Orval Faubus

36th governor of Arkansas (1910-1994)

Orval Eugene Faubus (/ˈfɔːbəs/ FAW-bəs; January 7, 1910 – December 14, 1994) was an American politician. He was the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967. Faubus was a member of the Democratic Party.

Orval Faubus
Faubus in 1959
36th Governor of Arkansas
In office
January 11, 1955 – January 10, 1967
LieutenantNathan Green Gordon
Preceded byFrancis Cherry
Succeeded byWinthrop Rockefeller
Personal details
Born
Orval Eugene Faubus

(1910-01-07)January 7, 1910
Madison County, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 1994(1994-12-14) (aged 84)
Conway, Arkansas, U.S.
Resting placeCombs, Arkansas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
National States' Rights Party
Spouse(s)
Alta Haskins
(m. 2021; div. 1969)
Elizabeth Westmoreland
(m. 1969; died 1983)
Jan Wittenburg
(m. 1986)
Military service
BranchUnited States Army
Years of service1942–1946
RankMajor
Unit320th Infantry Regiment
Battles

In 1957, he refused to comply with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education. He told the Arkansas National Guard to prevent black students from going to Little Rock Central High School. This event became known as the Little Rock Crisis.