Adolphine Fletcher Terry

Adolphine Fletcher Terry, (1882 - 1976), was an American political and social activist in the state of Arkansas. She was primarily responsible for reopening the Little Rock, Arkansas public school system and bringing to a close the Little Rock Crisis of 1958.

Adolphine Fletcher Terry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1882 to a socially prominent family. She was the sister of Pulitzer Prize winning poet John Gould Fletcher and the daughter of a Confederate officer.

Terry, through her activism, was instrumental in establishing the first juvenile court system in Arkansas. She advocated for the establishment of a free statewide library system. Terry maintained an interest in education throughout her life and led efforts to consolidate school districts and provide transportation for rural students. She was an advocate of hiring professional school administrators and formed the first school improvement association in the state.

In 1958 Terry founded the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools as a critical response to the Little Rock Crisis over school integration. Her leadership of the white women of Little Rock was a major obstacle to the efforts of Governor Orval Faubus to keep the schools from integrating.

Terry formed the Little Rock chapter of the American Association of University Women and also the Pulaski County, Arkansas tuberculosis association. She was instrumental in forming the local Community Chest which was a forerunner of the United Way of America.

Terry was a trustee of the Little Rock Public Library for over 40 years. A Little Rock public library branch is named in her memory. For her leadership efforts during the 1958 racial integration crisis the Arkansas Times newspaper selected her as one of its Arkansans of the Century.

Adolphine Fletcher Terry is buried at historic Mount Holly Cemetery in downtown Little Rock. She and her sister willed the family mansion to the city of Little Rock for use by the Arkansas Arts Center.