Gordon Browning
Encyclopedia
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.
, Carroll County, Tennessee
and attended public schools, graduating from Milan, Tennessee
High School. He graduated from Valparaiso University
in Indiana
in 1913. In 1915 he graduated from the Cumberland School of Law
in Lebanon, Tennessee
, passed the bar
examination and began practice as an attorney
in Huntingdon
. Upon U.S. entry into World War I
, he enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard
, later being sent to Europe
, where he was eventually promoted to the rank of captain.
After World War I, Browning returned to the practice of law and ran for the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives
in 1920, but lost. Running again for that position in 1922 he was successful, serving six terms in that body. In his final term he was selected to be one of the "managers" (prosecutors) in the Senate
impeachment
trial of Harold Louderback
, judge
of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. However, his race for the 1934 Democratic nomination for United States Senate was not successful and he returned to the practice of law in Huntingdon. When Memphis
political "boss" E. H. Crump
had a falling out with Governor
Hill McAlister
, McAlister decided not to run for a third term, and Browning became Crump's chosen candidate to succeed him. Browning received the Democratic nomination for governor in August 1936, then tantamount to electoral success when campaigning for statewide office in Tennessee
. He coasted to election in November of that year.
However, Browning and Crump came to a parting of the ways shortly after Browning's inauguration as governor. Crump threw his support to newly elected state senator Prentice Cooper
, who defeated Browning for renomination in August, 1938. Browning never removed himself very far from politics, however. Returning to his hometown of Huntingdon, Browning bided his time through three terms by Cooper and two by his successor, Jim Nance McCord
. During this time, he served from 1942 on as a chancery court judge
, this service being interrupted by a return to active military duty in World War II
from February 1943 to January 1946, again serving in Europe
. During this period, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
.
In 1948, Browning saw his opportunity, bolstered by the support of Estes Kefauver
, then a popular five-term Congressman making his initial race for the Senate
. McCord had pushed through the legislature
the first sales tax
(2%) in Tennessee history and had been an advocate of right-to-work legislation, both of which were very unpopular with much of his base of support. In August, 1948 Browning defeated McCord for the Democratic nomination for governor. With an opponent winning statewide nomination, the influence of E. H. Crump over politics at the statewide level was largely over, although he still wielded considerable influence within Memphis itself until his death half a decade later.
However, for the first time over a quarter of a century, the Democratic nominee for governor faced a very well known and reasonably well funded Republican opponent in the November general election
. Country music entertainer Roy Acuff
was the 1948 Republican nominee for governor. Acuff's position in the race was largely unexpected, even to himself. His entry into the Republican primary
had been encouraged by state Republican officials as a publicity stunt
to foster interest in the Republican primary.
The idea was that the presence of Acuff on the ballot would serve as a drawing card to Republican events; the crowds thus assembled would learn about serious Republican candidates, bolstering the party. This tactic backfired when Acuff's popularity, especially in East Tennessee
where he was originally from and where the vast bulk of Republican voters in Tennessee were in that era, resulted in Acuff's receiving the nomination, much to chagrin of party officials, and even Acuff himself.
Thus thrust into the fray, Acuff decided to take his position seriously; however, the entertainer versus the experienced former governor proved to be the mismatch that could have been anticipated, and Browning won in a landslide. Acuff sent along his congratulations, admitting that the outcome was probably the best one possible for all concerned.
When a Republican was elected governor of Tennessee over two decades later, one of the first controversial decisions Winfield Dunn
made as governor was to purchase Dunbar Cave, a large cave
located near Clarksville, Tennessee
that had previously been used as a summertime entertainment venue prior to the advent of air conditioning
and owned by Acuff, for a state park
. This was widely regarded as a payback to Acuff for his role as a political "sacrificial lamb" over twenty years earlier.
Browning resigned his chancery court judgeship just before his second term as governor began. A staunch advocate of education
, he found that he could not push his educational agenda adequately if the sales tax were repealed. In many ways Browning was progressive
for a Southern governor of his era, supporting first Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
and then Harry S. Truman
's Fair Deal
. He did not get the right-to-work legislation repealed, however; Tennessee is still an "open shop
" state
. Browning was renominated, turning back the challenge of Nashville
attorney Clifford Allen
, and was re-elected in 1950.
However, he faced a new challenge in 1952 in addition to another one from Allen, that from fellow attorney
Frank G. Clement
of Dickson
. brilliant orator and World War II
veteran, who was only 32, Clement saw Browning's ties to the railroad interests as a weakness and exploited it by garnering the backing of roadbuilders. Also, although Browning had been himself something of an insurgent and was still only in his mid-50s, he now came across as part of the Old Guard, the last gasp of the World War I generation desperately staving off the young bulls who had served in World War II (even though he also had done so himself), and he lost the 1952 nomination to Clement.
In retirement back in his hometown of Huntingdon, he continued to show an active interest in Democratic politics until very shortly before his death in 1976, apparently being used as an unofficial advisor to younger Democratic political figures on several occasions. He also engaged in farm
ing and headed an insurance
concern. He died in Huntingdon and was interred in that community's Oak Hill Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who represented 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...
in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and was later Governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1949 to 1953.
Biography
Browning was a native of AtwoodAtwood, Tennessee
Atwood is a town in Carroll County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 938 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, Carroll County, Tennessee
Carroll County, Tennessee
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 28,522. Its county seat is Huntingdon. It was named for Governor William Carroll.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and attended public schools, graduating from Milan, Tennessee
Milan, Tennessee
Milan is a city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,851 at the 2010 census. The zip code assigned by the U.S. Postal Service is 38358. Residents of Milan are usually referred to as Milanites...
High School. He graduated from Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1913. In 1915 he graduated from the Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, passed the 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:...
examination and began practice as an 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...
in Huntingdon
Huntingdon, Tennessee
Huntingdon is a town in Carroll County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,349 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County.-Geography:Huntingdon is located at ....
. Upon U.S. entry into 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...
, he enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, later being sent to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, where he was eventually promoted to the rank of captain.
After World War I, Browning returned to the practice of law and ran for the Democratic nomination for 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...
in 1920, but lost. Running again for that position in 1922 he was successful, serving six terms in that body. In his final term he was selected to be one of the "managers" (prosecutors) in the 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...
impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
trial of Harold Louderback
Harold Louderback
Harold Louderback was a United States District Court judge from California. He was the eleventh federal official to be served with Articles of Impeachment and was ultimately acquitted of these charges....
, 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...
of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. However, his race for the 1934 Democratic nomination for United States Senate was not successful and he returned to the practice of law in Huntingdon. When 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:...
had a falling out with Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Hill McAlister
Hill McAlister
Harry Hill McAlister was Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937.-Biography:Hill McAlister was born in Nashville to a family kin to at least two former governors of Tennessee and the former governor of the predecessor Southwest Territory, William Blount...
, McAlister decided not to run for a third term, and Browning became Crump's chosen candidate to succeed him. Browning received the Democratic nomination for governor in August 1936, then tantamount to electoral success when campaigning for statewide office in 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...
. He coasted to election in November of that year.
However, Browning and Crump came to a parting of the ways shortly after Browning's inauguration as governor. Crump threw his support to newly elected state senator Prentice Cooper
Prentice Cooper
William Prentice Cooper was an American politician and Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945.-Life and career:A native of Bedford County, Tennessee, he attended Vanderbilt University and then Harvard University...
, who defeated Browning for renomination in August, 1938. Browning never removed himself very far from politics, however. Returning to his hometown of Huntingdon, Browning bided his time through three terms by Cooper and two by his successor, Jim Nance McCord
Jim Nance McCord
Jim Nance McCord was an American journalist and politician who served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms as Governor of Tennessee ....
. During this time, he served from 1942 on as a chancery 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...
, this service being interrupted by a return to active military duty in 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...
from February 1943 to January 1946, again serving in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. During this period, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
.
In 1948, Browning saw his opportunity, bolstered by the support of 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...
, then a popular five-term Congressman making his initial race for the 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...
. McCord had pushed through the legislature
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...
the first 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....
(2%) in Tennessee history and had been an advocate of right-to-work legislation, both of which were very unpopular with much of his base of support. In August, 1948 Browning defeated McCord for the Democratic nomination for governor. With an opponent winning statewide nomination, the influence of E. H. Crump over politics at the statewide level was largely over, although he still wielded considerable influence within Memphis itself until his death half a decade later.
However, for the first time over a quarter of a century, the Democratic nominee for governor faced a very well known and reasonably well funded Republican opponent in the November general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. Country music entertainer Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
was the 1948 Republican nominee for governor. Acuff's position in the race was largely unexpected, even to himself. His entry into the Republican 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....
had been encouraged by state Republican officials as a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
to foster interest in the Republican primary.
The idea was that the presence of Acuff on the ballot would serve as a drawing card to Republican events; the crowds thus assembled would learn about serious Republican candidates, bolstering the party. This tactic backfired when Acuff's popularity, especially in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
where he was originally from and where the vast bulk of Republican voters in Tennessee were in that era, resulted in Acuff's receiving the nomination, much to chagrin of party officials, and even Acuff himself.
Thus thrust into the fray, Acuff decided to take his position seriously; however, the entertainer versus the experienced former governor proved to be the mismatch that could have been anticipated, and Browning won in a landslide. Acuff sent along his congratulations, admitting that the outcome was probably the best one possible for all concerned.
When a Republican was elected governor of Tennessee over two decades later, one of the first controversial decisions Winfield Dunn
Winfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
made as governor was to purchase Dunbar Cave, a large cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located near Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
that had previously been used as a summertime entertainment venue prior to the advent of air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and owned by Acuff, for a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
. This was widely regarded as a payback to Acuff for his role as a political "sacrificial lamb" over twenty years earlier.
Browning resigned his chancery court judgeship just before his second term as governor began. A staunch advocate of 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...
, he found that he could not push his educational agenda adequately if the sales tax were repealed. In many ways Browning was progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
for a Southern governor of his era, supporting first Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
and then Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
's Fair Deal
Fair Deal
The Fair Deal was the term given to an ambitious set of proposals put forward by United States President Harry S. Truman to the United States Congress in his January 1949 State of the Union address. The term, however, has also been used to describe the domestic reform agenda of the Truman...
. He did not get the right-to-work legislation repealed, however; Tennessee is still an "open shop
Open shop
An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...
" state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. Browning was renominated, turning back the challenge of 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...
attorney Clifford Allen
Clifford Allen
Clifford Robertson Allen was a Tennessee attorney and Democratic politician.-Early life and career:Allen was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated from Friends High School in Washington, D.C.. He graduated from the Cumberland School of Law in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1931 and was admitted to...
, and was re-elected in 1950.
However, he faced a new challenge in 1952 in addition to another one from Allen, that from fellow 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...
Frank G. Clement
Frank G. Clement
Frank Goad Clement served as Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967.-Early life:...
of Dickson
Dickson, 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:...
. brilliant orator and 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...
veteran, who was only 32, Clement saw Browning's ties to the railroad interests as a weakness and exploited it by garnering the backing of roadbuilders. Also, although Browning had been himself something of an insurgent and was still only in his mid-50s, he now came across as part of the Old Guard, the last gasp of the World War I generation desperately staving off the young bulls who had served in World War II (even though he also had done so himself), and he lost the 1952 nomination to Clement.
In retirement back in his hometown of Huntingdon, he continued to show an active interest in Democratic politics until very shortly before his death in 1976, apparently being used as an unofficial advisor to younger Democratic political figures on several occasions. He also engaged in farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
ing and headed an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
concern. He died in Huntingdon and was interred in that community's Oak Hill Cemetery.