Earl L. Brewer
Encyclopedia
Earl Leroy Brewer was the Governor of Mississippi from 1912 to 1916. Elected as a Democrat
, he was unopposed in the primary and won the governorship without ever making a single public campaign speech.
, near the town of Vaiden
. His father, Ratliff Rodney Brewer, had been a farmer, plantation manager and overseer, and a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War
. His middle name came from his grandfather, Leroy Jasper Brewer I (1793–1851). His uncle (Ratliff Rodney's brother) was Leroy Jasper Brewer II (1833–1911).
Brewer attended the University of Mississippi
and after less than one year of study, obtained a Bachelor of Law degree in 1892. He immediately began practicing law and then was elected to the Mississippi State Senate
in 1895. In 1902 he was appointed district attorney for the 11th District.
In 1907 he resigned his position as district attorney in order to run for governor. Brewer was narrowly defeated in his first attempt but won handily in the next campaign. As governor, Brewer promoted progressive reforms in several areas. The constitution was changed to create an elective judiciary; banking laws were established to limit interest rates; and a Bureau of Vital Statistics was created.
During his term there was a severe epidemic of pellagra
in the state and other portions of the South. When the federal government sent Joseph Goldberger
to study the disease and find a cure, Brewer offered full pardons to convicts who would participate in Goldberger's experiments. As a result of these studies, it was determined that pellagra was caused by a vitamin deficiency.
After his term was over, Brewer assisted in the defense of three Black defendants accused of murder who had been convicted on the basis of coerced confessions. Brewer argued and won their appeal to the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Mississippi
.
Brewer later ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1924.
Brewer died in Jackson and is buried at Oakridge Cemetery in Clarksdale
.
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...
, he was unopposed in the primary and won the governorship without ever making a single public campaign speech.
Biography
Brewer was born in Carroll County, MississippiCarroll County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,769 people, 4,071 households, and 3,069 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,888 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, near the town of Vaiden
Vaiden, Mississippi
Vaiden is a town in Carroll County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 840 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area-Geography:Vaiden is located at ....
. His father, Ratliff Rodney Brewer, had been a farmer, plantation manager and overseer, and a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. His middle name came from his grandfather, Leroy Jasper Brewer I (1793–1851). His uncle (Ratliff Rodney's brother) was Leroy Jasper Brewer II (1833–1911).
Brewer attended the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and after less than one year of study, obtained a Bachelor of Law degree in 1892. He immediately began practicing law and then was elected to the Mississippi State Senate
Mississippi State Senate
The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate is composed of 52 Senators representing an equal amount of constituent districts, with 54,704 people per district...
in 1895. In 1902 he was appointed district attorney for the 11th District.
In 1907 he resigned his position as district attorney in order to run for governor. Brewer was narrowly defeated in his first attempt but won handily in the next campaign. As governor, Brewer promoted progressive reforms in several areas. The constitution was changed to create an elective judiciary; banking laws were established to limit interest rates; and a Bureau of Vital Statistics was created.
During his term there was a severe epidemic of pellagra
Pellagra
Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease most commonly caused by a chronic lack of niacin in the diet. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin or tryptophan, and possibly by excessive intake of leucine. It may also result from alterations in protein metabolism in disorders such as carcinoid...
in the state and other portions of the South. When the federal government sent Joseph Goldberger
Joseph Goldberger
Joseph Goldberger, M.D. was a Hungarian Jewish physician and epidemiologist employed in the United States Public Health Service . He was an advocate for scientific and social recognition of the links between poverty and disease...
to study the disease and find a cure, Brewer offered full pardons to convicts who would participate in Goldberger's experiments. As a result of these studies, it was determined that pellagra was caused by a vitamin deficiency.
After his term was over, Brewer assisted in the defense of three Black defendants accused of murder who had been convicted on the basis of coerced confessions. Brewer argued and won their appeal to the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Mississippi
Brown v. Mississippi
Brown v. Mississippi, 297 U.S. 278, , was a United States Supreme Court case that ruled that a defendant's involuntary confession that is extracted by police violence cannot be entered as evidence and violates the Due Process Clause....
.
Brewer later ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1924.
Brewer died in Jackson and is buried at Oakridge Cemetery in Clarksdale
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
.
External links
- Profile at National Governors AssociationNational Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
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