Adolphine Fletcher Terry
Encyclopedia
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
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political and social activist in the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. She was primarily responsible for reopening the Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
public school system and bringing to a close the Little Rock Crisis of 1958.
Adolphine Fletcher Terry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
in 1882 to a socially prominent family. She was the sister of Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning poet John Gould Fletcher
John Gould Fletcher
John Gould Fletcher was an Imagist poet and author. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to a socially prominent family. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover Fletcher went on to Harvard University from 1903 to 1907, when he dropped out shortly after his father's death.Fletcher lived in...
and the daughter of a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
officer.
Terry, through her activism, was instrumental in establishing the first juvenile court
Juvenile court
A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority...
system in Arkansas. She advocated for the establishment of a free statewide library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
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
Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools
The Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools was an organization formed by a group of socially prominent white women in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas during the Little Rock Crisis in 1958....
as a critical response to the Little Rock Crisis over school integration
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
. Her leadership of the white women of Little Rock was a major obstacle to the efforts of Governor Orval Faubus
Orval Faubus
Orval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
to keep the schools from integrating.
Terry formed the Little Rock chapter of the American Association of University Women
American Association of University Women
The American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. It was founded in 1882 by Ellen Swallow Richards and Marion Talbot...
and also the Pulaski County, Arkansas tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
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
Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times, a weekly alternative newspaper based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a publication that has circulated for more than 35 years, originally as a magazine. Its current format stems from reaction to the Arkansas Democrat buyout of assets from Gannett's closure of the Arkansas Gazette in...
newspaper selected her as one of its Arkansans of the Century.
Adolphine Fletcher Terry is buried at historic Mount Holly Cemetery
Mount Holly Cemetery
Mount Holly Cemetery is the original cemetery in the Quapaw Quarter area of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, and is the resting place for numerous Arkansans of note...
in downtown Little Rock. She and her sister willed the family mansion
Terry Mansion
The Terry Mansion is a Victorian style mansion owned by the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the former home of prominent philanthropist and political activist Adolphine Fletcher Terry. She and her sister Mary Fletcher Drennan willed the family mansion to the city, for use by the nearby...
to the city of Little Rock for use by the Arkansas Arts Center
Arkansas Arts Center
One of the leading cultural institutions in the state, the Arkansas Arts Center is located on the corner of 9th and Commerce streets in MacArthur Park, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The Arkansas Arts Center was founded in 1960, but the idea began in 1914, when the Fine Arts Club of Arkansas formed...
.