George W. Grider
Encyclopedia
George William Grider (October 1, 1912 – March 20, 1991) was a United States Naval Officer, an attorney, and a Democratic
U.S. Representative
from Tennessee
from 1965 to 1967.
Grider was born in Memphis
, Tennessee
, son of John MacGavock Grider, (killed in action
, World War I
, aviation), and the brother of John Grider. As a youth, he attended the public schools and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy
(USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland
where he was graduated and received his naval commission in 1936. While at Annapolis, he married in secret in contravention to USNA regulations, and was officially married in 1938.
, he was assigned to the USS Mississippi
(BB-41), as catapult
officer, and subsequently to the USS Rathburne
(DD-113).
After this service Grider was assigned to the Navy's Submarine Warfare School, and following his successful completion of its requirements was assigned to one of the World War II
era's most accomplished submarines, the
USS Skipjack
(SS-184).
Grider was serving as an instructor at the Fleet Sonar School in San Diego, California
at the time of the Pearl Harbor
attack, and then assigned to a submarine deployed in the defense of San Diego during the time after the attack when both naval and civilian officials wondered if the attack was to be followed by an attempted Japan
ese invasion of the West Coast.
Subsequently, Grider was assigned to the USS Wahoo
(SS-238) as Engineering Officer, and then to two billets as Executive Officer
, on the USS Pollack
(SS-180), and the
USS Hawkbill
(SS-366). After this, he was given command of the USS Flasher
(SS-249), and then USS Cubera
(SS-347). Grider told the story of his World War II experiences in the submarine service in the book War Fish which he wrote with Lydel Sims, published in 1958 by Little, Brown and Company.
Grider was forced to retire from active naval service at the rank of Captain in 1947 after suffering a heart attack
. He then enrolled in the law school
of the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville, Virginia
where he was graduated with a law degree in 1950 and then, subsequent to his admission to the Tennessee bar
, began the practice of law in Memphis.
Quarterly Court (in reality a legislative
rather than a judicial body, it was the predecessor to the body today serving as the Shelby County Commission). It was from this office that Grider launched a successful campaign for the Democratic nomination for the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District
seat in the August 1964 Democratic primary
, defeating 13-term incumbent
Clifford Davis
, a holdover from the era of E. H. "Boss" Crump
's domination of Memphis politics. Grider did not have an easy time in the November election, however. Republican
influence was on the rise in the Memphis area, largely due to a massive crossover of white voters from the Democrats. Grider won by only five percentage points. He likely would not have won had it not been for Lyndon Johnson's gigantic landslide in that year's presidential election
. He was one of two naval veterans elected to the House from western Tennessee in that election, the other being William Anderson
.
However, Grider was to serve only one term in the House; in November 1966 he was defeated for reelection by Shelby County Republican Party chairman Dan Kuykendall
, in what was a very good year for Republicans in Tennessee (Howard Baker
was elected to the first of three Senate
terms) and nationally (where the huge Democratic advantages in both houses of Congress and in governor
ships were considerably reduced). Kuykendall had specific advantages: he had done surprisingly well as the Republican nominee in the United States Senate
race against Albert Gore, Sr.
two years earlier, and there was no Republican gubernatorial nominee in Tennessee that year. Kuykendall also took advantage of the large number of white Memphis-area Democrats switching to the Republicans. Ordinarily, the lack of a gubernatorial race would probably be considered a political disadvantage, but in fact it allowed Tennessee Republicans to concentrate their resources on winnable races, such as those faced by Kuykendall and Baker. Grider was the last white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis until State Senator Steve Cohen
was elected to Congress in 2006.
Following his defeat, Grider moved to Niagara Falls, New York
where he served for eight years as vice president
and general counsel for the Carborundum Corporation, an abrasives manufacturer.
In 1975 Grider returned to Memphis and resumed the practice of law there, and was still living in the city of his birth at the time of his death in 1991.
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...
U.S. Representative
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 1965 to 1967.
Grider was born in 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....
, 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...
, son of John MacGavock Grider, (killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, aviation), and the brother of John Grider. As a youth, he attended the public schools and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
(USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
where he was graduated and received his naval commission in 1936. While at Annapolis, he married in secret in contravention to USNA regulations, and was officially married in 1938.
Naval career
After Grider's commission as an EnsignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, he was assigned to the USS Mississippi
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
USS Mississippi , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name. Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars...
(BB-41), as catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
officer, and subsequently to the USS Rathburne
USS Rathburne (DD-113)
USS Rathburne was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War I. She was the first ship named for John Peck Rathbun....
(DD-113).
After this service Grider was assigned to the Navy's Submarine Warfare School, and following his successful completion of its requirements was assigned to one of the 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...
era's most accomplished submarines, the
USS Skipjack
USS Skipjack (SS-184)
USS Skipjack , a Salmon-class submarine, wasthe second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the fish. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, on 22 July 1936...
(SS-184).
Grider was serving as an instructor at the Fleet Sonar School in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
at the time of the Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
attack, and then assigned to a submarine deployed in the defense of San Diego during the time after the attack when both naval and civilian officials wondered if the attack was to be followed by an attempted 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...
ese invasion of the West Coast.
Subsequently, Grider was assigned to the USS Wahoo
USS Wahoo (SS-238)
was a Gato-class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the wahoo, a dark blue food fish of Florida and the West Indies....
(SS-238) as Engineering Officer, and then to two billets as Executive Officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
, on the USS Pollack
USS Pollack (SS-180)
USS Pollack , a , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pollack, a food fish resembling the true cod, but with the lower jaw projecting and without the barbel....
(SS-180), and the
USS Hawkbill
USS Hawkbill (SS-366)
USS Hawkbill , a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hawksbill, a large sea turtle ....
(SS-366). After this, he was given command of the USS Flasher
USS Flasher (SS-249)
USS Flasher was a Gato-class submarine which served in the Pacific during World War II. She received three Presidential Unit Citations and six battle stars, and sank 21 ships for a total of 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping....
(SS-249), and then USS Cubera
USS Cubera (SS-347)
USS Cubera , a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cubera, a large fish of the snapper family found in the West Indies....
(SS-347). Grider told the story of his World War II experiences in the submarine service in the book War Fish which he wrote with Lydel Sims, published in 1958 by Little, Brown and Company.
Grider was forced to retire from active naval service at the rank of Captain in 1947 after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He then enrolled in the law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
where he was graduated with a law degree in 1950 and then, subsequent to his admission to the Tennessee bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
, began the practice of law in Memphis.
Public service and later life
In 1956 and 1957, Grider served on the Memphis Planning Commission, and from 1959 to 1964, the Shelby CountyShelby 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...
Quarterly Court (in reality a legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
rather than a judicial body, it was the predecessor to the body today serving as the Shelby County Commission). It was from this office that Grider launched a successful campaign for the Democratic nomination for the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District
Tennessee's 9th congressional district
The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...
seat in the August 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....
, defeating 13-term incumbent
Incumbent
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...
Clifford Davis
Clifford Davis
Clifford Davis was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965.-Early life:Davis was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, moving to Memphis with his parents at age 14. There he completed the high school curriculum of the public schools, and in 1917 he completed law school at the...
, a holdover from the era of E. H. "Boss" 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:...
's domination of Memphis politics. Grider did not have an easy time in the November election, however. 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...
influence was on the rise in the Memphis area, largely due to a massive crossover of white voters from the Democrats. Grider won by only five percentage points. He likely would not have won had it not been for Lyndon Johnson's gigantic landslide in that year's presidential election
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
. He was one of two naval veterans elected to the House from western Tennessee in that election, the other being 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:...
.
However, Grider was to serve only one term in the House; in November 1966 he was defeated for reelection by Shelby County Republican Party chairman Dan Kuykendall
Dan Kuykendall
Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party....
, in what was a very good year for Republicans in Tennessee (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...
was elected to the first of three 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...
terms) and nationally (where the huge Democratic advantages in both houses of Congress and in governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
ships were considerably reduced). Kuykendall had specific advantages: he had done surprisingly well as the Republican nominee in the 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...
race against 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....
two years earlier, and there was no Republican gubernatorial nominee in Tennessee that year. Kuykendall also took advantage of the large number of white Memphis-area Democrats switching to the Republicans. Ordinarily, the lack of a gubernatorial race would probably be considered a political disadvantage, but in fact it allowed Tennessee Republicans to concentrate their resources on winnable races, such as those faced by Kuykendall and Baker. Grider was the last white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis until State Senator Steve Cohen
Steve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
was elected to Congress in 2006.
Following his defeat, Grider moved to Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
where he served for eight years as vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and general counsel for the Carborundum Corporation, an abrasives manufacturer.
In 1975 Grider returned to Memphis and resumed the practice of law there, and was still living in the city of his birth at the time of his death in 1991.
See also
- United States Congressional Delegations from TennesseeUnited States Congressional Delegations from TennesseeThese are tables of congressional delegations from Tennessee to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.Like some states, Tennessee has undergone too much demographic change for some districts to be seen as a continuation of the same numbered district before...