The Inauguration of our Alabama Constitutional officials was Monday. Our state constitution calls for the inauguration to be held on the third Monday in January.  As you would expect and as Almanac’s suggest, it is usually a cold day.  Over the years I have had countless folks harken back to their high school band experiences of marching in the Inaugural Parade, especially ladies who had been majorettes.  They had to march and twirl a baton in 20 degree weather with skimpy, legless, bathing suit style attire.  It left them with a lasting indelible memory of an Alabama Gubernatorial Inauguration.

Mind you, I was not there, but every old timer who has talked politics with me over the years and who have seen a good many inaugurations, will remark that the January 1963 George Wallace initial inauguration as governor was the coldest.  There was a lot of frost bite that day.  However, the inaugural address from George C. Wallace was hot and heavy.  That was the day that Wallace threw down the gauntlet and declared “Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.” That was exactly 60 years ago.