Cliff Finch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cliff Finch
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| 57th Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 20, 1976 – January 22, 1980 |
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| Lieutenant | Evelyn Gandy |
| Preceded by | Bill Waller |
| Succeeded by | William Winter |
| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Panola County |
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| In office 1960–1964 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Clifton Finch
April 4, 1927 Pope, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | April 22, 1986 (aged 59) Batesville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Resting place | Magnolia Cemetery Batesville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Zelma Smith |
| Alma mater | University of Mississippi University of Mississippi School of Law |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | Italian Campaign of World War II |
Charles Clifton Finch (born April 4, 1927 – died April 22, 1986) was an American politician. He served as the 57th Governor of the U.S. state of Mississippi. His term as governor was from 1976 to 1980.
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Early Life and Education
Cliff Finch was born on April 4, 1927, in Pope, a small village in Panola County, Mississippi. He was the oldest of five children. His parents, Christine and Carl Finch, were farmers who didn't have much money.
Finch went to school in Panola County. When he was 18, he joined the U.S. Army. He served during World War II in the Italian Campaign. He was a howitzer gunner with the 88th Infantry Division.
After the war, Finch came home. He attended a school for veterans. He bought a truck and hauled logs for a while. Later, he worked with heavy machinery in Guam. He also worked part-time as a barber. He used his earnings to help his father rebuild their house.
Finch passed his General Educational Development tests. In 1953, he enrolled at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. He worked many different jobs to pay for his studies. These jobs included campus police officer and bulldozer driver. In 1958, he graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law. On December 14, 1953, he married Zelma Smith, a schoolteacher. They had four children together.
Starting His Political Career
After becoming a lawyer, Finch opened his own law office in Batesville. He became very successful.
In 1959, he was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. He served there from 1960 to 1964. During this time, Finch supported the idea of racial segregation. He also supported Governor Ross Barnett's efforts to keep segregation in the state.
Later, in 1964 and 1968, he was elected as a district attorney. In 1971, he tried to become lieutenant governor but did not win. Even though he lost, he continued to travel around the state and meet people.
Becoming Governor
The 1975 Election
Cliff Finch decided to run for Governor of Mississippi in 1975. He was running against William F. Winter and Maurice Dantin in the Democratic primary election. Many people didn't think Finch had a good chance to win at first.
Finch called himself "the workingman's candidate." To show this, he used a lunch pail with his name on it as his campaign symbol. He also spent one day each week doing a "blue collar" job. This included things like installing car engines or driving a bulldozer. He wanted people to know he understood their lives.
Winter, one of his opponents, said Finch's actions were just tricks. But Finch replied that he was proud to be seen as a "redneck" or "clown" if that's what it meant to connect with working people.
In the first primary vote, Winter got the most votes. Finch came in second. Finch then won the runoff election with 58 percent of the votes. This was one of the biggest wins ever in a runoff for governor.
In the main election, Finch ran against Gil Carmichael, a Republican. Finch won the election by about 50,000 votes. Many black voters helped him win. He became governor on January 20, 1976.
What Governor Finch Did
As governor, Cliff Finch continued his "work days" once a month. He would do regular jobs to stay connected with the people he served.
He helped save Mississippi's savings and loan businesses. He also provided help after a big flood in 1979. During his time as governor, he appointed more people from minority groups to important positions. He appointed the first black woman to the State College Board. He also chose a black man to lead the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs.
Finch's time as governor also had some challenges. There were investigations into his administration. While Finch himself was never found guilty of anything, some of his helpers faced charges.
Working with Lawmakers
Many of Finch's ideas for new laws were not approved by the state legislature. For example, he wanted to remove the state sales tax on food and medicine. This idea did not pass.
He also wanted to change the state constitution. This change would allow a governor to serve more than one term in a row. The Senate approved this idea, but the House of Representatives did not. However, he did sign a law that closed down the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission. This commission had been involved in supporting segregation.
Political Unity
When Finch became governor, the Mississippi Democratic Party was divided. There were two main groups: the Regulars and the Loyalists. Finch promised to bring these groups together. They reached an agreement where a white Regular and a black Loyalist would lead the party together. This helped unite the party.
While he was still governor, Finch ran for the United States Senate in 1978. He lost in the primary election. He left the governor's office on January 22, 1980.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving office, Cliff Finch tried to run for U.S. President in 1980. He ran in the Democratic primary against President Jimmy Carter. However, he did not get enough support and soon withdrew from the race.
Finch went back to practicing law. He passed away on April 22, 1986, at his law office in Batesville, Mississippi. He was buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Batesville.
Historian Chris Danielson said that Finch's biggest achievement was bringing together the white and black parts of the state Democratic Party. This helped modernize the party and move it away from its past support of segregation.
