Dan Kuykendall
Encyclopedia
Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative
from Tennessee
from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party
.
Kuykendall was born in San Saba County, Texas
. He was a pilot
in World War II
from 1942 to 1945. He graduated from Texas A&M University
in 1947. Employment with Procter & Gamble
brought him to Memphis, Tennessee
. In 1963 he became chairman of the Shelby County
Republican Party, which was just beginning its return to prominence after many years of near-irrelevance. This was fueled by a large number of white Democratic voters shifting to the Republicans. In 1964 he won the Republican nomination for United States Senate
and ran against incumbent Democrat Albert Gore, Sr.
Although he lost Kuykendall ran a surprisingly competitive race, especially given the size of the landslide, both in Tennessee and nationally, by President
Lyndon B. Johnson
over Barry Goldwater
. This made Kuykendall very popular in Republican circles.
In 1966 Kuykendall won the Republican nomination for the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District. Taking advantage of the large crossover of white voters, he narrowly defeated freshman Democratic Congressman George W. Grider
in November, becoming the first Republican congressman from West Tennessee
since 1883. He had very little trouble being reelected until 1972. His voting record was very conservative. He was also known for being long-winded to the point of what many felt was verbosity, and as a consequence was given the somewhat derisive nickname
"The Tennessee Talking Horse".
Reapportionment based on the 1970 federal
census
caused Tennessee to lose a congressional district. In an attempt to punish neighboring 6th District Congressman William Anderson
for his perceived liberalism and national ambitions, the General Assembly shifted several portions of Kuykendall's district, which was renumbered the 8th District, to the 6th. In return, Kuykendall now represented a larger proportion of blacks than he had previously represented. Kuykendall won re-election in 1972 against black pastor J. O. Patterson, Jr. in the midst of the national Republican landslide (in which Richard Nixon
won 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties). Just after Kuykendall was sworn in for a fourth term, however, a near-violent reaction to a busing
order prompted many whites to leave Memphis for the suburbs. These two events seriously eroded Kuykendall's base, and caused many analysts to speculate that the 8th wouldn't stay Republican for long.
In 1974, the Democrats nominated State Representative
Harold Ford
, a young member of a prominent black funeral-directing family in Memphis whose political involvement dated to the days of E. H. Crump
. Ford staged a tremendous get-out-the-vote campaign in the Memphis black community. He also received the support of many whites angered by Kuykendall's continued support of Nixon in the midst of Watergate; he had been one of the few Republicans who supported Nixon even after the release of the "smoking gun
" transcripts.
On election night, it looked like Kuykendall had managed to hold onto the seat by a razor-thin margin. However, Ford's supporters found eight ballot boxes purported to have been in the dumpster of the then all-white Shelby County Election Commission. When those ballots were counted, it was enough for Ford to unseat Kuykendall. Since then, Republicans have never come close to retaking the Memphis-area district. The district was renumbered the 9th District again in the 1980s round of redistricting, as Tennessee regained a House seat due to its population now growing at a rate above, rather than below, the national average. At that time, it was drawn as a majority-black district, and Republicans have lost interest in the seat.
As is the case with many former members of Congress
, Kuykendall could not resist the allure of the Washington, D.C.
area and lived for many years in Bethesda, Maryland
. In 2002, Kuykendall returned to the region and lived in Germantown
, a suburb of Memphis.
Kuykendall died on June 12, 2008 after a long illness. He was 83.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 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...
from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party
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...
.
Kuykendall was born in San Saba County, Texas
San Saba County, Texas
San Saba County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Western Central Texas. In 2010, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is San Saba. It is named for the San Saba River, which flows through the county.-History:...
. He was a 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...
in 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...
from 1942 to 1945. He graduated from Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in 1947. Employment with Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
brought him to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. In 1963 he became chairman of the Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
Republican Party, which was just beginning its return to prominence after many years of near-irrelevance. This was fueled by a large number of white Democratic voters shifting to the Republicans. In 1964 he won the Republican nomination for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and ran against incumbent Democrat Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Sr. was an American politician, serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party from Tennessee....
Although he lost Kuykendall ran a surprisingly competitive race, especially given the size of the landslide, both in Tennessee and nationally, by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
over Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
. This made Kuykendall very popular in Republican circles.
In 1966 Kuykendall won the Republican nomination for the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District. Taking advantage of the large crossover of white voters, he narrowly defeated freshman Democratic Congressman George W. Grider
George W. Grider
George William Grider was a United States Naval Officer, an attorney, and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1965 to 1967....
in November, becoming the first Republican congressman from West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
since 1883. He had very little trouble being reelected until 1972. His voting record was very conservative. He was also known for being long-winded to the point of what many felt was verbosity, and as a consequence was given the somewhat derisive nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"The Tennessee Talking Horse".
Reapportionment based on the 1970 federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
caused Tennessee to lose a congressional district. In an attempt to punish neighboring 6th District Congressman William Anderson
William Anderson (naval officer)
William Robert Anderson was an officer in the United States Navy, and a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1965 to 1973.-Early life and naval career:...
for his perceived liberalism and national ambitions, the General Assembly shifted several portions of Kuykendall's district, which was renumbered the 8th District, to the 6th. In return, Kuykendall now represented a larger proportion of blacks than he had previously represented. Kuykendall won re-election in 1972 against black pastor J. O. Patterson, Jr. in the midst of the national Republican landslide (in which Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
won 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties). Just after Kuykendall was sworn in for a fourth term, however, a near-violent reaction to a busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
order prompted many whites to leave Memphis for the suburbs. These two events seriously eroded Kuykendall's base, and caused many analysts to speculate that the 8th wouldn't stay Republican for long.
In 1974, the Democrats nominated State Representative
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
Harold Ford
Harold Ford, Sr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Sr. was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area for ten terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S...
, a young member of a prominent black funeral-directing family in Memphis whose political involvement dated to the days of E. H. Crump
E. H. Crump
Edward Hull "Boss" Crump was an American politician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was mayor from 1910 through 1915, and again briefly in 1940; in the intervening years he effectively appointed the mayors.-Career:...
. Ford staged a tremendous get-out-the-vote campaign in the Memphis black community. He also received the support of many whites angered by Kuykendall's continued support of Nixon in the midst of Watergate; he had been one of the few Republicans who supported Nixon even after the release of the "smoking gun
Smoking gun
The term "smoking gun" was originally, and is still primarily, a reference to an object or fact that serves as conclusive evidence of a crime or similar act. In addition to this, its meaning has evolved in uses completely unrelated to criminal activity: for example, scientific evidence that is...
" transcripts.
On election night, it looked like Kuykendall had managed to hold onto the seat by a razor-thin margin. However, Ford's supporters found eight ballot boxes purported to have been in the dumpster of the then all-white Shelby County Election Commission. When those ballots were counted, it was enough for Ford to unseat Kuykendall. Since then, Republicans have never come close to retaking the Memphis-area district. The district was renumbered the 9th District again in the 1980s round of redistricting, as Tennessee regained a House seat due to its population now growing at a rate above, rather than below, the national average. At that time, it was drawn as a majority-black district, and Republicans have lost interest in the seat.
As is the case with many former members of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Kuykendall could not resist the allure of the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area and lived for many years in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. In 2002, Kuykendall returned to the region and lived in Germantown
Germantown, Tennessee
Germantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee. The population was 38,844 at the 2010 census.Germantown is a suburb of Memphis, bordering it to the east. Germantown's economy is dominated by the retail and commercial service sectors; there is no heavy industry in Germantown...
, a suburb of Memphis.
Kuykendall died on June 12, 2008 after a long illness. He was 83.