Praising Harold Franklin’s legacy, Auburn commemorates 60 years of integration

The Samford Hall bell tolled precisely 10 times at 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 4. The moment may have confused those not aware of the significance, but it made sense for a small group gathered in the circular brick courtyard near the desegregation marker. Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts told the group it was meant to signify the 10 steps Harold A. Franklin took on that day in 1964 to enter the university library and register for classes, officially integrating the university. Those same steps served as the backdrop for a commemorative event on Jan. 9. A large group of invited guests,