Frank G. Clement
Encyclopedia
Frank Goad Clement served as Governor of Tennessee
from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967.
in the Hotel Halbrook, which was operated by his mother. His father, Robert Clement, was a local attorney
and mayor, and his sister was Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
, a senator. He attended Cumberland University
, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II
, and subsequently graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Law
. He traveled the state extensively in performance of his duties as a recruiter for the American Legion
, making valuable contacts in all 95 Tennessee
counties.
governor
Gordon Browning
in 1952 for the Democratic
nomination for governor, which was then tantamount to election
in Tennessee. Feeling that Browning was solidly backed by the railroad interests, Clement sought the endorsement and funding of road builders to counterbalance this, fundamentally changing the balance of power in Tennessee politics for half a century. Clement also obtained the crucial support of Memphis
political "boss" E. H. Crump
, who had broken with Browning during Browning's first term as governor in the 1930s. Clement, only 32 at the time, became the youngest governor in the country when he upset Browning in the August primary
and won the election. Upon entering office, he showed himself, unlike most of his contemporary Southern governors, to be a moderate
with regard to racial desegregation
.
Clement had run as an opponent of the sales tax
, then set at two percent in Tennessee, but reversed his opposition to it and supported an increase to three percent to better fund education
, especially making the use of textbooks free in all Tennessee primary and secondary grades, a first for the state. He also supported road-building and improvement as an economic development measure, more than repaying his political debt to the road builders. As part of his improvements, outside lines on highway
s became commonly painted for the first time in Tennessee.
s to the state constitution
(the first ones since the document had been adopted in 1870, the longest such period in history) meant that Clement served the last two-year term as governor of Tennessee, but the amendment to the section affecting gubernatorial terms had been worded in such a way as to allow him to run for the first four-year term in 1954 and he did so, winning reelection easily. Clement was the keynote speaker at the 1956 Democratic National Convention
, making a speech whose theme, "O, How long?", echoed William Jennings Bryan
. Clement was a very active layman
in the Methodist faith, and during his gubernatorial terms often taught Sunday School
to overflow crowds at a church in downtown Nashville
, finally requiring the class' removal to an adjacent movie theater.
During his second term, he led the establishment of the first State Department of Mental Health as a Cabinet
-level position in the country. However, the constitutional amendment was worded in such a way as to make Clement or subsequent executives ineligible for reelection to a four-year term, so Clement's first administration ended in January 1959 with his succession by Buford Ellington
, a former campaign manager and member of his Cabinet.
, but also the independent bid of retired naval
captain William Anderson
of Waverly
, who was the skipper of the U.S.S. Nautilus when it became the first submarine
to sail under the North Pole
polar ice cap
. It was Anderson, not Patty, who provided Clement with his major opposition in the western two-thirds of the state, but Clement nonetheless triumphed with a huge majority. (Anderson was later to serve in the United States House of Representatives
as a Democrat.)
Clement was always exceptionally close to his sister, Anna Belle
, relying on her for advice and support, and during his second governorship she served as his chief of staff. When United States Senator
Estes Kefauver
died in office in August 1963, Clement surprised some by not appointing himself to the office, but rather a caretaker, Herbert S. Walters. However, Clement did enter the 1964 Democratic primary
for the post, losing to Congressman
Ross Bass
of Pulaski
in what most considered to be an upset. Since the 1964 election was for the balance of Kefauver's unexpired term, the seat was to be contested again in 1966, and Clement was again ineligible to succeed himself as governor, he decided to run against Bass again in the 1966 Democratic primary and this time defeated him for the nomination. However, he was defeated in November of the year by the Republican nominee, Howard Baker
, in another upset and again found himself out of politics. He was once again succeeded as governor by Ellington in what the Nashville Tennessean
derided as "leapfrog government", but remained active in Democratic circles and was widely rumored to be planning to run for a fourth term as governor when he was killed in an automobile accident in Nashville
in 1969. Clement's 10 total years as governor of Tennessee are the longest any person served in the position in the 20th century, and longer than all but two 19th century governors, John Sevier
and William Carroll. His remains were interred at Dickson County Memorial Gardens near Dickson, where his grave was once marked by an "eternal flame
", which has since been extinguished.
has served as a Tennessee Public Service Commission
er (supplanting his father as the youngest Tennessean ever elected to a statewide office), director of the Tennessee Valley Authority
, president of Cumberland University
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
from 1987 to 2003. Frank G. Clement, Jr. has been an attorney, a Probate Court Judge
, and currently serves on the Tennessee Court of Appeals
.
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 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967.
Early life
Clement was born in Dickson, TennesseeDickson, Tennessee
Dickson is a city in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,244 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:...
in the Hotel Halbrook, which was operated by his mother. His father, Robert Clement, was a local attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and mayor, and his sister was Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien was a Tennessee politician, nicknamed "the first lady of Tennessee politics." She served as the governor's chief of staff from 1963 to 1967, was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 89th General Assembly, from 1975 to 1977, and a Tennessee State...
, a senator. He attended Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He served in the United States Armed Forces during 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...
, and subsequently graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Law
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. He traveled the state extensively in performance of his duties as a recruiter for 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...
, making valuable contacts in all 95 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...
counties.
Career
Clement decided to challenge incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Gordon Browning
Gordon Browning
Gordon Weaver Browning was an American politician who represented Tennessee in the United States Congress and was later Governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1949 to 1953.-Biography:...
in 1952 for the Democratic
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...
nomination for governor, which was then tantamount to election
Tantamount to election
"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
in Tennessee. Feeling that Browning was solidly backed by the railroad interests, Clement sought the endorsement and funding of road builders to counterbalance this, fundamentally changing the balance of power in Tennessee politics for half a century. Clement also obtained the crucial support of Memphis
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....
political "boss" 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:...
, who had broken with Browning during Browning's first term as governor in the 1930s. Clement, only 32 at the time, became the youngest governor in the country when he upset Browning in the August primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
and won the election. Upon entering office, he showed himself, unlike most of his contemporary Southern governors, to be a moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
with regard to racial desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
.
Clement had run as an opponent of the sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
, then set at two percent in Tennessee, but reversed his opposition to it and supported an increase to three percent to better fund 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...
, especially making the use of textbooks free in all Tennessee primary and secondary grades, a first for the state. He also supported road-building and improvement as an economic development measure, more than repaying his political debt to the road builders. As part of his improvements, outside lines on highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s became commonly painted for the first time in Tennessee.
Governor
AmendmentConstitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
s to the state constitution
Tennessee State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules of the U.S. State of Tennessee....
(the first ones since the document had been adopted in 1870, the longest such period in history) meant that Clement served the last two-year term as governor of Tennessee, but the amendment to the section affecting gubernatorial terms had been worded in such a way as to allow him to run for the first four-year term in 1954 and he did so, winning reelection easily. Clement was the keynote speaker at the 1956 Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
, making a speech whose theme, "O, How long?", echoed William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
. Clement was a very active layman
Layman
A layperson or layman is a person who is not an expert in a given field of knowledge. The term originally meant a member of the laity, i.e. a non-clergymen, but over the centuries shifted in definition....
in the Methodist faith, and during his gubernatorial terms often taught Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
to overflow crowds at a church in downtown 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...
, finally requiring the class' removal to an adjacent movie theater.
During his second term, he led the establishment of the first State Department of Mental Health as a Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
-level position in the country. However, the constitutional amendment was worded in such a way as to make Clement or subsequent executives ineligible for reelection to a four-year term, so Clement's first administration ended in January 1959 with his succession by Buford Ellington
Buford Ellington
Earl Buford Ellington , a native of Mississippi, was the 42nd Governor of Tennessee from 1959 to 1963 and again from 1967 until 1971....
, a former campaign manager and member of his Cabinet.
General election running
In 1962, now eligible to run for governor again, he easily won the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he defeated not only Republican attorney Hubert Patty of MaryvilleMaryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
, but also the independent bid of retired naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
captain 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:...
of Waverly
Waverly, Tennessee
Waverly is a city in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,028 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County.-Geography:...
, who was the skipper of the U.S.S. Nautilus when it became the first submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
to sail under the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
polar ice cap
Polar ice cap
A polar ice cap is a high latitude region of a planet or natural satellite that is covered in ice. There are no requirements with respect to size or composition for a body of ice to be termed a polar ice cap, nor any geological requirement for it to be over land; only that it must be a body of...
. It was Anderson, not Patty, who provided Clement with his major opposition in the western two-thirds of the state, but Clement nonetheless triumphed with a huge majority. (Anderson was later to serve in the United States House of Representatives
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...
as a Democrat.)
Clement was always exceptionally close to his sister, Anna Belle
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien was a Tennessee politician, nicknamed "the first lady of Tennessee politics." She served as the governor's chief of staff from 1963 to 1967, was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 89th General Assembly, from 1975 to 1977, and a Tennessee State...
, relying on her for advice and support, and during his second governorship she served as his chief of staff. When United States Senator
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...
Estes Kefauver
Estes Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S...
died in office in August 1963, Clement surprised some by not appointing himself to the office, but rather a caretaker, Herbert S. Walters. However, Clement did enter the 1964 Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the post, losing to Congressman
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...
Ross Bass
Ross Bass
Ross Bass was an American florist, postmaster, Congressman, and United States Senator from Tennessee.- Background :...
of Pulaski
Pulaski, Tennessee
Pulaski is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,870 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. It was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski...
in what most considered to be an upset. Since the 1964 election was for the balance of Kefauver's unexpired term, the seat was to be contested again in 1966, and Clement was again ineligible to succeed himself as governor, he decided to run against Bass again in the 1966 Democratic primary and this time defeated him for the nomination. However, he was defeated in November of the year by the Republican nominee, Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
, in another upset and again found himself out of politics. He was once again succeeded as governor by Ellington in what the Nashville Tennessean
The Tennessean
The Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
derided as "leapfrog government", but remained active in Democratic circles and was widely rumored to be planning to run for a fourth term as governor when he was killed in an automobile accident 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...
in 1969. Clement's 10 total years as governor of Tennessee are the longest any person served in the position in the 20th century, and longer than all but two 19th century governors, John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
and William Carroll. His remains were interred at Dickson County Memorial Gardens near Dickson, where his grave was once marked by an "eternal flame
Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns day and night for an indefinite period. The flame that burned constantly at Delphi was an archaic feature, "alien to the ordinary Greek temple"....
", which has since been extinguished.
Family
Clement had three sons, two of whom are still living. Bob ClementBob Clement
Robert Nelson "Bob" Clement is a Tennessee politician and a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:Clement is the son of former Governor Frank G. Clement...
has served as a Tennessee Public Service Commission
Tennessee Public Service Commission
The Tennessee Public Service Commission, also called Tennessee Railroad and Public Utilities Commission, was a three-member elected body which regulated private utilities, trucking firms, and railroads within the state of Tennessee...
er (supplanting his father as the youngest Tennessean ever elected to a statewide office), director of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
, president of Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
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 1987 to 2003. Frank G. Clement, Jr. has been an attorney, a Probate Court Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and currently serves on the Tennessee Court of Appeals
Tennessee Court of Appeals
The Tennessee Court of Appeals was created in 1925 by the Tennessee General Assembly as an intermediate appellate court to hear appeals in civil cases from the Tennessee state trial courts....
.
See also
- Clement Railroad Hotel Museum