Nicholas Katzenbach

On June 11, 1963, Nicholas deB. Katzenbach, then deputy attorney general of the United States, was a primary participant in one of the most famous incidents of the civil rights struggle. Alabama Governor George Wallace stood in front of UA’s Foster Auditorium in an attempt to stop desegregation of that institution by the enrollment of two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood. This became known as “The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.” Wallace stood aside only after being confronted by Katzenbach, accompanied by federal marshals and the Alabama National Guard. Katzenbach avoided a direct confrontation. He said to Wallace: “From the outset, Governor, all of us have known that the final chapter of this history will be the admission of these students.”

A supporter of civil rights, Katzenbach oversaw departmental operations in desegregating the University of Mississippi in September 1962 and the University of Alabama in June 1963. He also worked with Congress to ensure the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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