AUM Historical Review

AUM Historical Review AUM Historical Review # 1,Winter 2012 Editor Graydon Rust Associate Editors Allison Hamilton Tracy Wilson Graphic Designers Sam Blakely Melissa Holston (cover) Advisor Steven Gish Photographs Alabama Department of Archives and History Rob Atkins (Space Race, contents page) Frank Williams, Auburn University at Montgomery Joseph Postiglione / Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Freedom Riders, contents page) Cameron Whitman (Brown v. Board, contents page) Printing Wells Printing, Montgomery, AL © 2012, AUM Historical Journal Published by the Chi Psi Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society Auburn University at Montgomery, P.O. Box 244023, Montgomery, AL 36124-4023 The ideas expressed in these essays are the sole responsibility of their respective authors and contributors and do not necessarily represent the official statements, opinions, or policies of Auburn University at Montgomery or the Department of History at AUM. Neither Auburn University at Montgomery nor the Department of History at AUM accept any liability for the content of this journal. 1 2 AUM Historical Review Contents Introduction Graydon Rust 4 The Space Race Begins Allison Hamilton 5 Freedom Riders: Soldiers in a Non-Violent Army Space Race Tracy Wilson 17 A Pirate’s Life for Me: Craig T. Sheldon and Anti-Communism Landon Ledbetter 21 A Conversation with Dr. Wyatt Wells Jennifer Kellum 37 Freedom Riders Brown v. Board: Alabama’s Initial Reaction Elizabeth Elder 41 Contributors 52 Call for papers 52 Brown v. Board 3 Introduction In late January 2011, Dr. While we agreed that the criteria phy 2 students in the Department Steven Gish proposed his idea for should be open to allow for works of Fine Arts for the numerous the creation of a student-edited from all areas, I suppose it is only designs that they produced and to history journal and immediately natural for the best works to come Sam Blakely and Melissa Holston the suggestion garnered tremen- from the matter most familiar and for contributing the chosen designs dous support. Since then, time readily accessible for research. and the hours that they put in to has zoomed by and I cannot This year’s award-winning papers implement them. I am obliged to believe that we are now beginning include Allison Hamilton’s “The the staff at the Alabama Depart- another calendar year. With that Space Race Begins” and Landon ment of Archives and History for said, I am thrilled to introduce Ledbetter’s “A Pirate’s Life for their encouragement, for providing to you the inaugural issue of the Me: Craig T. Sheldon and Anti- us with the photographs included AUM Historical Review. Each Communism,” winning the Dodd throughout the Review, and for al- year, the History Department and Morse prizes respectively. In lowing us to distribute copies at the recognizes quality student scholar- addition to these, this issue also Archives itself. Specifically, I would ship with the presentation of two includes an essay titled “Brown v. like to thank Dr. Norwood Kerr for awards—the Dodd and Morse pa- Board—Alabama’s Initial Reac- answering the numerous editing per prizes—to the authors of that tion” by Elizabeth Elder, a review questions that I came across and year’s preeminent essays, and the of the 2011 PBS documentary for handling all the duties of my Review serves to further that ac- Freedom Riders and an interview job on the many occasions that I knowledgment. With the creation with AUM’s own Dr. Wyatt Wells, was preoccupied with the journal, of this journal, we hope to provide conducted by Jennifer Kellum. and also Steve Murray for the a forum of appreciation for not There are a number of advice and opportunities he pro- only the top two papers of the individuals whom I would like to vided. I am also grateful to Dr. Lee year, but to all exemplary histori- thank for their support and efforts Farrow for assisting in the develop- cal work produced by students at in producing the AUM Historical ment of a number of our papers as Auburn University at Montgom- Review. Without them, none of the authors progressed through her ery. Furthermore, we hope that we this would have been possible. I Historical Methods course. Most can instill both a sense of camara- would first like to express gratitude importantly of all, I would like to derie among history majors and a to the Associate Editors, Tracy thank all of the individuals who greater interest in history through- Wilson and Allison Hamilton, contributed pieces to the Review out the entire AUM community for their constant hard work and for the research, writing, and revi- while also providing students with dedication, and to Dr. Gish for not sions that they put forth, as well as experience in all aspects of the only providing us with this oppor- for the patience that they displayed editing world. tunity but also for his continuous as I bombarded them with an In our first issue, we have guidance and energy throughout incessant chain of emails. unintentionally acquired a theme the process. Thanks also go to centered on Alabama history. Breuna Baine and her Typogra- Graydon Rust, Editor 4 Introduction AUM Historical Review The Cold War was put men and satellites in space, Allison Hamilton much more than a series the two nations constantly of battles for psychological pushed one another forward, gains; it expanded beyond the and eventually past what reaches of the atmosphere humans once thought possible. and penetrated the great On October 4, 1957, unknown—outer space. the Soviet Union successfully When the United States and launched Sputnik, the world’s the Soviet Union first began first satellite. It shook the scrambling to stake their claim free world as it flashed across on the experienced German the night sky—its mystery scientists and wonder beautiful, yet who terrifying. Much of the world developed marveled in disbelief. The the V-2 French exclaimed, “We had rockets, its expected the Americans to aims were do it; it was the Russians who weapons, succeeded.”1 The United States not space understood the implications exploration. of such an immense scientific However, gain and over the next few after months it scrambled to put countless its own satellite into orbit. experiments The journey was long and, at and tests times, embarrassing. Officials using these in Washington failed to missiles it make crucial decisions. Early was clear that attempts crashed and burned there was greater potential on the launch pad. At times for them outside of mass it seemed that the U.S. would destruction. Through fierce never reach outer space—that competition the arms race is, until the government shifted evolved into a space race its eyes to the Redstone Arsenal between the Soviet Union and research facility in Huntsville, the U.S that spanned from Alabama. Within only a few The Space Race Begins 1945 to 1969. In competing to short months, the scientists 5 there were able to assemble and only nuclear weapons, but As Staver sought to successfully fire a rocket which the advancement of modern persuade the Germans, would eventually carry the U.S. technology as a whole. The Washington was striving into space. As the Jupiter C stage was set and the space to determine whether the rocket soared into the air it took race, not to mention the Cold German scientists would the morale of the American War, had begun. even be welcome in the U.S. people with it. Not only did it On May 27, 1945, Major Debates raged in the “War, secure jobs for the people of Robert Staver of the U.S. Justice, Commerce, and State Huntsville, Alabama, it showed Army received an order from Departments.” The officials the nation that the space race Colonel Holger Toftoy to sweep were not only fearful of was far from over. into the region of Thuringia, possibly disgracing American After World War II the some 4,540 square miles of scientists who had been alliance of convenience German territory soon to be working on missile projects of between the United States and under Soviet control, and their own, but also a potential the Soviet Union had fallen “evacuate all German missile Nazi uprising on American apart. The nations were on technicians and their families… soil. Howard P. Robertson of opposite ends of the modern and take them to the American the Field Information Agency, political spectrum—one the zone.”3 With only twenty- Technical, claimed, “In beacon for capitalism and one days until the Soviets allowing the Peenemunde boys free trade, the other the father would occupy the region, to continue their developments, of communism. When Nazi Staver began his scramble to we are perpetuating the Germany was defeated in convince some 500 men to activities of a group which, 1945, the two nations raced join the side of the United if ever allowed to return to to attain any resources that States. In the first few days of Germany or to communicate could help them promote their the mission it seemed that all with Germany, can in fact own agendas on the world was hopeless. With no promise contribute to Germany’s stage. Perhaps the most vital of permanent employment ability to make war.” However, resources lay in the minds of or security for their families, advisors in closer connection the hundreds of scientists who many of the scientists and with President Truman had catapulted Germany ahead technicians turned the convinced him that, in light of of the international scientific Americans down. It was not a more powerful Soviet Union, community with their work until Wernher von Braun, the refusing the scientists would on the V-2 rocket—a weapon leading missile expert in the be a foolish and maybe even that had been successfully fired world, flew to Nordhausen to fatal decision.

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