On this day in Alabama history: Entrepreneur A.G. Gaston’s home was bombed

Published On: 09.12.17 |

By: 9316

On this day in Alabama history: Entrepreneur A.G. Gaston’s home was bombed

Sept 12 feature

Demopolis native A.G. Gaston (1892-1996) was a successful Birmingham businessman with a wide range of interests, including banking, construction, funeral services and real estate. Gaston was a key figure during the civil rights movement in Birmingham, supporting activists' efforts financially while receiving criticism for being an accommodationist. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Birmingham Public Library)

September 12, 1963

African-American entrepreneur A.G. Gaston’s home in Birmingham was bombed because of his support of the civil rights movement. A Demopolis native, Gaston rose from humble beginnings to build a $40 million business empire that included a bank, business college, construction company, motel, real estate business, insurance company, two cemeteries and two radio stations. Though he was not outspoken about civil rights, Gaston used his wealth to support equal treatment of blacks. He was inducted into the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame and his Gaston Motel was included as part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument created in 2017.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Promotional material for the statewide spelling bee founded by Birmingham businessman A.G. Gaston in 1953 to encourage academic improvement. By 1965, every school in the city participated in the bee. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute)

Birmingham businessman A.G. Gaston, right, in July 1957 at his motel on Fifth Avenue North, in what is now the Birmingham Civil Rights District. In 2017, the Gaston Motel was named as part of the new Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument by President Barack Obama. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Birmingham Civil Rights Institute)