Governor George Wallace announced as a potential speaker at Southern Student Exchange orientation – sites campus wide discussion

October 15, 1963

Governor George Wallace announced as a potential speaker at Southern Student Exchange orientation – sites campus wide discussion

In a front page story in the Sophian, it is announced that Governor George Wallace of Alabama, known for his opposition to integration, has been approached by Smith’s Executive Board to speak on his New England tour in JMG, as part of the Southern Student Exchange Orientation. The SSE was created in 1961 by the Student Government Association (SGA), to bridge the divide between the North and South by having delegates from various schools exchange places for a week, and featuring guest speakers on Smith Campus to foster dialogue. While past years focused on the differences of everyday life, 1963 focused on the civil rights movement. George Wallace’s impending visit sparked sharp controversy on Smith’s campus, and in the days leading up to his arrival the Sophian’s pages were filled with letters to the editor. While the general student population agreed on Wallace’s bigotry, debate sprung as to what his reception should be. Some said a civil protest was in order, while others felt that such action would go against Smith’s ideals of intellectual and cultural exchange.

Gov. Wallace May Speak As Part Of Southern Exchange (1, 4)

Wants Demonstration Not Speech Attendance; Show Disapproval By Specific Action; Respond To Wallace In Organized Silence; Wallace Protest Violates Ideals; Silent Censure Forms Most Effective Protest

Letter to the Editor: If Wallace Comes

[Last updated on October 31, 2018]