Parents of the Little Rock Nine Thank President Eisenhower for Enforcing School Integration (1957)

Date: October 1, 1957

Created By: Oscar Eckford, Lothaire Green, Valentine Brown, Lois Pattillo, H.C. Ray, Ellis Thomas, W.L. Roberts, Howard Mothershed

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 (5); NAID #17368589

This telegram was sent to President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 30, 1957, by the parents of the Little Rock Nine, the nine African American students who integrated Little Rock Central High School under federal protection. Sent just days after Eisenhower deployed the 101st Airborne Division and federalized the Arkansas National Guard, the message expresses the parents’ gratitude for the President’s actions in enforcing federal court orders and protecting their children’s constitutional rights.

The parents thank Eisenhower for strengthening their faith in American democracy and affirm that freedom, equality, and equal opportunity are essential to individual growth and responsible citizenship. They praise the President for demonstrating to the nation and the world his commitment to these ideals and conclude by offering their heartfelt thanks and prayers for his continued guidance. The telegram is signed by the parents of each of the nine students, including Oscar Eckford Sr., Juanita Walls, W.B. Brown, Lois Pattillo, H.C. Ray, Ellis Thomas, W.L. Roberts, and Howard Mothershed.