On This Day In Alabama History: Lurleen Wallace Inaugurated As Governor

By Graydon Rust Alabama 200

January 16, 1967

Lurleen B. Wallace was inaugurated as Alabama’s first female governor. Originally a stand-in candidate for her husband and former Gov. George Wallace, Lurleen Wallace eventually earned the admiration and respect of the public as she handily won the gubernatorial election. While in office, she continued her husband’s fight against federal, court-ordered desegregation but succeeded in bringing attention to the treatment of the elderly and mentally ill. She also advocated for the creation of more state parks and recreational facilities. Lurleen Wallace died from cancer only 16 months after taking office, and more than 30,000 Alabamians attended her funeral as she lay in state in the Capitol rotunda. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 1973.

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