Legal Defense Fund Breaks U. of Mississippi Barrier

Press Release
June 11, 1964

Legal Defense Fund Breaks U. of Mississippi Barrier preview

Fed. Ct. Orders Admission of Cleveland Donald Jr. to U. of Miss. Summer Session

Cite this item

  • Press Releases, Volume 1. Legal Defense Fund Breaks U. of Mississippi Barrier, 1964. b5e849ec-b492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/15bb64bb-bee5-4b7f-bf5d-6b994adc84ee/legal-defense-fund-breaks-u-of-mississippi-barrier. Accessed April 28, 2025.

    Copied!

    10 Columbus Circle 

New York, N.Y. 10019 

| 8) ) JUdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

Legal Defense and Educational LE und 
PRESS. RELEASE 
President Ls 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers 
Director-Counsel 

Jack Greenberg 4 
Associate Counsel 

Constance itker Motley 
LEGAL DEFENSE sEUND- AK 
U. OF MISS$SSTPPI BARRIER 

aioe a . ; 

JACKSON, MISS.--A federal judge" this week issued a temporary 

restraining order requiring University of Mississippi officials 

to admit 18-year old Cleveland Donald, Jr., a Negro transfer 
i 

student, for the University's 1964 summer session, which begant 

today. Acting on a motion brought by NAACP Legal Defense Fu 

; attorneys, Judge William Harold Cox of the Southern District # 

of Mississippi enjoined further efforts to block Donald's im- 

“mediate admission, thereby opening the door for the third 

Negro to enter that state's university. 

In 1962, James H, Meredith became the first Negro to enter 

a previously segregated Mississippi college after lengthy 

litigation. Meredith graduated in August, 1963. In June, 

1963, Clave McDowell became the first Negro to enter the Uni- 

veristy of Mississippi Law School, but was expelled in Septem- 

ber after being apprehended with a gun»on campus. 
‘ 4 

Donald is thus the only Negro in attendance at Ole Miss, — 

£ 
as Legal Defense Fund attorneys are currently appealing 

MeDowell's expulsion to federal court, They contend aitet : 

McDowell had a right under state law to have a gun While ae ; 

veling on the state highways. L se # 

3 Efforts to Continue 4 : Rat 

Legal Defense Fund™»attorney Derrick A, Bell’, who appeared 

/ last week on Donald's behalf, indicated that he was extremely 

: pleased with Judge Cox's decision and stated, "We shall con- 

: tinue our efforts to convince federal judges at the District 

, Court level of the correctness of our position in civil rights 

cases." Mr. Bell was joined in the AEELY by. Director-Counsely 

Jack Greenberg and Associate af Constance | Baler: ‘Motley 
te FS 

in New York and by Carsie A. Hall, , Fund cooperating attorney 

in Jackson. te ey, 
ore 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 



Leg 1 Defense Fund Breaks =2- 
poss issippi Barrier 

Major in political science. He applied for transfers 

His application was provisionally approve | > ae » 1964. 

tions of Higher Learning intervened. 

The Board, a state body whose members are appointed by 

he Governor, ordered the University to defer action on 

Donald's application while they sought an opinion in federal 

to ourt as to whether the Meredith decision i 

dmit all Negroes who applied. Legal Defense Fu ee ers 

Ontended that the prior decision had been a "class action," 

equiring the admission of all qualified Negroes, suet rather 

he University's plans to enroll him peacefully at the school. 

They further argued that the Board's action was designed mere- 

to perpetuate racial segregation at the University. 

idling in favor of the Legal Defense Fund attorneys, 

je Cox gave little consideration to the Board's contention 

the admission of Donald would lead to riots and possible 

loodshed on campus and elsewhere in Mississippi. The es

Copyright notice

© NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

This collection and the tools to navigate it (the “Collection”) are available to the public for general educational and research purposes, as well as to preserve and contextualize the history of the content and materials it contains (the “Materials”). Like other archival collections, such as those found in libraries, LDF owns the physical source Materials that have been digitized for the Collection; however, LDF does not own the underlying copyright or other rights in all items and there are limits on how you can use the Materials. By accessing and using the Material, you acknowledge your agreement to the Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Materials.


Additional info

To the extent that LDF includes information about the Materials’ origins or ownership or provides summaries or transcripts of original source Materials, LDF does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of such information, transcripts or summaries, and shall not be responsible for any inaccuracies.

Return to top