William Armistead "Tacky" Gayle, Jr. (March 5, 1896 – July 5, 1965) was an American politician for the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, soldier and writer who was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Montgomery,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, from 1951 to 1959. Gayle was born in 1896, the son of William A. and Mary (née Winn) Gayle. He served during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in the United States Navy, having attended the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

. He later attended the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

from 1915 to 1916. After the war, he worked for the Anderson Coal Company as a manager. Gayle, who held the rank of Brigadier General, was appointed by Governor Bibb Graves on April 2, 1935 to serve as Adjutant General of Alabama. He previously served as Assistant Adjutant General in Graves' administration. He resigned on October 1, 1935 to become commissioner of Montgomery, Alabama. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Gayle returned to active duty, serving in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. After the war, he would continue to serve in the

Alabama National Guard The Alabama National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S State of Alabama, and consists of the Alabama Army National Guard and the Alabama Air National Guard. (The Alabama State Defense Force is the third military unit of the Alabama Milita ...

. He served as public works commissioner of the City of Montgomery when he was elected as mayor in 1951. Gayle served as Mayor of Montgomery from 1951 to 1959. The

Montgomery bus boycott The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a foundational event in the civil rights movement in the United States ...

occurred during his term as mayor from 1955 to 1956. He was named the defendant of the ''

Browder v. Gayle ''Browder v. Gayle'', 142 F. Supp. 707 (1956),''Browder v. Gayle''
14 ...

'' federal court case that ended the boycott and racial segregation on the buses in Montgomery. Gayle died on July 5, 1965. The

W. A. Gayle Planetarium The W.A. Gayle Planetarium is operated by Troy University for the city of Montgomery, Alabama. It provides public presentations and exhibits on astronomy, planetary science, and space exploration. Overview The W.A. Gayle Planetarium is a plane ...

in Montgomery's Oak Park is named in his honor.

Civil rights record

Gayle was initially a moderate to even moderate liberal on the issue of civil rights for African-Americans, enjoying a high popularity among that race; however, as the bus boycotting continued, Gayle took more aggressive stances against African-Americans, particularly those boycotting, thus losing his popularity and standing among the city's African-American population.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gayle, W. A. 1896 births 1965 deaths Mayors of Montgomery, Alabama Military personnel from Montgomery, Alabama United States Naval Academy alumni University of Alabama alumni 20th-century American politicians