Bruce Bennett (Arkansas politician)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Bennett was a Democratic
politician
from El Dorado
, Arkansas
, who served as his state's attorney general
from 1957–1960 and from 1963–1966. Bennett lost primary elections for governor of Arkansas in 1960 and 1968.
in Phillips County near the Mississippi River
in eastern Arkansas. In 1921, the family moved to El Dorado, the seat of Union County, where Bennett attended public schools. He studied pre-law at El Dorado Junior College and the subsequent Southern Arkansas University
in Magnolia
, the seat of Columbia County
. In 1940, Bennett joined the United States Army
; two years later, he was commissioned a second lieutenant
and served fourteen months in Europe. He returned to the United States for pilot
training. Toward the end of World War II
, Bennett was redeployed to the South Pacific as the commander of a B-29. In thirty missions over Japan
, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross
, the Air Medal
with three clusters, and a Bronze Star. After the war, Bennett attended Vanderbilt University Law School
in Nashville
, Tennessee
, having procured his degree in 1949.
In 1952 and 1954, Bennett was elected prosecuting attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in south Arkansas.
, then an outgoing state senator and later an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court
. In 1960, Bennett declined to seek a third consecutive two-year term as attorney general and instead challenged Faubus in the primary. Both Johnson in 1956 and Bennett in 1960 accused Faubus of being less than committed to racial segregation, even depicting him as a tool of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
and its leader, Daisy Bates
. Bennett ran a surprisingly distant third in the primary behind Faubus and the moderate Joe Hardin, a former Arkansas Farm Bureau president.
In 1958, Bennett authored a series of bills designed to limit the activities civil rights protestors, whom he considered "the enemies of America.” The bills sought to prevent the NAACP from providing legal counsel or funding lawsuits in Arkansas. Bennett tried to force the NAACP to release its membership list and personnel records to the state, a position struck down in 1958 by the United States Supreme Court in a related case, NAACP v. Alabama
. Bennett also procured legislation to prohibit NAACP members from becoming Arkansas state employees. He associated the NAACP with an "international communist conspiracy" and presented such testimony before legislative bodies in Arkansas and Tennessee
.
Bennett was succeeded as attorney general in 1961 by J. Frank Holt, who stepped down a year later to join Johnson on the Arkansas Supreme Court. In 1966, when Faubus declined to seek a seventh term as governor, Bennett was defeated for renomination for attorney general by Joe Purcell
. That same year, the post-Faubus Democrats nominated "Justice Jim" Johnson for governor, ten years after his first attempt to gain the post. Johnson defeated his fellow justice, J. Frank Holt, in the primary. However, in the 1966 general election
, Johnson lost to Republican
Winthrop Rockefeller
, a supporter of civil rights
legislation.
In 1966, Bennett lost his bid for a fifth nonconsecutive term as attorney general. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Purcell
. Purcell then turned aside a stronger than usual challenge from a Democrat-turned-Republican, Jerry Thomasson
of Arkadelphia
in Clark County
.
in Little River County
, defeated Johnson's wife, Virginia Morris Johnson
, the first woman ever to seek the Arkansas governorship, in a heated runoff election. Crank went on to lose narrowly to Rockefeller in November general election.
. However, a ten-year struggle with throat cancer prevented him from facing trial.
Bennett is interred at Arlington Cemetery in El Dorado. He was survived by his wife, Rebecca E. Bennett (1918–2008), and two children, James Bruce Bennett (born ca. 1954), an attorney in El Dorado, and Susan Bennett.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from El Dorado
El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado , a multi-cultural arts center: South Arkansas Arts Center , an award-winning renovated downtown, and numerous sporting, shopping, and dining opportunities. El Dorado is the population, cultural, and business center of the 7,300 mi² regional area...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, who served as his state's attorney general
Arkansas Attorney General
The Arkansas Attorney General is an executive position and constitutional officer within the Arkansas government. The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement/legal officer and lawyer for Arkansas. The position is elected every four years, e.g...
from 1957–1960 and from 1963–1966. Bennett lost primary elections for governor of Arkansas in 1960 and 1968.
Early years, education, military
Bennett was born to Oakley Adair Bennett and Anita Bennett in HelenaHelena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with...
in Phillips County near the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in eastern Arkansas. In 1921, the family moved to El Dorado, the seat of Union County, where Bennett attended public schools. He studied pre-law at El Dorado Junior College and the subsequent Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University is a public four-year institution located in Magnolia, the seat of Columbia County in Arkansas, United States, not far from the Louisiana state line.-Location:Southern Arkansas University is located in Magnolia, which, as of the census...
in Magnolia
Magnolia, Arkansas
Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States, that was founded in 1853. At the time of its incorporation in 1858, the city had a population of about 1,950. The city grew slowly as an agricultural and regional cotton market until the discovery of oil just east of the city in March,...
, the seat of Columbia County
Columbia County, Arkansas
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 24,552. The county seat is Magnolia. Columbia County was formed on December 17, 1852, and was named for Christopher Columbus...
. In 1940, Bennett joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
; two years later, he was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
and served fourteen months in Europe. He returned to the United States for pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
training. Toward the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bennett was redeployed to the South Pacific as the commander of a B-29. In thirty missions over Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, the Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with three clusters, and a Bronze Star. After the war, Bennett attended Vanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law has consistently ranked among the top 20 law schools in the nation, and is currently ranked 16th in the 2012...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, having procured his degree in 1949.
In 1952 and 1954, Bennett was elected prosecuting attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in south Arkansas.
Attorney general
Originally a segregationist, Bennett won his first term as attorney general in 1956, succeeding the two-term Democrat Tom Gentry. That same year, Governor Orval Eugene Faubus defeated segregationist intraparty rival James Douglas JohnsonJames D. Johnson
James Douglas Johnson, known as Justice Jim Johnson , was a former associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, a two-time candidate for governor of Arkansas in 1956 and 1966, and in 1968 an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S...
, then an outgoing state senator and later an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court
Arkansas Supreme Court
The Arkansas Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Since 1925, it has consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, and at times Special Justices are called upon in the absence of a regular justice...
. In 1960, Bennett declined to seek a third consecutive two-year term as attorney general and instead challenged Faubus in the primary. Both Johnson in 1956 and Bennett in 1960 accused Faubus of being less than committed to racial segregation, even depicting him as a tool of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
and its leader, Daisy Bates
Daisy Bates (civil rights activist)
Daisy Lee Gatson Bates was an American civil rights activist, publisher and writer who played a leading role in the Little Rock integration crisis of 1957....
. Bennett ran a surprisingly distant third in the primary behind Faubus and the moderate Joe Hardin, a former Arkansas Farm Bureau president.
In 1958, Bennett authored a series of bills designed to limit the activities civil rights protestors, whom he considered "the enemies of America.” The bills sought to prevent the NAACP from providing legal counsel or funding lawsuits in Arkansas. Bennett tried to force the NAACP to release its membership list and personnel records to the state, a position struck down in 1958 by the United States Supreme Court in a related case, NAACP v. Alabama
NAACP v. Alabama
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 , was an important civil rights case brought before the United States Supreme Court....
. Bennett also procured legislation to prohibit NAACP members from becoming Arkansas state employees. He associated the NAACP with an "international communist conspiracy" and presented such testimony before legislative bodies in Arkansas and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Bennett was succeeded as attorney general in 1961 by J. Frank Holt, who stepped down a year later to join Johnson on the Arkansas Supreme Court. In 1966, when Faubus declined to seek a seventh term as governor, Bennett was defeated for renomination for attorney general by Joe Purcell
Joe Purcell
Joseph Gregory Purcell -References:...
. That same year, the post-Faubus Democrats nominated "Justice Jim" Johnson for governor, ten years after his first attempt to gain the post. Johnson defeated his fellow justice, J. Frank Holt, in the primary. However, in the 1966 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Johnson lost to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
, a supporter of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
legislation.
In 1966, Bennett lost his bid for a fifth nonconsecutive term as attorney general. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Purcell
Joe Purcell
Joseph Gregory Purcell -References:...
. Purcell then turned aside a stronger than usual challenge from a Democrat-turned-Republican, Jerry Thomasson
Jerry Thomasson
Jerry Kreth Thomasson was a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He switched to the Republican Party in 1966, and unsuccessfully sought election as Arkansas attorney general in 1966 and 1968....
of Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
in Clark County
Clark County, Arkansas
Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia.The Arkadelphia Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.-Geography:...
.
One last race
In 1968, Bennett sought a comeback in the Democratic gubernatorial primary on the theme that Winthrop Rockefeller had become "an expensive luxury which the state of Arkansas can no longer afford," a reference to state financial shortfalls. Bennett finished a weak fourth in the primary, with 65,905 votes (15.7 percent). The winner of the gubernatorial nomination, State Representative Marion H. Crank of ForemanForeman, Arkansas
Foreman is a city in Little River County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,011 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Foreman is located at ....
in Little River County
Little River County, Arkansas
Little River County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 13,171. The county seat is Ashdown. Little River County is Arkansas's 59th county, formed from Sevier County on March 5, 1867, and named for the Little River...
, defeated Johnson's wife, Virginia Morris Johnson
Virginia Johnson (Arkansas)
Virginia Lillian Morris Johnson , was, in 1968, the first woman to seek the office of governor of Arkansas.-Early years:...
, the first woman ever to seek the Arkansas governorship, in a heated runoff election. Crank went on to lose narrowly to Rockefeller in November general election.
Later years
Bennett had helped to found the Arkansas Loan and Thrift Company, which collapsed by scandal from within its ranks. AL&T padded officers’ accounts by soliciting investors for disputed industrial development projects. Company executives profited while investors were ruined by the bankruptcy of the firm in 1967. While attorney general, Bennett protected the company from state regulation in an opinion which declared it beyond the scope of state securities laws. In 1969, Bennett was charged with twenty-eight counts of securities violations, postal fraud, and wire fraudWire fraud
Mail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
. However, a ten-year struggle with throat cancer prevented him from facing trial.
Bennett is interred at Arlington Cemetery in El Dorado. He was survived by his wife, Rebecca E. Bennett (1918–2008), and two children, James Bruce Bennett (born ca. 1954), an attorney in El Dorado, and Susan Bennett.