Donald Hollowell | |
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| Born | Donald Lee Hollowell (1917-12-19)December 19, 1917 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 2004(2004-12-27) (aged 87) |
| Education | Lane College (BA) Loyola University Chicago (LLB) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Movement | Civil Rights Movement |
Donald Lee Hollowell (December 19, 1917 – December 27, 2004)[1] was an Americancivil rightsattorney during theCivil Rights Movement, in the state ofGeorgia. He successfully sued to integrate Atlanta's public schools, Georgia colleges, universities and public transit, freedMartin Luther King Jr. from prison, and mentored civil rights attorneys (includingVernon Jordan andHorace Ward). The first black regional director of a federal agency (theEEOC), Hollowell is best remembered for his instrumental role in winning thedesegregation of theUniversity of Georgia in 1961. He is the subject of a 2010 documentary film,Donald L. Hollowell: Foot Soldier for Equal Justice.[2][3][4][5][6]
Donald Hollowell was born inWichita, Kansas, and spent much of his childhood inEureka, Kansas. He earned a high school diploma while serving six years in theU.S. Army's10th Cavalry Regiment (the originalBuffalo Soldier regiment). Although inKansas and therefore not subject to the racistJim Crow laws of the South, he faced blatantracism anddiscrimination while serving in theU.S. Army duringWorld War II. Hollowell recounted that "army officials relegated him to eating in the kitchen, sleeping in quarters adjacent to prisoners, and patronizing Jim Crow canteens." Hollowell's experiences withracial segregation and discrimination and his involvement with theSouthern Negro Youth Congress after the war inspired him to pursue the study of law to help in the fight for social justice.[7] In 1947, Hollowell graduated magna cum laude fromLane College inJackson, Tennessee, and he earned his law degree fromLoyola University Chicago School of Law in 1951.
In 1952, Hollowell set up a law practice inAtlanta, Georgia, where he began to play a major role in the burgeoningcivil rights struggle.[7]
Hollowell became well known for fightingracial segregation in theState of Georgia. Hollowell sued theUniversity of Georgia, charging the institution with racist admission policies. The suit ended in 1961 with a federal court order demanding the admission of twoAfrican-American students,Charlayne Hunter andHamilton E. Holmes.
In 1960, Hollowell and co-counselHorace Ward won a victory in theGeorgia Court of Appeals which secured the release ofMartin Luther King Jr. from theGeorgia State Prison. In another case, Hollowell and members of his firm prevented theexecution of a 15-year-old black youth fromMonticello, Georgia five days before it was scheduled to take place. Hollowell and civil rights champion C. B. King also defended Dr. King and hundreds of civil rights activists in the historic civil rights campaign inAlbany, Georgia known as theAlbany Movement.
In 1966, PresidentLyndon B. Johnson appointed Hollowell as regional director of theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a government agency that monitors workplace discrimination. This appointment made Hollowell the first black regional director of a major federal agency.[7] He remained with the EEOC for nearly 20 years. He also served as president of theVoter Education Project, where he helped increase the number ofAfrican-American voters from 3 million to 5.5 million.[7]
In 2002, theUniversity of Georgia awarded Hollowell its honoraryDoctor of Laws degree.[8]
Hollowell was a dedicated member ofKappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In 1968, he received the Fraternity's highest honor, the Laurel Wreath Award, for his work incivil rights.
Hollowell was married to Louise T. Hollowell, amagna cum laude graduate ofMorris Brown College and a distinguished Professor of English (Emeritus) atMorris Brown. In 1997, Louise Hollowell and Martin Lehfeldt authored a book titledThe Sacred Call: A Tribute to Donald L. Hollowell—Civil Rights Champion, which chronicles Hollowell's service and achievements. The book also tells the love story of Donald and Louise Hollowell, who celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in 2004.[7]
Attorney and Mrs. Hollowell had no children, but were the godparents to Dr. Albert J. H. Sloan, II, past President of Miles College (HBCU) outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
Hollowell died on December 27, 2004, eight days after his 87th birthday, ofheart failure.
To honor him, the City ofAtlanta renamedBankhead Highway (U.S. 78) in his honor;Emory University named a professorship in his honor, as well. Hollowell is the subject of a 2010 documentary film,Donald L. Hollowell: Foot Soldier for Equal Justice, and a full-length biography published in 2013 byUniversity of Georgia Press.[9]
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