Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor (July 11, 1897, Selma, Alabama – March 10, 1973) was a Democratic police official in the Southern U.S. state of Alabama during the American Civil Rights Movement, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and a staunch advocate of racial segregation. July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Selma is a city in Alabama located on the banks of the Alabama River in Dallas County, Alabama, of which it is the county seat. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (70th in leap years). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. ... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People Racial segregation is characterized by separation of different races in daily life when both are doing equal tasks, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or...

As the Public Safety Commissioner of Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1960s, Connor became a symbol of the fight against integration for using fire hoses and police attack dogs against unarmed, nonviolent protest marchers. The spectacle of this being broadcast on national television served as one of the catalysts for major social and legal change in the South and helped in large measure to assure the passage by the United States Congress of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; thus, Connor's tactics helped to bring about the very change that he was opposing. Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby  - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City  151. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Categories: Stub | Firefighting ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Type Bicameralism Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D, since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D, since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican... President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ...

Early career

Connor entered politics, running for the Alabama legislature as a Democrat in the 1920s. Connor's vocal skills also served him during a stint as the radio broadcaster for the local minor league baseball team, the Birmingham Barons. That position had developed after he had made a name for himself by using a megaphone to forward telegraph reports of baseball games to Birmingham pool halls. The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... A Class A California League game in San Jose, California (1994) Minor baseball leagues are North American professional baseball leagues that compete at a level below that of Major League Baseball. ... The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. ...

In 1936, Connor was elected to the office of police commissioner, beginning the first of two stretches that spanned a total of 23 years. Connor's first tenure ended in 1952, but resumed four years later. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In May 1948, Connor's officers arrested U.S. Senator from Idaho, Glen H. Taylor, the running mate of Progressive presidential candidate (and former Democratic Vice President) Henry Wallace. Taylor, who had attempted to speak to the Southern Negro Youth Congress, was arrested for violating Birmingham's segregation laws. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Glen Hearst Taylor (April 12, 1904 - April 28, 1984) was a United States Senator from Idaho and the vice presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket in the 1948 election. ... The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 – November 18, 1965) was the 33rd Vice President of the United States (1941–45), the 11th Secretary of Agriculture (1933–40), and the 10th Secretary of Commerce (1945–46). ... Southern Negro Youth Congress The Southern Negro Youth Congress was established in 1937. ...

Connor's concerted effort to enforce the law was sparked by the group's reported Communist philosophy, with Connor noting at the time, "There's not enough room in town for Bull and the Commies." During the Democratic National Convention that year, Connor led the Alabama delegation in a walkout when the party included a civil rights plank in its platform. He was a leading Democrat. Featured at the Democratic National Convention are speeches by prominent party figures. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ...

In 1950, Connor became a Democratic candidate for Governor of Alabama. He announced he would be campaigning on a platform of "protecting employment practices, law enforcement, segregation and other problems that have been historically classified as states' rights by the Democratic party." That bid, along with another attempt in 1954, would fail, but Connor remained a focal point of controversy that year by pushing through a new city ordinance in Birmingham that outlawed Communism. The following is a list of the territorial and state governors of Alabama. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ...

In late 1951, Connor became embroiled in a feud with city detective Henry Darnell after Connor's wife reportedly saw an incident of police brutality. Connor investigated and charged Darnell with conduct unbecoming an officer. The issues between the two men truly exploded on December 26 when Connor was arrested after having being found in a hotel room with his 34-year-old secretary, Christina Brown, following a Christmas party five days earlier. Claiming he was set up, Connor nonetheless was convicted, fined $100 and given a 180-day sentence. Impeachment proceedings followed soon after, but on June 11, 1952, the conviction was thrown out by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The surrounding controversy led Connor to announce that he would not run again for the city commissioner position. 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 361st in leap years. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Court of Appeals is the title of certain appellate courts in various jurisdictions. ...

Civil Rights era

After returning to office in 1956, Connor quickly resumed his heavy-handed approach to dealing with perceived threats. One prominent instance came when a meeting at the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth's house with three Montgomery, Alabama, ministers was raided, with Connor fearing that a spread of the bus boycott that had succeeded in Montgomery was imminent. The ministers were arrested for vagrancy, which did not allow a prisoner bail, nor any visitors during the first three days of their incarceration. A federal investigation followed, but Connor refused to cooperate. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fred Shuttlesworth (b. ... Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Montgomery Incorporated December 3, 1819 Mayor Bobby Bright Area    - City 404. ... Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A vagrant is a person, almost always poor, without a home or regular work. ...

Shuttlesworth, however, had been consistently in danger in the previous two years, having seen his church bombed twice. He, his wife, and a white minister were also attacked by a mob after attempting to use white restrooms at the local bus station.

In 1960, Connor was elected Democratic National Committeeman for Alabama, soon after filing a lawsuit against the New York Times for $1.5 million, for what he said was insinuating that he had promoted racial hatred. Later dropping the amount to $400,000, the case would drag on for six years until Connor lost a $40,000 judgement on appeal. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

In November 1962, Birmingham voters changed the city's form of government, with the mayor now working with nine councilmen instead of three county commissioners. The move had been in response to the extremely negative perception of the city (which had been derisively nicknamed "Bombingham") among outsiders. The most prominent example of this continuing embarrassment came in 1961 when the president of the city's Chamber of Commerce was visiting Japan, only to see a newspaper photo of a Birmingham bus engulfed in flames. 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Chambers of commerce are business advocacy groups which are usually not associated with government. ...

Endorsed by the Governor of Alabama, George C. Wallace, Connor attempted to run for mayor, but lost on April 2, 1963. Bull and his fellow commissioners then filed suit to block the change in power, but on May 23, the Alabama Supreme Court voted against the lawsuit, ending a 23-year tenure in the post for Connor. George Corley Wallace (August 25, 1919–September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was elected Governor of Alabama (as a Democrat) four times (1962, 1970, 1974 and 1982) and ran for U.S. President (in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976). ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. ...

The day after the April election, civil rights leaders, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., began "Project Confrontation" in Birmingham against the police tactics used by Connor and his subordinates (and, by extension, other Southern police officials). King's arrest during this period would provide him the opportunity to write his legendary Letter from Birmingham Jail. The goal of this movement was to cause mass arrests and subsequent inability of the judicial and penal systems to deal with this volume of activity. One key strategy was the use of children to further the cause, a tactic that was criticized on both sides of the issue. The short-term effect only increased the level of violence used by Connor's officers, but in the long term the project proved largely successful, as noted above. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Martin Luther King Jr The Letter from Birmingham Jail or Letter from Birmingham City Jail, commonly but incorrectly rendered Letter from a Birmingham Jail, was an open letter on April 16, 1963 written by Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

Connor railed, "the nigger loving Kennedy's, want to change our way of life, down here". He wanted Birmingham to ignore John F. Kennedy's death. Connor stated, "Lee Harvey Oswald, a southern hero like John Wilkes Booth". John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Lee Harvey Oswald diary Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was, according to four United States government investigations, responsible for the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, on November 22, 1963. ... John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American actor from Maryland, infamous for his assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14,1865, who expired the next day. ...

Later career

On June 3, 1964, Connor resumed his place in government when he was elected to the post of Alabama Public Service Commission director. He suffered a stroke on December 7, 1966, that left him confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life, but was part of history on February 16, 1968, when he was present at the Haleyville, Alabama, police station for the first ever use of 9-1-1 as an emergency telephone number in the United States. Months later, Connor won another term, but was defeated in 1972, putting an end to his long political career. June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The Alabama Public Service Commission is a body of three elected members, a President and two Commissioners, who each serve 4-year terms. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... Haleyville is a city located in Winston County, Alabama. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Another stroke on February 26, 1973, weeks before his death, left him unconscious, and he died in March of that year.^[1] Survivors included his widow, Beara, a daughter, and a brother, King Edward Connor. February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Legacy

Connor is still viewed as an unpleasant symbol of segregation. On September 22, 2005, Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), evoked this legacy during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in comparing Republican President George W. Bush to Connor, stating, "George Bush is our Bull Connor." September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Bernard Rangel Charles Bernard Rangel (born June 11, American politician. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

References

1. ^ "Eugene 'Bull' Connor Dies at 75", Associated Press, March 11, 1973

• Nunnelley, William A. (1991) Bull Connor. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0817304959

The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

External links

• Photographs of Connor at the Birmingham Public Library