Charles Billingslea

Charles Billingslea (May 16, 1914 – March 18, 1989) was aUnited States Army major general. He led the forces that enforced desegregation at the University of Mississippi, during the Ole Miss riot of 1962, and later led forces in Birmingham, Alabama to maintain the peace during demonstrations led by Martin Luther King, Jr to end segregation.

Billingslea graduated from West Point in 1936.He served as a paratrooper in World War II, and as XO of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was twice decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross. He later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Eighth Army in Korea.

In 1962, he mobilized both Army troops and the 4,000 troops of the 108th Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Mississippi National Guard who were "federalized" to restore order during the Ole Miss riot, in response to the enrollment of the first African American student.He retired from the Army in 1966.

Billingslea lived in San Francisco, California and later in Oxford, Maryland.