Roosevelt Removes Pentagon Whites Only

In 1945, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, before its formal dedication, he saw the "Whites Only" signs that marked facilities designed for segregated use under Virginia law. Roosevelt ordered the removal of the "Whites Only" signs, and his administration told the protesting governor of Virginia that the federal facility would follow the president's policy rather than state segregation rules. As a result, until 1965 the Pentagon was the only building in Virginia where segregation laws were not enforced, even though the side-by-side restrooms remained and later simply operated as integrated facilities.

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