Governor Almond Press Conference on Desegregation and Public Schools
(WDBJ Television, Roanoke, VA)

Governor Almond maintained that public opinion in Virginia, and in Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Warren County, was heavily in favor of segregated schools. Almond furthermore argued that Virginia students who were educated in its segregated system were just as "patriotic," "loyal," and capable as those educated in other parts of the United States. Almond declared he had no concept of "surrender" in his make up and would fight integration with every tactic he could devise. Integration in some areas of Virginia, according to Almond, would "absolutely destroy public education in Virginia." To those in Virginia who supported integration and those who were indifferent, Almond argued that integration would cripple the "efficiency" of the schools in the state so much so that the state could not maintain public education.