Eldon Lee Edwards (June 8, 1909 – August 1, 1960) was an American

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

leader.

Biography

Edwards was an automobile paint sprayer from

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and rebuilt the Klan beginning in 1953. In his book ''The Informant: The FBI, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Murder of Viola Liuzzo'', Gary May notes that Edwards became prominent at a time when the Klan was splintered into different local groups. Edwards succeeded Samuel Roper and was elected leader of the third KKK which was reestablished at

Stone Mountain Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome Inselberg, monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Ge ...

by Samuel Green in 1946, the successor of the

second KKK The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian extremist, white supremacist, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction in the devastated South. Various historians hav ...

.Staff report (March 4, 1986). Samuel W. Roper, 90, was second director of GBI in early 1940s. ''

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...

'' In 1955, Edwards created his own organization, "U.S. Klans, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan", and established a 15,000 strong following in nine south eastern American states.Review of The Informant: The FBI, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Murder of Viola Liuzzo by May, Gary, 2005 at www.wnyc.org
In the late 1950s, Edwards joined forces with

Roy Elonzo Davis Roy Elonza Davis (April 24, 1890 – August 12, 1966) was an American preacher, white supremacist, and con artist who co-founded the second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915. Davis was Second Degree (second in command) of the KKK under Willi ...

who was Imperial Wizard of the Original Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and one of the founding members of the second KKK who was leading the KKK in the western southern states. Edwards appointed Davis as Grand Dragon of the KKK in Texas in 1958 in an effort to merge their organizations. Edwards was interviewed by

Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade car ...

on May 5, 1957, as noted in Wallace's 2006 book ''Between You and Me''. Wallace confronted Edwards over his racism and the violence of the KKK. Edwards explained to Wallace that he believed segregation was instituted by God, and cited various bible verses to support his position. He insisted that racial segregation was a key tenet of true Christianity, and rejected the teachings of other Christian leaders who supported racial integration. Edwards, long diagnosed with heart disease, died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in Atlanta on August 1, 1960. In his last public appearance, Edwards said, "We have more right to organize than the communists and the NAACP," and added, "We white people are the inheritors of this country. We do not intend to surrender it." When Edwards died, his KKK organization splintered as different men attempted to take leadership. Roy Davis claimed to news media that he was the true successor of Edwards, claiming to have been elected to the position in 1959.

References

External links

Eldon Edwards on ''The Mike Wallace Interview''
1909 births 1960 deaths American Ku Klux Klan members Leaders of the Ku Klux Klan {{US-activist-stub People from Atlanta