Cornelia Wallace; shielded her husband

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Former Alabama first lady Cornelia Wallace, 69, who threw herself over Gov. George C. Wallace when he was shot in a 1972 assassination attempt, died from cancer Thursday in Sebring, Fla.

Cornelia Wallace was the niece of two-term Gov. James E. "Big Jim" Folsom. The dark-haired beauty, known simply as "C'nelia," married George Wallace on Jan. 4, 1971 - just days before he began his second term as governor. It was the second marriage for both.

The union marked a merger between Alabama's two most famous political families and surprised some because George Wallace had defeated Jim Folsom in the 1962 race for governor and the relationship between the two governors had been strained since then.

Cornelia Wallace was a socially active first lady known for her lively personality. But for many, the most lasting memory of her occurred May 15, 1972.

She was accompanying her husband on the Democratic campaign trail for president when Arthur Bremer shot him four times at a rally in Laurel, Md. A news camera captured photos of Mrs. Wallace throwing herself over her husband's body to shield him as he lay bleeding in a shopping center parking lot.

"She's etched in Alabamians' memory because of the tragedy of that," said Joe Turnham, chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party.

The Wallaces divorced in 1978, amid claims she had bugged his phone in the Governor's Mansion. She entered the Democratic primary for governor in 1978 but never campaigned hard and finished last among the 13 candidates. She later moved to central Florida to be near her sons from her previous marriage.

In 1997, Turner Network Television made

George Wallace

and cast Angelina Jolie to portray Mrs. Wallace. The role earned Jolie a Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a TV movie or miniseries, but Mrs. Wallace complained the script portrayed her as a shallow sex kitten.