Executive Order 10730: Desegregation of Central
High School (1957) - Transcript
EXECUTIVE
ORDER 10730
PROVIDING
ASSISTANCE FOR THE REMOVAL OF AN OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF
ARKANSAS
WHEREAS
on September 23, 1957, I issued Proclamation No.3204 reading in part as
follows:
"WHEREAS
certain persons in the state of Arkansas, individually and in unlawful
assemblages, combinations, and conspiracies, have wifully obstructed the
enforcement of orders of the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Arkansas with respect to mat ters relating to enrollment and
attendance at public schools, particularly at Central High School, located in
Little Rock School District, Little Rock, Arkansas; and
"WHEREAS
such wilful obstruction of d justice hinders the execution of the laws of that
State and of the United States, and makes it impracticable to enforce such laws
by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings; and
"WHEREAS
such obstruction of justice constitutes a denial of the equal protection of the
laws secured by the Constitution of the United States and impedes the course of
justice under those laws:
"NOW,
THEREFORE, I, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, President of the United States, under and
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the
United States, including Chapter 15 of Title 10 of the United States Code,
particularly sections 332, 333 and 334 thereof, do command all persons engaged
in such obstruction of justice to cease and desist therefrom, and to disperse
forthwith;" and
WHEREAS
the command contained in that Proclamation has not been obeyed and wilful
obstruction of enforcement of said court orders still exists and threatens to
continue:
NOW,
THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
Statutes of the United States, including Chapter 15 of Title 10, particularly
sections 332, 333 and 334 thereof, and section 301 of Title 3 of the United
States Code, It is hereby ordered as follows:
SECTION
1. I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of Defense to order into the
active military service of the United States as he may deem appropriate to
carry out the purposes of this Order, any or all of the units of the National
Guard of the United States and of the Air National Guard of the United States
within the State of Arkansas to serve in the active military service of the
United States for an indefinite period and until relieved by appropriate
orders.
SEC.
2. The Secretary of Defense is authorized and directed to take all appropriate
steps to enforce any orders of the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Arkansas for the removal of obstruction of justice in the State of
Arkansas with respect to matters relating to enrollment and attendance at
public schools in the Little Rock School District, Little Rock, Arkansas. In
carrying out the provisions of this section, the Secretary of Defense is
authorized to use the units, and members thereof, ordered into the active
military service of the United States pursuant to Section 1 of this Order.
SEC.
3. In furtherance of the enforcement of the aforementioned orders of the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Secretary of
Defense is authorized to use such of the armed forces of the United States as
he may deem necessary.
SEC.
4. The Secretary of Defense is authorized to delegate to the Secretary of the
Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, or both, any of the authority conferred
upon him by this Order.
DWIGHT
D. EISENHOWER
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 24, 1957.