Evelyn Gandy
Encyclopedia
Edythe Evelyn Gandy was an American
politician
who was the first female elected to a statewide office in Mississippi
– that of Treasurer for the State of Mississippi
. Later, she was elected insurance
commissioner and 26th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
.
, Gandy attended the University of Southern Mississippi and studied law at the University of Mississippi School of Law
in Oxford
. As the only woman in her 1943 law school class, she won the state oratorical contest. She was also the first woman editor of the Mississippi Law Journal and the first woman to be elected president of the law school student body.
Following graduation from law school, Gandy served as secretary and campaign assistant to segregation
ist Mississippi Governor
and United States Senator Theodore Bilbo. After Bilbo's death in 1947, Gandy returned to Hattiesburg to practice law.
, Gandy was elected in 1947 to the Mississippi House of Representatives
from Forrest County
. Gandy earned a more progressive record in the statehouse, having supported legislation that favored increased funding for education
and improved access to human services. Gandy also co-authored legislation that would create the University of Mississippi Medical Center
, the state's only medical school and teaching hospital.
In 1959, Gandy was the first woman to be appointed Mississippi's Assistant Attorney General, and in the same year, she was elected state treasurer, the first woman to have been elected to a statewide constitutional office. As treasurer, Gandy was the first to require that state monies be maintained in interest
- bearing accounts. In 1963, she was elected to a second term as treasurer without opposition.
In 1972, she became the first woman elected as Insurance Commissioner, a position through which she worked to tighten regulations and scrutiny on the insurance industry.
In 1975, Gandy was elected Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
, the first woman to hold that office in Mississippi, and one of the first women in the country to hold such a seat in state government.
Gandy was defeated twice in her bids for the Office of Governor of Mississippi. She ran for governor in 1979 but was defeated in the Democratic primary runoff primary by William Winter
, 386,174 (56.6 percent) to 295,835 (43.4 percent). She lost the 1983 Democratic primary as well to Attorney General
William "Bill" Allain
, 405,348 (52.4 percent) to 367,953 (47.5 percent)). On her death, Winter called his former intraparty rival Gandy "one of Mississippi's most conscientious and able public leaders." While Gandy renounced her segregationist views in her gubernatorial campaigns, it is believed that those positions and her close relationship with Bilbo eroded her support among African Americans, a key segment of voters in the Mississippi Democratic Party. From 1983 until her death, she was engaged in private law practice in Hattiesburg. Gandy remained active in Mississippi Democratic politics until her death. She publicly endorsed Al Gore
for U.S. President in 2000 and also attended Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean
's visit to Mississippi in 2005.
, a debilitating illness similar to Parkinson's disease
. She never married or had children.
Her body lay in state on December 27, 2007, in the rotunda
of the Mississippi State Capitol
building in downtown Jackson
. U.S. and Mississippi flag
s on all state buildings and grounds were flown at half-staff from sunrise on December 27, 2007 until sunset on December 28, 2007.
in her native Forrest County
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was the first female elected to a statewide office in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
– that of Treasurer for the State of Mississippi
State Treasurer of Mississippi
State Treasurer of Mississippi is a post created in 1817 when the state was admitted to the Union. Before the state was formed by splitting the Alabama Territory from the Mississippi Territory, an equivalent post was the Territorial Treasurer General, established in 1802.The elected office of the...
. Later, she was elected insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
commissioner and 26th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, right below the governor. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later...
.
Early life
Born in HattiesburgHattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
, Gandy attended the University of Southern Mississippi and studied law at the University of Mississippi School of Law
University of Mississippi School of Law
The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law opened in 1854 and is the fourth-oldest state-supported law school in the country...
in Oxford
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
. As the only woman in her 1943 law school class, she won the state oratorical contest. She was also the first woman editor of the Mississippi Law Journal and the first woman to be elected president of the law school student body.
Following graduation from law school, Gandy served as secretary and campaign assistant to segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
ist Mississippi Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
and United States Senator Theodore Bilbo. After Bilbo's death in 1947, Gandy returned to Hattiesburg to practice law.
Political life
A DemocratDemocratic 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...
, Gandy was elected in 1947 to the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
from Forrest County
Forrest County, Mississippi
The median income for a household in the county was $27,420, and the median income for a family was $35,791. Males had a median income of $28,742 versus $20,500 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,160...
. Gandy earned a more progressive record in the statehouse, having supported legislation that favored increased funding for education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and improved access to human services. Gandy also co-authored legislation that would create the University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of Mississippi Medical Center is the health sciences campus of the University of Mississippi and is located in Jackson, Mississippi...
, the state's only medical school and teaching hospital.
In 1959, Gandy was the first woman to be appointed Mississippi's Assistant Attorney General, and in the same year, she was elected state treasurer, the first woman to have been elected to a statewide constitutional office. As treasurer, Gandy was the first to require that state monies be maintained in interest
Interest
Interest is a fee paid by a borrower of assets to the owner as a form of compensation for the use of the assets. It is most commonly the price paid for the use of borrowed money, or money earned by deposited funds....
- bearing accounts. In 1963, she was elected to a second term as treasurer without opposition.
In 1972, she became the first woman elected as Insurance Commissioner, a position through which she worked to tighten regulations and scrutiny on the insurance industry.
In 1975, Gandy was elected Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, right below the governor. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later...
, the first woman to hold that office in Mississippi, and one of the first women in the country to hold such a seat in state government.
Gandy was defeated twice in her bids for the Office of Governor of Mississippi. She ran for governor in 1979 but was defeated in the Democratic primary runoff primary by William Winter
William Winter (politician)
William Forrest Winter is an American politician from Mississippi. He served as the 58th Governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984 as a Democrat. He is known for his strong support of public education, racial reconciliation, and historic preservation. Winter is best remembered for the passage of...
, 386,174 (56.6 percent) to 295,835 (43.4 percent). She lost the 1983 Democratic primary as well to Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
William "Bill" Allain
William Allain
William A. "Bill" Allain is a Mississippi politician who served as the 59th Governor of that state as a Democrat from 1984 to 1988.-Biography:...
, 405,348 (52.4 percent) to 367,953 (47.5 percent)). On her death, Winter called his former intraparty rival Gandy "one of Mississippi's most conscientious and able public leaders." While Gandy renounced her segregationist views in her gubernatorial campaigns, it is believed that those positions and her close relationship with Bilbo eroded her support among African Americans, a key segment of voters in the Mississippi Democratic Party. From 1983 until her death, she was engaged in private law practice in Hattiesburg. Gandy remained active in Mississippi Democratic politics until her death. She publicly endorsed Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
for U.S. President in 2000 and also attended Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
's visit to Mississippi in 2005.
Death
Gandy died at age 87 after a lengthy bout with progressive supranuclear palsyProgressive supranuclear palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific areas of the brain....
, a debilitating illness similar to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. She never married or had children.
Her body lay in state on December 27, 2007, in the rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
of the Mississippi State Capitol
Mississippi State Capitol
The Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Mississippi, housing the Mississippi Legislature...
building in downtown Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. U.S. and Mississippi flag
Flag of Mississippi
The Flag of the State of Mississippi was adopted by the U.S. state of Mississippi in 1894. It is the only United States state flag that incorporates the Battle Flag of the Confederacy.-Pledge to the Mississippi State Flag :The pledge to the state flag is:...
s on all state buildings and grounds were flown at half-staff from sunrise on December 27, 2007 until sunset on December 28, 2007.
Legacy
In 2006, the Evelyn Gandy Parkway was opened, near PetalPetal, Mississippi
Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States, along the Leaf River. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population is 10,617 per the US Census estimates performed in July 2007....
in her native Forrest County
Forrest County, Mississippi
The median income for a household in the county was $27,420, and the median income for a family was $35,791. Males had a median income of $28,742 versus $20,500 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,160...
.
Awards and honors
- State of AlabamaAlabamaAlabama 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...
Honorary Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Aide-de-campAide-de-campAn aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, commissioned by Alabama Governor George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
; 1972 - State of KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Kentucky ColonelKentucky colonelKentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation...
, commissioned by Kentucky Governor Wendell H. FordWendell H. FordWendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
; 1972 - Mississippi CollegeMississippi CollegeMississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
Service of Humanity Award; 1976 - Blue Mountain CollegeBlue Mountain CollegeBlue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law; 1977 - Paul Harris Fellow-Rotary Club 1978;
- National Mental Health Association Humanitarian Award; 1979
- Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State UniversityThe Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
Mississippi Woman of the Year Award; 1980 - State of MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
Mississippian of the Year in Government; 1981 - Exchange Club "Golden Deeds" Award; 1982
- Mississippi College School of LawMississippi College School of LawThe Mississippi College School of Law is located in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The law school started out as the Jackson School of Law in 1930, but was acquired by Mississippi College in 1975. The main campus of Mississippi College is located in Clinton, Mississippi.In December 2005, the school...
Award for Excellence in Law; 1984 - Mississippi Women's Political Caucus Susan B. Anthony Award for Outstanding Service to the State of Mississippi; 1984
- University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Hall of Fame;1985
- Mississippi University for WomenMississippi University for WomenMississippi University for Women, also known as MUW or simply the "W" is a four-year coeducational public university located in Columbus, Mississippi. It was formerly known as Industrial Institute and College and later Mississippi State College for Women...
Medal of Excellence;1991 - The Mississippi Bar Lifetime Achievement Award; 1994
- Women's Political Network First Annual Award for Distinguished Service; 1994
- Mississippi Democratic Party James O. Eastland Award; 1995
- American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
Margaret Brant Women Lawyers of Achievement Award; 1997 - Mississippi Association of Women Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award; 1998
- Hattiesburg Women's Forum Leadership Award; 1998
- Lindy Boggs Women in Public Service Award; 1998
- The Mississippi Bar Chief Justice Award; 1998
- The Mississippi Bar Susie Blue Buchanan Award; 2003
External links
- The Stennis Institute ("Evelyn Gandy Scholars")
- University of Southern Mississippi's "Edythe Evelyn Gandy Papers"
- Obituary
- Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Election ("Gubernatorial Primaries")