Henry Howell
Encyclopedia
Henry Evans Howell, Jr. (September 5, 1920 – July 7, 1997), nickname
d "Howlin'" Henry Howell, was an American politician
from the U.S. state
of Virginia
. A member of the Democratic Party
, he served in both houses of the state legislature, was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
as an Independent
, and made several runs for Governor
.
Born in Richmond, Virginia
, Howell grew up in Norfolk
. He earned an undergraduate degree
from the College of William and Mary
and a Juris Doctor
from the University of Virginia
. He first got involved in politics in 1949, campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Francis Pickens Miller against John S. Battle
, the favored candidate of the Byrd Organization
, the state's political machine
, in the Democratic primary
. Battle defeated Miller in the primary and went on to win the general election. In 1952, Howell managed Miller's campaign against incumbent U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd
, the leader of the political machine, a campaign that Miller also lost.
The following year, Howell ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates
, but lost the election. In 1959, he was elected to the seat, but lost a campaign for re-election in 1961. He reclaimed the seat two years later in 1963 and was elected to a seat in the Virginia State Senate
in 1965.
A fiery populist
, Howell assailed Big Business
, particularly bank
s, insurance
companies, and monopolies
. A favorite target was Dominion Virginia Power, then known as VEPCO, which Howell claimed stood for "Very Expensive Power Company." A supporter of civil rights
for African American
s, Howell campaigned against massive resistance
, was a major proponent of desegregation
, and filed a successful lawsuit
to abolish the state's poll tax
. A believer in the right to organize, he often attempted to repeal Virginia's right-to-work law
.
In 1969, Howell made his first run for Governor, challenging former Ambassador William C. Battle
, son of former Governor John S. Battle
, for the nomination. Battle won the primary, and went on to lose the election to A. Linwood Holton, Jr.
, the first Republican
Governor since Gilbert Walker, who served until the end of 1973.
When popular Lieutenant Governor J. Sargeant Reynolds
died in 1971, Howell entered the race to fill the remaining two years of his term. Running as an Independent, Howell campaigned on a promise to "Keep the Big Boys Honest" (a slogan
he would retain in later campaigns). On Election Day, he received 362,371 votes (40%), compared to 334,580 votes (37%) for Democrat George J. Kostel and 209,861 votes (23%) for Republican George P. Shafran.
In 1973, Howell made his second run for Governor, this time as an Independent. The state Democratic Party ran no candidate and the Republicans nominated former Governor Mills Godwin
, a conservative Democrat who had chaired an organization called "Democrats for Nixon
" in 1972.
The Virginian-Pilot
described Howell's campaign as follows: "He rumbled from one remote country store to another in a loudspeaker-equipped camper
blaring hillbilly
music...He staged rallies with the trappings of revival tent meetings
- live music, cardboard buckets for campaign offerings, and the candidate himself calling on the faithful to 'witness' for his cause with their votes."
On Election Day
, Godwin won with 525,075 votes (50.72%) to Howell's 510,103 votes (49.28%), a narrow margin of 15,000 votes. Garrett Epps
, a reporter for the Richmond Mercury, would later write a fictionalized account of the race, entitled The Shad Treatment. Howell would later describe the 1973 campaign as "the high point" of his life.
In 1977, Howell made his final run for elective office, campaigning for Governor as a Democrat. Although former State Attorney General Andrew Miller, his chief primary opponent and (ironically) son of Francis Pickens Miller, outspent him by a margin of 3-to-1, Howell defeated him in the primary with 253,373 votes (51%) and went on to lose the general election, taking 541,319 votes (43%) to Republican Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton
's 699,302 votes (56%).
After losing the election, Howell retired to Norfolk, dying of natural causes on July 7, 1997.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Howlin'" Henry Howell, was an American politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the U.S. 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...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. A member of the Democratic Party
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...
, he served in both houses of the state legislature, was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, and made several runs for Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
.
Born in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Howell grew up in Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. He earned an undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
from the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from 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...
. He first got involved in politics in 1949, campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Francis Pickens Miller against John S. Battle
John S. Battle
John Stewart Battle was an American politician and the 56th Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954.Battle was born in 1890 in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. He earned an associate's degree from Mars Hill College , in North Carolina...
, the favored candidate of the Byrd Organization
Byrd Organization
The Byrd Organization was a political machine led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. that dominated Virginia politics for much of the middle portion of the 20th century...
, the state's political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
, in the 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....
. Battle defeated Miller in the primary and went on to win the general election. In 1952, Howell managed Miller's campaign against incumbent U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
, the leader of the political machine, a campaign that Miller also lost.
The following year, Howell ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
, but lost the election. In 1959, he was elected to the seat, but lost a campaign for re-election in 1961. He reclaimed the seat two years later in 1963 and was elected to a seat in the Virginia State Senate
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
in 1965.
A fiery populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, Howell assailed Big Business
Big Business
Big business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
, particularly bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s, 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...
companies, and monopolies
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
. A favorite target was Dominion Virginia Power, then known as VEPCO, which Howell claimed stood for "Very Expensive Power Company." A supporter of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
for African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s, Howell campaigned against massive resistance
Massive resistance
Massive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956, to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
, was a major proponent of desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
, and filed a successful lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
to abolish the state's poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
. A believer in the right to organize, he often attempted to repeal Virginia's right-to-work law
Right-to-work law
Right-to-work laws are statutes enforced in twenty-two U.S. states, mostly in the southern or western U.S., allowed under provisions of the federal Taft–Hartley Act, which prohibit agreements between labor unions and employers that make membership, payment of union dues, or fees a condition of...
.
In 1969, Howell made his first run for Governor, challenging former Ambassador William C. Battle
William C. Battle
William Cullen Battle was a lawyer, businessman, United States Ambassador to Australia, and president of the United States Golf Association....
, son of former Governor John S. Battle
John S. Battle
John Stewart Battle was an American politician and the 56th Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954.Battle was born in 1890 in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. He earned an associate's degree from Mars Hill College , in North Carolina...
, for the nomination. Battle won the primary, and went on to lose the election to A. Linwood Holton, Jr.
A. Linwood Holton Jr.
Abner Linwood Holton, Jr. was the 61st Governor of Virginia, and the first Republican governor since Reconstruction. He was governor from 1970 to 1974...
, the first 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...
Governor since Gilbert Walker, who served until the end of 1973.
When popular Lieutenant Governor J. Sargeant Reynolds
J. Sargeant Reynolds
Julian Sargeant Reynolds of Richmond, Virginia was a teacher, businessman, and politician. He served in both the House and Senate of the Virginia General Assembly and served as Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the first Republican to serve in that position since Reconstruction...
died in 1971, Howell entered the race to fill the remaining two years of his term. Running as an Independent, Howell campaigned on a promise to "Keep the Big Boys Honest" (a slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
he would retain in later campaigns). On Election Day, he received 362,371 votes (40%), compared to 334,580 votes (37%) for Democrat George J. Kostel and 209,861 votes (23%) for Republican George P. Shafran.
In 1973, Howell made his second run for Governor, this time as an Independent. The state Democratic Party ran no candidate and the Republicans nominated former Governor Mills Godwin
Mills E. Godwin Jr.
Mills Edwin Godwin, Jr. of Chuckatuck, Virginia, was an American politician who was the 60th and 62nd Governor of Virginia for two non-consecutive terms, from 1966 to 1970 and from 1974 to 1978....
, a conservative Democrat who had chaired an organization called "Democrats for Nixon
Democrats for Nixon
Democrats for Nixon was a campaign to promote Democratic support for the then-incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election...
" in 1972.
The Virginian-Pilot
The Virginian-Pilot
The Virginian-Pilot is a daily newspaper based in Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. The flagship property of Landmark Media Enterprises, The Pilot is Virginia's largest daily...
described Howell's campaign as follows: "He rumbled from one remote country store to another in a loudspeaker-equipped camper
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
blaring hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
music...He staged rallies with the trappings of revival tent meetings
Revival meeting
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body, to raise funds and to gain new converts...
- live music, cardboard buckets for campaign offerings, and the candidate himself calling on the faithful to 'witness' for his cause with their votes."
On Election Day
Election Day (politics)
Election Day refers to the day when general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate, while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday...
, Godwin won with 525,075 votes (50.72%) to Howell's 510,103 votes (49.28%), a narrow margin of 15,000 votes. Garrett Epps
Garrett Epps
Garrett Epps is an American legal scholar, novelist, and journalist. He is Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore; previously he was the Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law at the University of Oregon....
, a reporter for the Richmond Mercury, would later write a fictionalized account of the race, entitled The Shad Treatment. Howell would later describe the 1973 campaign as "the high point" of his life.
In 1977, Howell made his final run for elective office, campaigning for Governor as a Democrat. Although former State Attorney General Andrew Miller, his chief primary opponent and (ironically) son of Francis Pickens Miller, outspent him by a margin of 3-to-1, Howell defeated him in the primary with 253,373 votes (51%) and went on to lose the general election, taking 541,319 votes (43%) to Republican Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton
John N. Dalton
John Nichols Dalton was the 63rd Governor of the U.S. state of Virginia from 1978 to 1982. Born in Emporia, Virginia, Dalton also served in both houses of the General Assembly and as Lieutenant Governor. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the...
's 699,302 votes (56%).
After losing the election, Howell retired to Norfolk, dying of natural causes on July 7, 1997.
Notable Quotations
- Keep the big boys honest and make the system work!
- Get Virginia out of the Byrd cage!
- Don't go along to get along; avoid the chloroform of conformity!
- A liberal in Virginia is anybody who believes in life after birth!
- There's more going around in the dark than Santa Claus, and hanky-panky is its name!
- An eagle cannot fly with two right wings.