re: Why Did Bear Bryant Wait Seven Years to Integrate Bama Football?

In the mid 60s Bryant probably had very little clout when it came to dealing with Wallace. Anyone looking back has no idea how powerful George Wallace was in Alabama during the 60s. Most rural Alabamians had 2 pictures in their living rooms...one of Jesus and one of George Wallace. In 1966 Wallace couldn't run for Governor again because of term limits, so he ran his wife. She carried all but one county in the state.

Make no mistake. George Wallace ran the state of Alabama through the mid-sixties. His campaign for president in 1968 was based on fighting desegregation. No, he would not have taken kindly to having his Alma mater integrated while he was actively fighting integration.