Bibb Graves
Encyclopedia
David Bibb Graves was a Democratic politician
and the 38th Governor of Alabama
1927-1931 and 1935–1939, the first Alabama governor to serve two four-year terms.
, son of David and Mattie Bibb Graves and a descendant of Alabama's first governor William Wyatt Bibb
. Graves' father died when he was one year old, and he was reared first by his paternal grandfather on an Alabama farm and then by an uncle in Texas
. Bibb attended the University of Alabama
, where he was a member of the school's inaugural football team
. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering (1893), Graves earned a degree from Yale Law School
(1896). Graves was elected to the Alabama legislature and later served as the city attorney in Montgomery
.
As adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard
, he helped organize the 1st Alabama Cavalry and served on the Mexican
border in 1916. In World War I
, Graves commanded as a colonel the 117th U.S. Field Artillery in France
, and upon his return to Alabama, he helped organize the state section of the American Legion
.
Graves lost his first campaign for governor in 1922, but four years later, with the secret endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan
, he was elected to his first term as governor. Almost certainly Graves was the Exalted Cyclops (chapter president) of the Montgomery chapter of the Klan, but both Graves and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black
, another Alabama Klan member, were more opportunists than ideologues, politicians who used the temporary strength of the Klan to further their careers.
As governor, Graves earned a reputation as reformer, abolishing the convict leasing system and raising taxes on public utilities, railroads, and coal and iron companies. The new revenue was used to expand educational and public health facilities, increase teachers' salaries and veterans' pensions, fund an ambitious road-building program, and improve port facilities in Mobile
. "To maintain his popularity among the farmers in northern Alabama and the working classes, Graves made good on his commitment to New Deal
legislation, winning a reputation as one of the most progressive governors in the South." During his second gubernatorial administration he supported Franklin D. Roosevelt
's “court packing
” plan and Hugo Black
's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1937, when Black's ties to the Klan were debated in Congress, Graves noted his own previous membership as well, a membership that had been publicly revealed when he resigned from the organization in 1928.
Graves made many successful trips to Washington to secure funds for Alabama, which he called "plum-tree-shaking expeditions," and President Roosevelt appointed him to a national advisory committee on agriculture and to an interregional highway committee. Graves was a strong opponent of eugenic sterilization
, and by 1938, he was on hand to greet the 1,200 delegates to the founding session of the Southern Conference on Human Welfare—a fifth of whom were black.
In 1937, when President Franklin Roosevelt named Senator Hugo Black
to the U.S. Supreme Court, Graves appointed his own wife, Dixie Bibb Graves
, to serve the remainder of Black's term. She thus became Alabama's first woman Senator.
) and a personal friend of the founder, evangelist Bob Jones, Sr.
Bibb Graves died in Sarasota, Florida
while preparing for another gubernatorial campaign.
has a Bibb Graves Hall and a Bibb Graves Auditorium, the University of North Alabama
has a Bibb Graves Hall, Auburn University
has both a Bibb Graves Amphitheatre and a Bibb Graves Drive, the School of Education at the University of Alabama
is named for him, and the oldest classroom building at Troy University
that houses the Sorrell College of Business is named Bibb Graves Hall. The historically black Alabama A&M University has a Bibb Graves Hall, and the historically black Alabama State University
has women's dormitory named Bibb Graves Hall. Jacksonville State University
also has an administrative building named Bibb Graves Hall. Bob Jones University
had a residence hall named for Graves until 2011, when it was renamed H. A. Ironside
. Bibb Graves High School in Millerville, (Clay County
), Alabama closed in 2003.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the 38th Governor of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
1927-1931 and 1935–1939, the first Alabama governor to serve two four-year terms.
Early life
Graves was born in Hope Hull, AlabamaHope Hull, Alabama
Hope Hull is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Alabama, United States, southwest of Montgomery.It is the home to Hooper Academy, and also the location of Tankersley Rosenwald School, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.Bibb Graves, Governor of Alabama,...
, son of David and Mattie Bibb Graves and a descendant of Alabama's first governor William Wyatt Bibb
William Wyatt Bibb
William Wyatt Bibb was a United States Senator from Georgia and the first Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama. Bibb County, Alabama, and Bibb County, Georgia, are named for him....
. Graves' father died when he was one year old, and he was reared first by his paternal grandfather on an Alabama farm and then by an uncle in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Bibb attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, where he was a member of the school's inaugural football team
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering (1893), Graves earned a degree from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
(1896). Graves was elected to the Alabama legislature and later served as the city attorney in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
.
As adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard
Alabama National Guard
The Alabama National Guard comprises both Army and Air components. The Guard is part of the Alabama Military Department, seemingly overseen by the Adjutant General of Alabama....
, he helped organize the 1st Alabama Cavalry and served on the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border in 1916. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Graves commanded as a colonel the 117th U.S. Field Artillery in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and upon his return to Alabama, he helped organize the state section of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
.
Political life
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, he was elected to his first term as governor. Almost certainly Graves was the Exalted Cyclops (chapter president) of the Montgomery chapter of the Klan, but both Graves and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black
Hugo Black
Hugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
, another Alabama Klan member, were more opportunists than ideologues, politicians who used the temporary strength of the Klan to further their careers.
As governor, Graves earned a reputation as reformer, abolishing the convict leasing system and raising taxes on public utilities, railroads, and coal and iron companies. The new revenue was used to expand educational and public health facilities, increase teachers' salaries and veterans' pensions, fund an ambitious road-building program, and improve port facilities in Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. "To maintain his popularity among the farmers in northern Alabama and the working classes, Graves made good on his commitment to New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
legislation, winning a reputation as one of the most progressive governors in the South." During his second gubernatorial administration he supported Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's “court packing
Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, frequently called the court-packing plan, was a legislative initiative proposed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt's purpose was to obtain favorable rulings regarding New Deal legislation that...
” plan and Hugo Black
Hugo Black
Hugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1937, when Black's ties to the Klan were debated in Congress, Graves noted his own previous membership as well, a membership that had been publicly revealed when he resigned from the organization in 1928.
Graves made many successful trips to Washington to secure funds for Alabama, which he called "plum-tree-shaking expeditions," and President Roosevelt appointed him to a national advisory committee on agriculture and to an interregional highway committee. Graves was a strong opponent of eugenic sterilization
Compulsory sterilization
Compulsory sterilization also known as forced sterilization programs are government policies which attempt to force people to undergo surgical sterilization...
, and by 1938, he was on hand to greet the 1,200 delegates to the founding session of the Southern Conference on Human Welfare—a fifth of whom were black.
In 1937, when President Franklin Roosevelt named Senator Hugo Black
Hugo Black
Hugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
to the U.S. Supreme Court, Graves appointed his own wife, Dixie Bibb Graves
Dixie Bibb Graves
Dixie Bibb Graves was a United States Senator and former First Lady from the state of Alabama. The first woman Senator from Alabama, she was appointed to the Senate by her husband, then Governor Bibb Graves, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hugo L. Black...
, to serve the remainder of Black's term. She thus became Alabama's first woman Senator.
Personal life
Graves was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an elder of the Christian Church. He was a founding member of the board of trustees of Bob Jones College (now Bob Jones UniversityBob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
) and a personal friend of the founder, evangelist Bob Jones, Sr.
Bob Jones, Sr.
Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. was an American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.-Early years:...
Bibb Graves died in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
while preparing for another gubernatorial campaign.
Legacy
The University of West AlabamaUniversity of West Alabama
The University of West Alabama is a public university located in Livingston, Alabama, United States. It is currently on probation with its regional accrediting body....
has a Bibb Graves Hall and a Bibb Graves Auditorium, the University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is a coeducational university located in Florence, Alabama, and the state's oldest four-year public university....
has a Bibb Graves Hall, Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
has both a Bibb Graves Amphitheatre and a Bibb Graves Drive, the School of Education at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
is named for him, and the oldest classroom building at Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
that houses the Sorrell College of Business is named Bibb Graves Hall. The historically black Alabama A&M University has a Bibb Graves Hall, and the historically black Alabama State University
Alabama State University
Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :...
has women's dormitory named Bibb Graves Hall. Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...
also has an administrative building named Bibb Graves Hall. Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
had a residence hall named for Graves until 2011, when it was renamed H. A. Ironside
Harry A. Ironside
Henry Allen "Harry" Ironside was a Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author.-Biography:...
. Bibb Graves High School in Millerville, (Clay County
Clay County, Alabama
Clay County is a county of the US state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. As of 2010 the population was 13,932...
), Alabama closed in 2003.