George Wallace & Wife Personally Owned Hunting License, Right Before He Was Shot

Title:
Pair of 1971–72 Alabama Hunting Licenses Issued to Governor George C. Wallace and First Lady Cornelia Wallace – Issued Months Before Wallace’s Assassination Attempt

Description:
Offered here is a remarkable matched pair of original Alabama State Hunting Licenses, issued for the 1971–72 season, belonging to then-Governor George C. Wallace and his wife, Cornelia E. Wallace. These printed yellow licenses, each measuring approximately 4" x 2.5", are designated No. 1S and No. 2S, reflecting their issuance to the state's highest elected official and the First Lady.

• License No. 1S is issued to George C. Wallace, age 52, listing his address as the Governor's Mansion, Montgomery, with physical details noted: height 5'7", weight 156 lbs., brown eyes, black hair, male.

• License No. 2S is issued to Cornelia E. Wallace, age 32, also of the Governor’s Mansion, noted as 5'6", 112 lbs., brown eyes, black hair, female.

Each license was valid from October 1, 1971, to September 30, 1972, and both were signed by Claude D. Kelley, Director of Conservation, with the issuing officer’s initials clearly inscribed. The versos are blank. The original price was $5.00, with an additional $0.25 issuance fee.

Both licenses remain well-preserved with expected light edge toning, minor soiling, and bumping to corners, indicative of authentic period use and handling.

Historical Context:
These licenses were issued during a particularly dramatic chapter in Alabama—and American—political history. Governor George C. Wallace, a prominent and polarizing figure known nationally for his segregationist positions and presidential ambitions, was shot and critically wounded just months later on May 15, 1972, during a campaign stop in Laurel, Maryland, while seeking the Democratic nomination for president.

The attack left Wallace paralyzed from the waist down, and the event marked a turning point in both his political career and public perception. At the time, his wife Cornelia Wallace gained national attention for her quick reaction—leaping onto her husband’s body to shield him from further gunfire. These hunting licenses, dated just months prior to the shooting, reflect a quieter domestic moment—perhaps one of the last before the events that would redefine their lives and legacies.

Closing Appeal:
This pair of consecutively numbered hunting licenses offers more than bureaucratic novelty—they represent an intimate, personal artifact tied to a major political figure and one of the most shocking events of the 1972 presidential campaign. With connections to both Alabama state history and national political drama, they serve as a rare and tangible link to a critical moment in American political life. A significant acquisition for collectors of political ephemera, gubernatorial memorabilia, or Cold War-era Americana.