Book cover of The Schoolhouse Door: Segregation's Last Stand at the University of Alabama

Book description

On June 11, 1963, in a dramatic gesture that caught the nation's attention, Governor George Wallace physically blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium on the University of Alabama's campus. His intent was to defy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, sent on behalf of the Kennedy administration to force Alabama to accept…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Schoolhouse Door as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Every Baby Boomer thinks they know everything there is to know about Gov. George Wallace’s efforts to prevent Black enrollment at the University of Alabama.

What I learned from this book though, was that Tuscaloosa was Wallace’s second choice. NASA had recently helped Alabama open a university campus near its Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, and a Black NASA employee, David McGlathery wanted to integrate it. Wallace thought that his best chance to confront Federal power was to publicly stop McGlathery in NASA’s backyard.

McGlathery was still alive when I was writing my book, but despite entreaties from his wife and…

If you love The Schoolhouse Door...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like The Schoolhouse Door?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Schoolhouse Door.

Browse books like The Schoolhouse Door

Book cover of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Book cover of Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore America's First Civil Rights Martyr
Book cover of Under Sentence of Death: Lynching in the South

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,366

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Schoolhouse Door, you might also like...

Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Coyote Weather

Coyote Weather by Amanda Cockrell,

Coyote weather is the feral, hungry season, drought-stricken, and ready to catch fire. It’s 1967, and the American culture is violently remaking itself while the country is forcibly sending its young men to fight in a deeply unpopular war.

Jerry has stubbornly made no plans for the future because he…

5 book lists we think you will like!