Folsom As Governor
Folsom was elected governor for the first time in 1946. He waged a colorful campaign with a hillbilly band and brandished a mop and bucket which he said would "clean out" the Capitol. Despite some scandals in his administration, he was easily elected to a second non-consecutive term in 1954. The Alabama Constitution at that time forbade a governor from succeeding himself, then a common provision in most southern states. Folsom was 6'8" and employed the slogan "the little man's big friend."
On December 1, 1955, during Folsom's second term, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery city bus. Her actions sparked the modern civil rights movement.
In 1958, Governor Folsom commuted a death sentence imposed on James E. Wilson, an African American sentenced to death for a $1.95 robbery. The Wilson case sparked international protests, but some segregationists called for Folsom not to commute the sentence.
On the other hand, Folsom did not intervene in another controversial case, that of Jeremiah Reeves, who was electrocuted the same year, also sparking protests.
Read more about this topic: Jim Folsom
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