20 Facts About Orval Faubus

Orval Eugene Faubus was an American politician who served as the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Orval Eugene Faubus was born in the northwest corner of Arkansas near the village of Combs to John Samuel and Addie Faubus.

Orval Faubus was urged to challenge the result but declined, which earned him the gratitude of the Democratic Party.

Orval Faubus was active in veterans' causes for the remainder of his life.

When Orval Faubus returned from the war, he cultivated ties with leaders of Arkansas' Democratic Party, particularly with progressive reform Governor Sid McMath, leader of the post-war "GI Revolt" against corruption, under whom he served as director of the state's highway commission.

Cherry became unpopular with voters, and Orval Faubus challenged him in the 1954 primary.

Orval Faubus led a group of students who testified on behalf of the college's accreditation before the state legislature.

Orval Faubus narrowly defeated Cherry to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Relations were cool between the two men for years, but when Cherry died in 1965, Orval Faubus put politics aside and was magnanimous in praising his predecessor.

Orval Faubus rejected his father's radicalism for the more mainline New Deal, a pragmatic move.

Orval Faubus's name became internationally known during the Little Rock Crisis of 1957, when he used the Arkansas National Guard to stop African Americans from attending Little Rock Central High School as part of federally ordered racial desegregation.

The quoted "friendly and constructive discussion" led to Orval Faubus claiming his desire to comply with his duty to the Constitution, personal opinions aside.

Orval Faubus did express his hope that the Department of Justice would be patient.

Orval Faubus was elected governor to six two-year terms and hence served for twelve years.

Orval Faubus maintained a defiant, populist image, while he shifted toward a less confrontational stance with the federal government, particularly during the administrations of Presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, with each of whom he remained cordial, and both of whom carried Arkansas.

In 1962, Orval Faubus broke with the White Citizens' Councils and other groups, who preferred, but did not officially endorse, US Representative Dale Alford in that year's gubernatorial primary.

Orval Faubus cast himself as a moderate, he completely ignored the race issue during the 1962 election campaign, and barely secured a majority over Alford, McMath, and three other candidates.

Orval Faubus even collected a share of the base Republican vote from the conservative party members who had sided with former Republican state chairman William L Spicer of Fort Smith, an intraparty rival of Rockefeller.

Orval Faubus chose not to run for re-election to a seventh term in what would likely have been a difficult race in 1966.

Orval Faubus sought the governorship again in 1970,1974, and 1986 but was defeated in the Democratic primaries by Dale Bumpers, David Pryor, and Bill Clinton, respectively, each of whom defeated Republican opponents.