George LeMaistre facts for kids
George A. LeMaistre (September 8, 1911–September 26, 1994) was an important American who worked as a lawyer, banker, and professor. He also led a government agency called the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC helps protect people's money in banks. LeMaistre was from Alabama and bravely spoke out against segregation in 1962, even challenging the state's governor-elect, George C. Wallace.
Early Life and Education
George LeMaistre was born in Lockhart, Alabama. This town was created by a lumber company. His father, John Wesley LeMaistre, worked for the lumber company and later became a director at the First National Bank. His mother, Edith (McLeod) LeMaistre, was a teacher. His family became quite successful.
George LeMaistre went to the University of Alabama School of Law and graduated in 1933.
Career and Public Service
In 1939, LeMaistre began teaching law at the University of Alabama, a job he continued for many years. Later, in 1960, he became the chairman and president of the City National Bank of Tuscaloosa.
He was also active in politics as a Democrat. He supported John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 when they ran for president. Even though LeMaistre was a Democrat, Republican President Richard M. Nixon appointed him to the board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He became the chairman of the FDIC in June 1977, serving until August 1978.
Standing Up for Civil Rights
Historian Dan T. Carter called George LeMaistre one of the "real heroes among white businessmen." In the early 1960s, LeMaistre urged Alabama to accept integration and follow the law. Integration meant ending the separation of people based on race.
After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which said that separate public facilities for different races were unfair and against the law, LeMaistre quietly told other business leaders that Alabama should stop segregation. He pointed to what happened in Arkansas when people resisted the integration of schools in Little Rock. He believed Alabama should learn from that experience.
However, after a riot at the University of Mississippi in 1962 and Governor Wallace's promise to stand in the schoolhouse door to stop integration, LeMaistre decided he had to speak out publicly.
In November 1962, he gave a speech to the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club. Even though he wasn't known for exciting speeches, he spoke with great feeling. He told the audience that it was time for white Alabamians to take a moral stand. He explained that integration was not just about money, but also about what was legal and what was right.
LeMaistre said, "For too long now, rabble-rousing hate groups and loud-mouthed politicians have undertaken to state the Southern viewpoint on matters which affect our lives." He reminded everyone that the Supreme Court was the "final interpreter of the Constitution." He added that no state official "has the right to put himself above the law." Then, looking around the room, he added, "And that includes a governor or a governor-elect."
Historian Carter wrote that "There was an audible gasp of shock," and then, "almost everyone in the crowded room stood and applauded." This showed how brave LeMaistre was to speak such words in Alabama at that time.
Later, LeMaistre was part of a group of four people who met with the new Governor Wallace. LeMaistre argued that they should follow the law as decided by the Supreme Court. However, Governor Wallace disagreed, saying it was just the opinion of nine men. He even said that "law and order" was a "communist term."
Death
George A. LeMaistre passed away in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1994. He died from problems after heart surgery.
