Albert J. Lingo

Albert J. Lingo
Born (1910-01-22)January 22, 1910
Clayton, Alabama
Died August 17, 1969(1969-08-17) (aged 59)
Birmingham, Alabama
Nationality American
Citizenship U.S.A.
Occupation Alabama Highway Patrolman
Known for Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety 1963-1965

Colonel Albert J. Lingo, also known as Al Lingo (January 22, 1910 - August 19, 1969) was a career Alabama Highway Patrolman who served as Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety from 1963 to 1965, including the turbulent early 1960s years marked by marches and demonstrations that characterized the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. South.[1] Lingo's service under Alabama governor George Wallace with regard to the Selma to Montgomery marches has been characterized in a negative light,[2] though Lingo himself disputed that characterization, stating that he was following orders from the governor as required by his oath of office and that he originally wanted to allow the marchers to continue their march.[3] He resigned as director effective October 1, 1965,[4] and later ran for election to be sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama;[5] he died at age 59 on August 17, 1969.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Civil Rights Digital Library: Biography of Albert J. Lingo, http://crdl.usg.edu/people/l/lingo_albert_j_1910/, Digital Library of Georgia, 2009.
  2. ↑ Bill Jones [William Grover Jones]: The Wallace Story, American Southern Publishing, Northport, Ala., 1966.
  3. ↑ Letter from Albert J. Lingo in Birmingham, Alabama, to Bill Jones, press secretary for Governor George Wallace in Montgomery, Alabama, October 15, 1965, http://216.226.178.196/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/voices&CISOPTR=2951&CISOBOX=1&REC=15, Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, Montgomery, Ala. The letter reads: "Dear Sir: An article published recently in the Birmingham News indicated your forthcoming book concerning Governor Wallace will contain a section dealing with the Selma incident. The article plainly stated the Selma incident would be referred to as a "mistake", and that blame for the "mistake" will be placed on me. I sincerely hope this is not true. You know as well as I that my original plan was to permit the demonstrators to march --- as far as they could. You and I both know orders from the Governor's Office changed my original plan and we both know it was the Governor who went on statewide television to announce to the people of Alabama that the march would be stopped. Should your book contain the section mentioned above, I will have no recourse other than to initiate legal action against you. Hoping you understand my position in this matter, I remain, Yours very truly, Albert J. Lingo." See also "Lingo Says March Stopped Because He Was Overruled", Birmingham Post-Herald, April 14, 1966.
  4. ↑ "Col. Al Lingo Resigns", Montgomery [Ala.] Advertiser, September 17, 1965.
  5. ↑ "Lingo Bids For Negro Vote", Alabama Journal, April 13, 1966.
  6. ↑ "Ex-Trooper Chief, Lingo, Dies at 59", Birmingham Post-Herald, August 18, 1969, and "Ex-state official--Heart ailment fatal to Lingo", The Birmingham News, August 18, 1969, p. 24.
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