President Eisenhower’s Letter Supporting the Families of the Little Rock Nine (1957)

Date: October 4, 1957

Created By: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Original or Replica: Original

Era: Civil Rights, The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Records as President, Official File, Box 615, OF 142 A-5-A (5); NAID #17366887

This document is a personal letter written by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to W. B. Brown of Little Rock, Arkansas, on October 4, 1957, shortly after the federal intervention in the Little Rock Crisis. Brown had previously sent the President a telegram, signed by several parents, expressing support for the enforcement of the law during the integration of Little Rock Central High School. In his reply, President Eisenhower thanks Brown for the message and reaffirms his constitutional duty to uphold the decisions of the United States Supreme Court.

In the letter, Eisenhower emphasizes that his oath of office requires him to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and to ensure that the nation’s laws are faithfully executed. He explains that his actions in Little Rock were undertaken not only for the benefit of Americans living at the time but also to preserve the nation’s constitutional system for future generations. The President also offers words of encouragement to Brown and his children, expressing admiration for the dignity and courage they demonstrated during the crisis and stating that the nation’s sympathies were with families who faced hostility while supporting the rule of law.