Adolphine Fletcher Terry

Who was Adolphine Fletcher Terry?

Adolphine Fletcher Terry, was an American political and social activist in the state of Arkansas. She was primarily responsible for reopening the Little Rock, Arkansas public school system and bringing to a close the Little Rock Crisis of 1958.

Adolphine Fletcher Terry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1882 to a socially prominent family. She was the sister of Pulitzer Prize winning poet John Gould Fletcher and the daughter of a Confederate officer.

Terry, through her activism, was instrumental in establishing the first juvenile court system in Arkansas. She advocated for the establishment of a free statewide library system. Terry maintained an interest in education throughout her life and led efforts to consolidate school districts and provide transportation for rural students. She was an advocate of hiring professional school administrators and formed the first school improvement association in the state.

In 1958 Terry founded the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools as a critical response to the Little Rock Crisis over school integration.