B. Carroll Reece facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carroll Reece
Reece c. 1924
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st district
In office March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1931
Preceded by	Sam R. Sells
Succeeded by	Oscar Lovette
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1947
Preceded by	Oscar Lovette
Succeeded by	Dayton E. Phillips
In office January 3, 1951 – March 19, 1961
Preceded by	Dayton E. Phillips
Succeeded by	Louise Goff Reece
Chair of the Republican National Committee
In office April 1, 1946 – June 27, 1948
Preceded by	Herbert Brownell Jr.
Succeeded by	Hugh Scott
Personal details
Born	Brazilla Carroll Reece (1889-12-22)December 22, 1889 Butler, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	March 19, 1961(1961-03-19) (aged 71) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Louise Goff
Education	Appalachian State University Carson-Newman University (BA) New York University (MA) London School of Economics

Brazilla Carroll Reece (December 22, 1889 – March 19, 1961) was an American politician from Tennessee. He was a member of the Republican Party. He served in the United States House of Representatives for eastern Tennessee for many years, from 1921 to 1961. He was also the leader of the Republican National Committee from 1946 to 1948.

Reece was a conservative. This means he believed in traditional values and limited government. He worked with Senator Robert A. Taft to oppose too much government involvement in other countries' affairs. He also fought against communism and the big government ideas of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman.

From 1953 to 1954, Reece led a special committee. This committee investigated non-profit groups, especially schools and charities. It was called the Reece Committee. The committee looked into whether these groups were promoting socialist ideas. They concluded that some foundations were indeed pushing for these ideas.

Early Life and Education

Carroll Reece was born on a farm near Butler, Tennessee. He was one of thirteen children. His parents were John Isaac and Sarah Maples Reece. He was named after an ancestor, Brazilla Carroll McBride, but he never used his first name.

Reece went to Watauga Academy in Butler, Tennessee. He then attended Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. At Carson-Newman, he played basketball and football. He graduated in 1914 as the best student in his class.

After college, he worked as a high school principal for one year. Then, he went to New York University. There, he earned a master's degree in economics and finance in 1916. He also studied at the University of London.

Military Service and Early Career

In 1916 and 1917, Reece was an assistant secretary and teacher at New York University. In April 1917, he joined the military for World War I. He trained to become an officer.

During the war, he served with the 166th Infantry Regiment. He later moved to the 102nd Infantry Regiment. He commanded a company and then a battalion. He reached the rank of captain. He left the military in 1919. He received several awards for his service. These included the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. He also received the French Croix de Guerre.

After the war, he was a director at the School of Business Administration of New York University. He also studied law there. He passed the bar exam and became a lawyer in Johnson City, Tennessee. He also worked as a banker and publisher.

Reece married Louise Goff. Her father, Guy Despard Goff, was a United States Senator from West Virginia.

Time in Congress

Reece was a delegate to many Republican National Conventions. These included conventions in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, and 1948. He was also a member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution in 1945 and 1946.

Reece was known as a conservative. Some people in his own party called him an "Old Guard reactionary."

First Election to the U.S. House

Reece first ran for the House of Representatives in 1920. He challenged the person already in office, Sam R. Sells. At first, Sells' supporters didn't take Reece seriously. But Reece focused on his military service during his campaign.

Reece traveled to all the counties in his district. He promised to serve for only ten years, a promise he later broke. He also criticized Sells for possible conflicts of interest. Reece won the Republican nomination and then the general election. This was a big surprise.

The region he represented was very Republican. Republicans had won elections there for most of the time since 1859. It was one of the few places in the former Confederacy where Republicans often won.

Serving His Constituents

Once in office, Reece helped people in his district with their problems. This became a common practice for later Republican representatives from Eastern Tennessee. In 1922, Reece voted for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill. This bill aimed to stop lynching.

Defeat and Comeback

Reece was re-elected four times after his first win. However, he lost in the 1930 election to an Independent Republican, Oscar Lovette. This happened because some people were upset about President Herbert Hoover vetoing the George W. Norris Muscle Shoals bill. This bill was an early idea for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Many voters also felt Reece had not helped build the Cove Creek Dam.

Reece ran for his old seat again in 1932. He won narrowly against Lovette. Lovette claimed there was voter fraud. An investigation found some "questionable" election practices. However, Reece was allowed to keep his seat.

After returning to Congress, Carroll Reece became a supporter of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). He often voted differently from most Republicans to support the TVA. He learned that opposing the TVA was not popular in Tennessee.

Later Congressional Service

Reece served in Congress until 1947. He then stepped down to focus on being the chairman of the Republican National Committee. He had held this position since 1946.

Reece was a strong conservative. He generally opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. He also opposed government control over wages and prices. Before World War II, he was an isolationist. This meant he believed the U.S. should not get involved in other countries' conflicts. He voted against the Lend-Lease Act.

He supported civil rights. He wanted federal laws against lynching and poll taxes. Reece was a member of the "Old Guard" faction of the Republican Party. He strongly supported Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft. Taft was the leader of the conservative Republicans. In 1948 and 1952, Reece supported Taft for president. However, Taft lost the nomination both times to more moderate Republicans.

In 1948, Reece ran for an open Senate seat. He lost to Democratic Congressman Estes Kefauver.

Republican Party Leadership

Reece became the chairman of the Republican National Committee in April 1946. He worked with Senator Taft. Reece did not take a salary for this job because he had his own money.

During his time leading the Republican Party, Reece was part of the conservative group. In February 1948, Reece called for removing communists from the United States. He said that the spread of communist power was a big danger to the nation.

Return to the U.S. House and Reece Committee

In 1950, Reece ran against Dayton Phillips, who had taken his old House seat. Reece won the Republican primary. This meant he was almost certain to return to Congress. He was re-elected five more times.

When Republicans gained control of the House in 1952, Reece became chairman of a special committee. This committee was called the Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations. He lost this position when Democrats regained control in 1955.

In the 1952 presidential election, Reece supported Robert A. Taft. However, Taft lost the Republican nomination to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was more moderate and believed in international cooperation.

During his time in Congress, Reece was a social and financial conservative. He supported isolationism and civil rights laws. He was one of the few Southern Congressmen who did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto. This manifesto opposed desegregation. He also voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and Civil Rights Act of 1960. He was a rare example of a senior Republican congressman from a former Confederate state.

The Reece Committee Investigations

Reece led the United States House Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations. This committee looked into how tax-exempt non-profit groups used their money. They specifically wanted to see if these groups were supporting communism in schools. Reece chose attorney Norman Dodd to lead the investigation.

The investigation lasted eighteen months. Reece later said that the evidence showed that major foundations were funding educators who supported "collectivistic" ideas. He believed this led to a socialist trend in American government.

Death and Legacy

Carroll Reece died on March 19, 1961, from lung cancer. He passed away in Bethesda, Maryland. He had just started his 18th term in Congress.

He served in the House longer than anyone else in Tennessee history. Only Kenneth McKellar served longer in both houses of Congress. Reece's wife, Louise, was elected to serve the rest of his term. Both are buried at Monte Vista Memorial Park in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Reece received several honorary degrees. These included law degrees from Cumberland University and Tusculum College. He also received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Lincoln Memorial University.

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)