James Hood

For other people named James Hood, seeJames Hood (disambiguation).

James Hood
Plaque commemorating Hood at theUniversity of AlabamainTuscaloosa, Alabama
Born	James Alexander Hood (1942-11-10)November 10, 1942 Gadsden, Alabama,U.S.
Died	January 17, 2013(2013-01-17)(aged 70) Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.
Education	Clark College University of Alabama Wayne State University Michigan State University
Occupation(s)	Civil rightsactivist; chairman of public safety services
Known for	Among firstAfrican Americansto register at the University of Alabama

James Alexander Hood(November 10, 1942 – January 17, 2013) was one of the firstAfrican Americansto enroll at theUniversity of Alabamain 1963, and was made famous whenAlabama GovernorGeorge Wallaceattempted to block him and fellow studentVivian Malonefrom enrolling at the then all-white university, an incident which became known as the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door".

On June 11, 1963, in a ceremonial demonstration, Wallace stood in front of the university'sFoster Auditorium.Hood arrived to pay his fees, accompanied byVivian MaloneandDeputy Attorney GeneralNicholas Katzenbach.Wallace intended to keep true to his promise of upholding segregation in the state and stopping "integration at the schoolhouse door".As Malone and Hood waited in a car, Deputy Attorney General Katzenbach and a small team of federal marshals confronted Wallace to demand that he step aside and allow Malone and Hood entry, by order of the state court. Wallace not only refused the order, he interrupted Katzenbach and, in front of the crowds of media crews surrounding him, delivered a short, symbolic speech concerning state sovereignty, claiming that: "The unwelcomed, unwanted, unwarranted and force-induced intrusion upon the campus of the University of Alabama... of the might of the Central Government offers frightful example of the oppression of the rights, privileges and sovereignty of this State by officers of the Federal Government."

After seeing that Wallace would not step aside, Katzenbach called upon the assistance of PresidentJohn F. Kennedyto force Wallace to permit the black students' entry into the university.President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard later the same day, which put them under the command of the President, rather than the Governor of Alabama. Guardsmen escorted Hood and Malone back to the auditorium, where Wallace moved aside at the request ofGeneral Henry Graham.Hood and Malone then entered the building, albeit through another door.

Hood left the university after only two months, but returned in 1995 to begin earning his doctorate degree.On May 17, 1997, he received a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies.Wallace planned to give Hood his degree, but poor health prevented him from attending the ceremony. Hood himself was convinced Wallace had been sincere about this, as he wrote in an interchange following aPBSdocumentary on Wallace,Setting the Woods on Fire.Hood attended Wallace's funeral in 1998, imploring others to forgive Wallace as he had,since Wallace had publicly apologized for his previous actions.

Hood received a bachelor's degree fromMichigan'sWayne State Universityand a master's degree fromMichigan State University.He later moved toWisconsin,where he worked at theMadison Area Technical Collegefor 26 years. He retired in 2002 as chairman of public safety services in charge of police and fire training.He then moved back toGadsden, Alabama,the city in which he was born, where he died at home on January 17, 2013, at the age of 70.

See also

• Stand in the Schoolhouse Door