Cornelia Wallace
Encyclopedia
Cornelia Ellis Wallace, previously Cornelia Ellis Snively (January 28, 1939 January 8, 2009), was the First Lady of Alabama
from 1971–1978 and the second wife of Democratic
Governor
George C. Wallace (1919–1998). Mrs. Wallace attracted national attention on May 15, 1972, when, at the age of thirty-three, she threw herself over her husband when he was shot four times by Arthur Bremer
during an assassination
attempt at a shopping center in Laurel, Maryland
. At the time, Wallace was seeking support in his bid for his party's presidential nomination
.
Mrs. Wallace was born in Elba, Alabama
in southeastern Alabama to Charles G. Ellis, a civil engineer
who died in 1960, and the former Ruby Folsom. She attended Methodist Huntingdon College
and Rollins College
in Winter Park, Florida
and studied voice and piano
. Mrs. Wallace sang and played guitar
and toured Australia
and Hawaii
with Country music
singer Roy Acuff
. She wrote and performed two songs for M-G-M: "It's No Summer Love" and "Baby with the Barefoot Feet". Following her father's death she and her mother, who was not wealthy but had many wealthy and influential contacts, often house sat for wealthy friends in Washington D.C. and other cities in order to live beyond their limited means. She first married John Snively, whose family owned the tourist attraction Cypress Gardens
. The couple had two sons: James and Joshua. The couple divorced in 1969.
Cornelia Wallace was a niece of a George Wallace's rival, former Governor James E. Folsom, whom Wallace had defeated in the 1962 Democratic primary
. She married Wallace on January 4, 1971, shortly before he was inaugurated for the second of his four nonconsecutive terms as governor, and two and a half years following the death of his first wife, Governor Lurleen B. Wallace (1926–1968).
The Wallaces divorce
d in January 1978, amid claims that she had bugged
his telephone
in the Governor's Mansion. She received no spousal support from Wallace due to his claims of her infidelity after his attempted assassination. Mrs. Wallace entered the Democratic primary for governor in 1978 but did little active campaigning and finished last with only 217 votes among the thirteen candidates.
Cornelia Wallace later moved to central Florida to be near her sons from her first marriage. In 1997, Turner Network Television
produced the television movie
George Wallace
, with Gary Sinise
in the title role, and Angelina Jolie
as Cornelia Wallace. Wallace criticized the script for portraying her as a frivolous person.
Wallace died of cancer
in Sebring, Florida
on January 8, 2009.
Alabama state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham
recalled that Mrs. Wallace is "etched in Alabamians' memory because of the tragedy" in Maryland. William Stewart, a political scientist at the University of Alabama
at Tuscaloosa
, said that he remains impressed by Mrs. Wallace's bravery during the shooting and her loyalty to her husband during his long recovery from the wounds that left his legs paralyzed and rendered him permanently in a wheelchair
. Turnham also recalled that as first lady, Mrs. Wallace urged Alabamians to plant vegetable
gardens to be more self-reliant.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
from 1971–1978 and the second wife of Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George C. Wallace (1919–1998). Mrs. Wallace attracted national attention on May 15, 1972, when, at the age of thirty-three, she threw herself over her husband when he was shot four times by Arthur Bremer
Arthur Bremer
Arthur Herman Bremer is an American convicted for an assassination attempt on U.S. Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace on May 15, 1972 in Laurel, Maryland, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life...
during an assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt at a shopping center in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
. At the time, Wallace was seeking support in his bid for his party's presidential nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
.
Mrs. Wallace was born in Elba, Alabama
Elba, Alabama
Elba is a city in Coffee County, Alabama. At the time of the 2000 U.S. census, its population was 4,185.Elba is the official county seat of Coffee County, though Coffee County has two County Courthouses, with the other one being located in the town of Enterprise...
in southeastern Alabama to Charles G. Ellis, a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who died in 1960, and the former Ruby Folsom. She attended Methodist Huntingdon College
Huntingdon College
Huntingdon College, founded in 1854, is a coeducational liberal arts college in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Related to the United Methodist Church, the college's central hallmarks are faith, wisdom, and service. The college is known for providing a solid academic experience based on good...
and Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and studied voice and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Mrs. Wallace sang and played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
with Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
. She wrote and performed two songs for M-G-M: "It's No Summer Love" and "Baby with the Barefoot Feet". Following her father's death she and her mother, who was not wealthy but had many wealthy and influential contacts, often house sat for wealthy friends in Washington D.C. and other cities in order to live beyond their limited means. She first married John Snively, whose family owned the tourist attraction Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens was an American theme park near Winter Haven, Florida, that operated from 1936 to 2009.-History:Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope Sr. and his wife Julie...
. The couple had two sons: James and Joshua. The couple divorced in 1969.
Cornelia Wallace was a niece of a George Wallace's rival, former Governor James E. Folsom, whom Wallace had defeated in the 1962 Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. She married Wallace on January 4, 1971, shortly before he was inaugurated for the second of his four nonconsecutive terms as governor, and two and a half years following the death of his first wife, Governor Lurleen B. Wallace (1926–1968).
The Wallaces divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in January 1978, amid claims that she had bugged
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
his telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
in the Governor's Mansion. She received no spousal support from Wallace due to his claims of her infidelity after his attempted assassination. Mrs. Wallace entered the Democratic primary for governor in 1978 but did little active campaigning and finished last with only 217 votes among the thirteen candidates.
Cornelia Wallace later moved to central Florida to be near her sons from her first marriage. In 1997, Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
produced the television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
George Wallace
George Wallace (film)
George Wallace is a 1997 television film starring Gary Sinise as George Wallace, the former Governor of Alabama. It was directed by John Frankenheimer, who won an Emmy award for it; Sinise and Mare Winningham also won Emmies for their performances...
, with Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
in the title role, and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
as Cornelia Wallace. Wallace criticized the script for portraying her as a frivolous person.
Wallace died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Sebring, Florida
Sebring, Florida
Sebring is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District...
on January 8, 2009.
Alabama state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham
Joe Turnham
Joe Turnham is a United States politician who currently chairs the Alabama Democratic Party.-Family and education:...
recalled that Mrs. Wallace is "etched in Alabamians' memory because of the tragedy" in Maryland. William Stewart, a political scientist at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
at Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, said that he remains impressed by Mrs. Wallace's bravery during the shooting and her loyalty to her husband during his long recovery from the wounds that left his legs paralyzed and rendered him permanently in a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. Turnham also recalled that as first lady, Mrs. Wallace urged Alabamians to plant vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
gardens to be more self-reliant.