Little Rock's Convert

In racially embattled Little Rock, a prime point of interest last week was a religious conversion. Not long ago, Clothing Dealer Jimmy Karam was a pal of Governor Faubus, a segregationist leader of the 1957 riots at Central High School; during last fall's elections, he faked an inflammatory picture of a Negro family agitating for "equality" (TIME, Oct. 6). But now invective ("lying bastards, gutless s.o.b.s.") is gone from his lips. He holds court in his Main Street store, telling all comers that "only Jesus is important. If everybody could take Jesus to their hearts, there would be no problems in the world."

Jimmy Karam was born and reared a Roman Catholic, but had given up his religion long ago. He smoked, drank and played the horses. Worse, he tried to drag Christians down. "I used to say to a Christian, 'I got a pot of money and a bottle of whisky in the Cadillac. Let's get a couple of broads and go down to Hot Springs for the weekend.' Oh friend, that was so wrong!"

This was the period when Jimmy belonged to the segregationist high command, but early this year his daughter Mary Ann, 16, invited him to attend a meeting at her Immanuel Baptist Church, whose minister is intelligent, reasonable, nonsegregationist Dr. W. O. Vaught Jr. "I never asked her about it," says Jimmy, "but I imagine Mary Ann went to him and said, 'Dr. Vaught, you've never talked to my daddy about coming to church,' and he probably said, 'Mary Ann, your daddy is an evil man.' If he did (she's a sweet child), Mary Ann said, 'No, he's not. My daddy's a good man.' "

Last April Dr. Vaught called at Jimmy's store, gave him a Bible ("The first New Testament I ever saw," says Jimmy), read him some verses of Scripture. After a revival meeting, Jimmy was converted, joined Immanuel Baptist Church and broke with his segregationist cronies--but refuses to say whether or not he himself is still a segregationist. "I haven't seen one of those men," he says, "since I accepted Jesus as my Saviour." He also gave up smoking, drinking and joyrides in Cadillacs.

How does he feel about his past rabble-rousing at Central High School? "I am positive of this," he says. "Our only problem is working for Jesus to help other persons become Christians. I have no hatred for anyone. We should get people on both sides to really accept Christ."

During Evangelist Billy Graham's visit to Little Rock last week, Jimmy was among his most prominent local sponsors, sat with him at press conferences and on the platform. Summed up one Little Rock reporter: "Many church people are convinced that it's the greatest conversion since Paul of Tarsus. Others still see Jimmy Karam under the sheep's clothing."

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