This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.
Most items in the Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings series are letters of thanks Workman received shortly after his television appearance. Viewers and listeners sent 23 acknowledgments in letters, postcards, and telegrams, most written on September 30, 1957. Though the overwhelming majority of correspondents provided positive feedback, one provided a strongly negative response. Most letters originated from viewers in southern states, who lauded Workman for his comments on the effects of integration policies on the South, and often expressed their own opinions and thoughts on racial issues and on relations between the North and South. Writers overwhelmingly supported segregation. Many referred to the right to self-governance, and a man named Ed. C. Dennis, Jr., jokingly referred to the possibility of South Carolina seceding from the Union. One woman also noted her father's service in the Confederate Army, and many writers commented on recent desegregation attempts in Little Rock, Arkansas. A few correspondents also shared their feelings, usually negative, about Jews and Catholics. Workman received newspaper clippings and pamphlets on similar topics, particularly on religious and political issues; one took exception to the upcoming film Island in the Sun, which featured interracial romances. The series also holds a bundled group of letters between Workman and producers at CBS, who thanked him for his participation in the program.
The Typescript and Photograph series contains a typescript of the "Report on Integration," which aired on CBS television on September 29, 1957, and on CBS radio on September 30, 1957, as well as a black-and-white photograph of the panel participants.
William D. Workman, the son of Major William Workman and his wife Vivian, was born on August 10, 1914, and lived in Greenville, South Carolina. He graduated from The Citadel in 1935 and in 1957 was working as a correspondent for several newspapers, including the Charleston News and Courier, the Greenville News, and the Southern School News. On September 29, 1957, he appeared on a CBS television program entitled "Report on Integration," in which he discussed the effects of racial integration policies on southern schools. His defense of segregation stemmed from a strong belief in states' rights and southern culture. Other panelists included Don Shoemaker, Weldon James, and Joseph B. Parham, who were all involved with the Southern School News; Griffing Bancroft moderated the discussion. Workman served as the editor of The State between 1966 and 1972, and was involved in the Republican Party's resurgence in South Carolina during the 1960s. He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1962 and for South Carolina Governor in 1982. Workman wrote several books about southern culture, including The Case for the South (1960), respecting his views on regional segregation. He died in Greenville on November 3, 1990.