Considered a moderate by many white citizens of Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement , Boutwell 's election in 1963 as mayor was seen by many as a rejection of Eugene " Bull " Connor 's policies on the former City Commission . He was elected just before the mass demonstrations of the " Birmingham Campaign " led by Martin Luther King , Jr. and Fred Shuttlesworth . He took office shortly after those demonstrations were met with violence at the hands of police dogs and fire hoses deployed by the lame duck Connor . He was in office a few months before the forced integration of Birmingham schools by the National Guard and the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church , which killed four young girls
bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Albert Boutwell