Anecdotes

Died the very night Gary Sinise won an Emmy for portraying him in the TNT mini-series George Wallace (1997).

Was staunchly opposed to integrating Alabama's schools at any level. In 1963 he stood at the door of the admissions office at the University of Alabama and refused to allow two African-American females to enroll at the school. Wallace backed down under pressure from the NAACP and the girls were allowed admission.

While campaigning in Laurel, MD, in May 1972, he was shot four times by a would-be assassin named Arthur Herman Bremer. Three other people were wounded in the shooting; all survived. Bremer's diary, published after his arrest as "An Assassin's Diary", showed that his assassination attempt was not motivated by politics but by a desire to become famous, and that President Richard Nixon had also been a possible target. The assassination attempt left Wallace paralyzed, as one of the bullets that hit him had lodged in his spinal column.

Governor of Alabama (1963-67, 1971-79, 1983-87).

Former governor of Alabama and independent candidate for US presidency.

Governor of Alabama (1962-1966) Candidate for U.S. President (1968, 1972, 1976)

In his 1968 independent campaign for President, he received almost enough total votes to throw the decision of choosing the President into the House of Representatives. Richard Nixon won by a narrow margin.

Nephew of Gov. James E. Folsom Sr..

Cousin of Gov. James E. Folsom Jr..

In 1966 his first wife, Lurleen Burns Wallace, ran for governor of Alabama and won. Wallace wanted to maintain a foothold in Alabama politics while orchestrating his own campaign for President of the US. Lurleen died of cancer while in office in 1968. They had three daughters and a son.