 following the election of the new City Board of Directors, he chaired his last City Council meeting and left office.

In January of 1958, a series of articles written by Mayor Mann detailed his perspective on the events at Central High. These were carried by newspapers throughout the US.

Because of ill will toward him due to the Central High crisis (he was criticized by both sides) and grand jury investigation, Mayor Mann felt it would be difficult to maintain his insurance business in Little Rock. He moved to Texas in 1959 and remained there the rest of his life. He died in Houston on August 6, 2002.

An entry about Mayor Mann in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture can be found here.

Birth of Little Rock’s 52nd Mayor – Pratt C. Remmel

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Scott

One hundred and four years ago today, on October 26, 1915, future Little Rock Mayor Pratt Cates Remmel was born. He was one of five children of Augustus Caleb and Ellen Lucy Remmel. His father died when he was five, leaving his mother to raise six children (Gertie, Harmon – also known as Buck, Pratt, Gus, Rollie, and Carrie) by herself. After graduating from high school in 1933, he received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia in 1937. During World War II, he held the rank of Lieutenant in the US Navy.

The Remmel family had long been involved in politics. A great-uncle had been the GOP nominee for governor and senator as well as serving on the GOP national committee. Remmel’s father had been the state GOP chair and his mother was the Arkansas Republican national committeewoman for nearly three decades. In 1938, shortly after returning from college, Remmel ran for the Little Rock City Council but did not win. In 1940, he became chairman of the Pulaski County Republican Executive Committee. For the next several decades, he held various leadership posts in the GOP at the county, state and national level.

Remmel made his second bid for public office in 1951 when he challenged incumbent LR Mayor Sam Wassell, who was seeking a third term. Wassell shared the often held belief at the time that the GOP could not win any races in Arkansas because of the aftereffects of Reconstruction. Remmel ran a vigorous campaign and won by a 2-to-1 margin becoming Little Rock’s first Republican mayor since Reconstruction. In 1953, he sought a second two year term and was re-elected. Though he had worked to build the GOP in Arkansas, he did not emphasize party affiliation in this campaign. He stressed he had been “fair to all and partial to none.” This campaign included a rally which was aired live on six LR radio stations at the same time, a first for Arkansas. He won by over 3,000 votes this time over alderman Aubrey Kerr.

Remmel had been mentioned as a potential candidate for US Senate or Congress in 1954. Instead, he ran for governor and was defeated by Orval Faubus in his first race for the office. Remmel did receive more votes for governor than any GOP candidate had since reconstruction. He is credited with laying the groundwork for the future successful campaigns of Winthrop Rockefeller.

A month before the election in 1955, Remmel announced he would seek a 3rd term as Mayor. While later admitting he should have stuck with the customary two terms, he also said he ran to give voters an alternative to the Democratic nominee Woodrow Mann. Mann, like Remmel, was in the insurance business; Remmel considered Mann to have a questionable reputation. Several statewide Democratic leaders campaigned for Mann, who beat Remmel by 1,128 votes, one of Little Rock’s closest mayoral elections.

As Mayor, Remmel served in leadership positions with the US Conference of Mayors and the Arkansas Municipal League. It was during his tenure as mayor that the land which is now Rebsamen Golf Course was given to the City.

After he left office, Remmel returned to business interests and staying active in civic affairs. He was an active leader of First United Methodist Church and Gideons International. He was a Mason, a Shriner, a member of the American Legion, and the American Red Cross. Remmel served on the Arkansas River Basin Commission and chairman of the Arkansas Waterways Commission. In 1996, he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas River Hall of Fame.

Married for many years to Catherine Couch, the couple had three children, Pratt Jr., Cathie and Rebecca. Lake Catherine in Arkansas is named for his wife. Remmel Park and Pratt Remmel Road in Little Rock are named for Mayor Remmel.

Mayor Remmel died on May 14, 1991. He and Catherine (who died in 2006) are buried in Oakland Cemetery.

September 27, 1958 – LR voters keep high schools closed

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Scott

Spelling error and factual error both in this sign

On Saturday, September 27, 1958, voters in Little Rock approved the continuation of the closure of the city’s high schools.

Using legislation passed by the General Assembly in a hastily called special session in summer of 1958, Governor Orval Faubus had ordered the closure of Little Rock’s four public high schools in order to keep them from being desegregated.

But that state law only allowed the closure of Central, Hall, Horace Mann and Technical high schools on a temporary basis. In order for them to be closed permanently, the city’s voters must approve it by a vote.

The election date was to be set by Governor Faubus. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, the date was moved to September 27. Speculation for the new date selection centered on:

Faubus wanted it to be prior to the October 1 poll tax deadline so that only people who had paid their poll tax for the prior year were eligible
The election was on a Saturday. Though Tuesday was the most common day of the week for elections, in the late 1950s Saturdays were used on elections as well. The school board elections, for instance, were on Saturdays in some years.
On September 27, 1958, the Arkansas Razorbacks had a home football game in Fayetteville.

These were all designed to stifle voter turnout. In addition, the state law required a majority of eligible voters to approve reopening the schools. The law also spelled out the confusing wording of the ballot question. As historian Sondra Gordy points out in her book FINDING THE LOST YEAR, the ballot question was about only being for or against integration of the schools – it did not say anything about closure or opening of schools.

While the newly formed Women’s Emergency Committee did put forth efforts to educate voters about the issue and encourage a vote to reopen the schools, this nascent group was less than a fortnight old by the Saturday election day. On the other side, the Governor campaigned for the remaining closure of the schools including in television appearances.

On that Saturday, Little Rock voters voted 19,470 to keep schools segregated to 7,561 to integrate them.

The WEC was disappointed but remained even more determined. As some of the members have commented – having over 7,000 people be WITH them was encouraging.

It would be a long road ahead to reopen the schools. It would take two more elections before the City’s four public high schools would reopen.

Happy Birthday to Annie Abrams

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Scott

September 25 is the birthday of Annie Mable McDaniel Abrams.

Miss Annie or Mother Abrams or Mrs. Abrams. Whatever you call her, she greets you with a smile, a hug, and sage advice.

As both a historian and a futurist, she has turned her house into a museum and library. As a writer and preservationist, she has worked to document history and ensure historical properties and neighborhoods will long remain in Little Rock.

Born in Arkadelphia, she moved to Little Rock at age 13 to attend Dunbar Junior High School and High School. She studied education at Dunbar Junior College and later taught in Marianna. In 1956, she returned to Little Rock to work for the Arkansas Teachers Association. After her return to the capital city, she married Orville Abrams. In addition to raising her four children, Miss Annie has helped raise countless others through her advice, support, love, and sometimes strong admonitions. She also found time to return to school and receive a degree from Philander Smith College.

Among her many accomplishments are leading efforts to rename High Street for Martin Luther King, 14th Street for Daisy L. Gatson Bates and 20th Street for Charles Bussey. Through her community activities, she had worked closely with both Bates and Bussey. She was a friend to the Little Rock Nine (who were only a few years younger than she) and to their families. Perhaps, because she has been a personal friend of many Arkansas and national politicians over the past 60 years, it should come as no surprise that she and her husband were also acquainted with Governor Faubus.

Whether a leading political figure or a small child, Miss Annie isn’t afraid to give advice or to share her love. Once an educator, always an educator, she loves to learn and teach. It is rare for her to miss a speech at the Clinton School or a Political Animals Club meeting. (She is the Helen Thomas of the Political Animals Club — always given the first question when she is present.)

In recognition of all her efforts she has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from Philander Smith College, the Brooks Hays Award, and an award award from the national Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. In 2010, she was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.

Sept. 23, 1957 – The Little Rock Nine are in Central High briefly

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Scott

On Monday, September 23, 1957, the Little Rock Nine entered Central High School for a few hours.

The previous Friday, Federal District Judge Ronald Davies ruled that Governor Faubus had used the National Guard to keep the Little Rock Nine out of the school. At this point, the Governor withdrew the troops. The duty of maintaining any order on the site and ensuring the safety of the students now fell solely on the Little Rock Police Department.

To minimize interactions with aggressive protestors who were outside of the school, the Nine were escorted into the side of the school. Word quickly spread that they had made it into the building. This caused the 1,000 or more people out front to become more hostile.

Threats were called into the building. Some parents of white children called wanting to get their students out of the building. Some students snuck out of the building, while at the same time some of the crowd were trying to sneak in. The situation was tense and getting more so by the minute.

Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Mann and police leadership were concerned about the ability of the City to protect the Nine and maintain order. The Fire Department refused to use water from a firehose to disperse the crowd.

For the safety of the Little Rock Nine the students were removed from the building after having been in it only a few hours.

Ike and Orval meet face to face on September 14, 1957

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Scott

On September 14, 1957, in an attempt to end the stalemate in Arkansas, President Dwight D. Eisenhower met with Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. The meeting was brokered by Rep. Brooks Hays, whose district included Little Rock.

The meeting took place in Newport, Rhode Island, where the President was vacationing. After exchanging pleasantries, the President and Governor adjourned to the Presidents office where they met privately for about twenty minutes. During that conversation, Faubus proclaimed to the President that he was a law abiding citizen and discussed his own World War II service.

President Eisenhower suggested to Faubus that as a law abiding citizen, he should change the National Guard’s orders so that they protected the Little Rock Nine, not kept them from the building. He reminded Faubus that the Justice Department was prepared to issue a injunction against him and that the governor would undoubtedly lose in court.

Following their conversation, Congressman Hays and U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. joined the two in a larger office and continued conversations for approximately another 100 minutes.

When the meeting was over, the President felt like Faubus had agreed to refocus the mission of the National Guard and allow the Little Rock Nine to enter. The President’s statement to the press thanked Faubus for his cooperation. Upon returning to Little Rock, Faubus issued his own statement which did not address the President’s statement directly. He did not even mention the National Guard or the students.

Apparently, President Eisenhower felt betrayed by the Governor’s actions.

The stage was set for these two to continue their face off.

Little Rock Culture Vulture

Cultural events, places and people in the Little Rock area

Tag Archives: Orval Faubus

On Boxing Day – a look back at Muhammad Ali in Arkansas

Woodrow Mann, Little Rock’s 53rd Mayor, born on Nov. 13, 1916

Birth of Little Rock’s 52nd Mayor – Pratt C. Remmel

September 27, 1958 – LR voters keep high schools closed

Happy Birthday to Annie Abrams

Sept. 23, 1957 – The Little Rock Nine are in Central High briefly

Ike and Orval meet face to face on September 14, 1957

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