Albert Boutwell
Encyclopedia
Albert Burton Boutwell was the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
. A Democrat
, Boutwell served Governor John Malcolm Patterson
of the same political party, from 1959-1963.
Boutwell graduated from the University of Alabama
with a bachelor of law degree in 1928. While attending university, Boutwell was a member of two fraternities
: the Sigma Delta Kappa law fraternity and the Alpha Phi Epsilon honorary Forensic Fraternity. In his graduating year, Boutwell was also the Student Government Association President.
After practicing law for many years, Boutwell was elected to the Alabama Senate
in 1946. He was re-elected for a second term, during which he served as the president pro-tem
. During his third term, Boutwell served as Chairman of the Interim Legislative Committee on Segregation in the Public Schools, and was elected lieutenant governor in 1958.
Considered a moderate by citizens of Birmingham
during the Civil Rights Movement, Boutwell's election in 1963 as mayor was seen by many as a rejection of Eugene "Bull" Connor's policies on the former City Commission. He was elected just before the mass demonstrations of the "Birmingham Campaign" led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
and Fred Shuttlesworth
. He took office shortly after those demonstrations were met with violence at the hands of police dogs and fire hoses deployed by the lame duck Connor. He was in office a few months before the forced integration of Birmingham schools by the National Guard and the bombing
of 16th Street Baptist Church
, which killed four young girls.
The Municipal Auditorium was renamed in honor of Boutwell.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Boutwell served Governor John Malcolm Patterson
John Malcolm Patterson
John Malcolm Patterson is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Alabama, from 1959 to 1963. Previously he served as State Attorney General ....
of the same political party, from 1959-1963.
Boutwell graduated from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
with a bachelor of law degree in 1928. While attending university, Boutwell was a member of two fraternities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
: the Sigma Delta Kappa law fraternity and the Alpha Phi Epsilon honorary Forensic Fraternity. In his graduating year, Boutwell was also the Student Government Association President.
After practicing law for many years, Boutwell was elected to the Alabama Senate
Alabama Senate
The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens...
in 1946. He was re-elected for a second term, during which he served as the president pro-tem
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
. During his third term, Boutwell served as Chairman of the Interim Legislative Committee on Segregation in the Public Schools, and was elected lieutenant governor in 1958.
Considered a moderate by citizens of Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
during the Civil Rights Movement, Boutwell's election in 1963 as mayor was seen by many as a rejection of Eugene "Bull" Connor's policies on the former City Commission. He was elected just before the mass demonstrations of the "Birmingham Campaign" led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
and Fred Shuttlesworth
Fred Shuttlesworth
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, born Freddie Lee Robinson, was a U.S. civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and other forms of racism as a minister in Birmingham, Alabama...
. He took office shortly after those demonstrations were met with violence at the hands of police dogs and fire hoses deployed by the lame duck Connor. He was in office a few months before the forced integration of Birmingham schools by the National Guard and the bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed on Sunday, September 15, 1963. The explosion at the African-American church, which killed four girls, marked a turning point in the U.S...
of 16th Street Baptist Church
16th Street Baptist Church
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama which is frequented predominately by African Americans. In September 1963, it was the target of the racially motivated 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four girls in the midst of the American Civil Rights...
, which killed four young girls.
The Municipal Auditorium was renamed in honor of Boutwell.