Earle Clements facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Earle Clements
|
|
|---|---|
Clements in 1947
|
|
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1957 |
|
| Leader | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Leverett Saltonstall |
| Succeeded by | Mike Mansfield |
| Senate Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 |
|
| Leader | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Leverett Saltonstall |
| Succeeded by | Leverett Salstontall |
| United States Senator from Kentucky |
|
| In office November 27, 1950 – January 3, 1957 |
|
| Preceded by | Garrett L. Withers |
| Succeeded by | Thruston Morton |
| 47th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office December 9, 1947 – November 27, 1950 |
|
| Lieutenant | Lawrence Wetherby |
| Preceded by | Simeon Willis |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence Wetherby |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 2nd district |
|
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 6, 1948 |
|
| Preceded by | Beverly M. Vincent |
| Succeeded by | John A. Whitaker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Earle Chester Clements
October 22, 1896 Morganfield, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 1985 (aged 88) Morganfield, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Resting place | Odd Fellows Cemetery, Morganfield, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sara Blue |
| Education | University of Kentucky (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Earle Chester Clements (October 22, 1896 – March 12, 1985) was an American farmer and politician from Kentucky. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He was also the 47th Governor of Kentucky from 1947 to 1950. For many years, he was a key leader in Kentucky's Democratic Party. He often disagreed with another powerful politician, A. B. "Happy" Chandler.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Earle C. Clements was born in Morganfield, Kentucky on October 22, 1896. He was the youngest of six children. His father was a popular county judge and sheriff.
Earle went to public schools and graduated from Morganfield High School in 1915. He then enrolled at the University of Kentucky. He played center on the football team in 1915 and 1916. He was even named to the "All-Southern Team" in 1916.
Military Service
Clements' studies were stopped by World War I. On July 9, 1917, he joined the Kentucky National Guard. He became a private and later an officer. He served for 28 months, becoming a captain. He was discharged from the U.S. Army on September 12, 1919.
After the war, Clements worked in oil fields. In 1921, he returned to Kentucky to help his father on the farm. He also worked as his father's deputy sheriff. For fun, he coached football at his old high school. On January 18, 1927, Clements married Sara M. Blue. Their only child, Elizabeth (Bess) Hughes Clements Abell, later worked for Lady Bird Johnson.
Starting His Political Journey
In 1922, after his father passed away, Clements was appointed to finish his father's term as county judge. He was then elected to the office himself. In 1926, he became county clerk, serving two terms.
County Judge and Road Improvements
In 1934, he was elected county judge again. During his time as judge, he ordered the paving of 123 miles of roads. This was more than all previous judges combined. He did this even during the difficult times of the Great Depression.
In 1935, Clements was asked to lead Thomas Rhea's campaign for governor. He accepted. Because of this, he had to turn down a similar offer from his friend, A. B. "Happy" Chandler. This started a long rivalry between Clements and Chandler. For decades, they led opposing groups within Kentucky's Democratic Party.
State Senate and U.S. House
Clements was elected to the Kentucky Senate in 1941. By 1944, he became the majority leader in the Senate. He helped write the state's budget. He worked to increase money for education, even more than what the Republican governor, Simeon Willis, wanted.
His strong stand against Governor Willis made him popular. In 1944, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Kentucky's second district. He was re-elected in 1946. As a Democrat who supported the New Deal, Clements voted to increase funding for rural electricity. He also supported the 1945 National School Lunch Act. He worked for more agricultural research and conservation programs. He also supported civil rights laws, like banning lynching and poll taxes.
Governor of Kentucky
In 1947, Clements decided to run for governor. He faced Harry Lee Waterfield in the Democratic primary. Waterfield was favored by Happy Chandler. Clements was a great campaign organizer. He gained support from different parts of Kentucky. He defeated Waterfield by over 30,000 votes.
In the main election, Clements ran against Republican Eldon S. Dummit. Clements kept the Democrats united after the primary. Dummit, however, had problems within his own party. Clements won the election with 387,795 votes to Dummit's 287,756. He then left his seat in the U.S. House to become governor.
Governor's Achievements
As governor, Clements had a strong Democratic majority in both parts of the state legislature. This helped him pass many of his plans.
- Parks and Roads: He increased taxes on gasoline and alcohol. With this money, he spent $6 million to improve and expand the state park system. He also started many road building projects. Kentucky built or funded 3,800 miles of rural roads and 4,000 miles of main roads. He also started building the Kentucky Turnpike.
- Law Enforcement: Clements replaced the old Kentucky Highway Patrol with the Kentucky State Police. This made law enforcement better and less about politics.
- Education: He used tax money to raise salaries for public school teachers. He also increased funding for poorer school districts. He worked to help Kentucky colleges keep their accreditation. He also made progress toward desegregation in education. He allowed African Americans to take post-graduate medical courses in white hospitals.
- Government Improvements: Clements created new government groups. He formed the Ohio River Sanitation Commission to fight pollution. He also created the Legislative Research Commission to help lawmakers write better laws. He started the Kentucky Agriculture and Industrial Board, which brought 250 new businesses to the state. This created 40,000 new jobs.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
In 1949, when Alben Barkley became vice president, Clements appointed Garrett L. Withers to fill Barkley's Senate seat. In 1950, Clements ran in a special election to fill the rest of Withers' term and a full six-year term. He won the election. On November 27, 1950, he resigned as governor to become a U.S. Senator.
In 1953, Clements became the Democratic party whip in the Senate. He worked under party leader Lyndon B. Johnson. He also led the Senate Democratic Reelection Committee. This committee helps get Democrats elected to the Senate. In 1954, Democrats regained control of the Senate. Clements started the practice of his committee helping new senators get started. This practice continues today.
Re-election Campaign and Defeat
Clements remained active in Kentucky politics. He continued to lead the group that opposed Happy Chandler. In 1955, Chandler ran for governor again. Clements supported Bert T. Combs against Chandler. Chandler won the primary election.
In 1956, Clements ran for re-election to the Senate. He won the Democratic primary. However, his old rival, Governor Chandler, did not support him. Chandler instead supported the Republican candidates. Also, Senate majority leader Lyndon Johnson had a heart attack. Clements had to spend a lot of time in Washington, D.C., covering Johnson's duties. These factors, along with a strong Republican presidential candidate, led to Clements' defeat. He lost to Thruston B. Morton by only 7,000 votes. This was Clements' first election loss in 30 years.
Later Life
After his defeat, Clements never ran for elected office again. However, he stayed involved in politics. He continued to lead the anti-Chandler group in the Democratic Party. From 1957 to 1959, he again led the United States Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. He helped Democrats win many seats in the Senate.
In 1960, Governor Combs appointed Clements as state highway commissioner. This was a very powerful position. Some newspapers suggested this was a reward for Clements supporting Combs. In 1960, there was a controversy about the highway department leasing trucks from a car dealer who supported Combs. Governor Combs canceled the deal. Clements felt this was a public criticism. This caused a disagreement between Clements and Combs that never fully healed.
Clements later resigned to work for his friend Lyndon Johnson's presidential campaign. After his split with Combs, Clements even teamed up with his old rival, Happy Chandler. Clements' influence in Kentucky politics slowly decreased.
From 1961 to 1963, Clements worked as a consultant. He then became a lobbyist in Washington. In 1981, he retired to his hometown of Morganfield. Earle Clements passed away on March 12, 1985. He was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Morganfield. In 1980, a Job Corps Center in Morganfield was renamed the Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center in his honor.
Images for kids
-
Alben Barkley
