Albert Lewis Fletcher

[1] Fletcher was professor of dogmatic theology and canon law at St. John Seminary (1925–1929), and chancellor (1926–1933) and vicar general (1933–1946) of the diocese.

He received his episcopal consecration on April 25, 1940, from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Jules Jeanmard and William O'Brien serving as co-consecrators.

In a 1960 publication entitled "An Elementary Catholic Catechism on the Morality of Segregation and Racial Discrimination", Fletcher described segregation as "immoral ... unjust and uncharitable", and stated that it could even constitute mortal sin "when the act of racial prejudice committed is a serious infraction of the law of justice or charity".

Although he inaugurated the liturgical use of the vernacular in his diocese as early as 1964, he did not follow the council's advice on creating permanent deacons, and closed St. John Seminary after some of its faculty publicly questioned the Church's stance on birth control and papal infallibility.

On July 4, 1972, Pope Paul VI accepted Fletcher's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock.