President Eisenhower’s Statement Following the Withdrawal of the Arkansas National Guard in Little Rock (1957)

Date: September 21, 1957

Created By: James Hagerty

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency, Civil Rights

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: Gerald D. Morgan Records, Box 6, Civil Rights (2); NAID #17366808

This document is a public statement issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 21, 1957, during the Little Rock Crisis. Released by the White House through Press Secretary James C. Hagerty, the statement followed three significant developments: Governor Orval Faubus withdrew the Arkansas National Guard from Little Rock Central High School, the Little Rock School Board announced it would proceed with school integration, and local law enforcement declared its readiness to maintain peace and order.

In his statement, President Eisenhower expresses confidence that the citizens of Little Rock would respect the rule of law and allow the federal court’s desegregation order to be carried out peacefully. He commends those who had demonstrated restraint during the crisis, voices sympathy for the Little Rock Nine and their families, and urges the public to reject violence and extremism. Eisenhower concludes by expressing his hope that the city and the state would seize the opportunity to demonstrate that federal court orders could be enforced promptly and without disorder.