Jo Conn Guild
Encyclopedia
Josephus "Jo" Conn Guild, Jr. (December 15, 1887–June 26, 1969) was an American businessman and engineer from Chattanooga, Tennessee
. As president of the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), he became one of the staunchest and most outspoken opponents of the newly formed Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) in the 1930s. With the help of attorney Wendell Wilkie, Guild waged a legal battle that questioned the constitutionality of TVA, culminating in a U.S. Supreme Court
dismissal that forced TEPCO to sell its assets to the new federal agency.
Working for his father's Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company as a young engineer in the early 1900s, Guild helped build Hales Bar Dam
, the first dam on the main channel of the Tennessee River
and the first hydroelectric dam on a navigable channel in the United States. After his father's death, he helped the company expand, eventually merging it with several other companies to form TEPCO in 1922. Guild served as vice-president of TEPCO throughout the 1920s, and by the time he was named president in 1933, the company was the state's largest electric power company, controlling plants such as Hales Bar Dam, Ocoee dams No. 1
and No. 2
, Blue Ridge Dam
, and Great Falls Dam. Although eventually forced to sell TEPCO's power division, Guild continued operating the company's streetcar
holdings, eventually transforming these holdings into the Southern Coach bus lines.
in the early 1890s, and his namesake great-grandfather Josephus Conn Guild (1802–1883) was a prominent Sumner County
judge and author. The name "Conn" was the maiden name of Guild's great-great-grandmother (Judge Guild's mother), Elizabeth Conn. Guild's father, who moved to Chattanooga in 1885, has been described as "the most capable engineer of his day." In the 1890s, he designed the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
, which at the time of its construction was the steepest railway in the world.
Guild attended the Baylor School
(his father was a friend of the school's founder) from 1897 to 1905, after which he received technical training at the University of Virginia
and studied engineering at Vanderbilt
. In 1904, Guild accompanied his father and his father's business partner Charles James to what would eventually be the Hales Bar Dam site, where they met with Nicholas Brady
(son of New York financier Anthony N. Brady
) and utilities expert Thomas E. Murray
to secure funding for the dam's construction. Guild, Sr. and James established the Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company that same year to oversee the dam's construction.
subsidiaries Chattanooga Railway & Light (which controlled Chattanooga's street lights and street cars) and the East Tennessee Power Company (which had built Ocoee dams 1 and 2 on the Ocoee River). In the 1920s, with Guild as its vice president, TEPCO expanded rapidly, eventually acquiring control of 45 Tennessee power and utilities firms. Blue Ridge Dam
, which was advanced enough to require just six employees for its operations, was completed in the early 1930s by a TEPCO subsidiary. In 1933, Guild was selected as TEPCO's president.
As part of President Roosevelt's New Deal
initiatives, the federal government created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933. TVA was given oversight of the entire Tennessee River watershed and the power to use eminent domain
to seize privately owned dams in the watershed. Guild vehemently opposed the agency's creation. In 1936, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of TVA in the Ashwander case
, TEPCO and several other private firms sued TVA, challenging the agency's constitutionality. The private utilities were represented by Wendell Wilkie (Wilkie's Commonwealth and Southern Corporation owned interests in several of the power firms) and Newton D. Baker, while TVA was represented by attorneys James Lawrence Fly
and John Lord O'Brian. The federal district court ruled in favor of the private utilities, but the decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals in early 1938. The private utilities appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed the suit in January 1939, claiming the utilities lacked standing
. On August 15, 1939, TEPCO sold its assets to TVA for $78 million.
in 1973.
Guild owned a large house on Lookout Mountain, and even in his later years, it wasn't uncommon to see Guild driving down the mountain in one of his custom-made sports cars. Guild also owned a 320 acres (129.5 ha) cattle and hog farm near Columbia, Tennessee
, where he cured hams and sausages using old family recipes. Guild married his first wife, Sarah Nichols, in 1912, and they had one daughter, Virginia (1915–2001). Guild died on June 26, 1969, and is buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. As president of the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), he became one of the staunchest and most outspoken opponents of the newly formed Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA) in the 1930s. With the help of attorney Wendell Wilkie, Guild waged a legal battle that questioned the constitutionality of TVA, culminating in a U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
dismissal that forced TEPCO to sell its assets to the new federal agency.
Working for his father's Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company as a young engineer in the early 1900s, Guild helped build Hales Bar Dam
Hales Bar Dam
Hales Bar Dam was a hydroelectric dam once located on the Tennessee River in Marion County, Tennessee, USA. The Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began building the dam in 1905 and completed it in 1913, making Hales Bar one of the first major multipurpose dams and one of the first...
, the first dam on the main channel of the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
and the first hydroelectric dam on a navigable channel in the United States. After his father's death, he helped the company expand, eventually merging it with several other companies to form TEPCO in 1922. Guild served as vice-president of TEPCO throughout the 1920s, and by the time he was named president in 1933, the company was the state's largest electric power company, controlling plants such as Hales Bar Dam, Ocoee dams No. 1
Ocoee Dam No. 1
Ocoee Dam Number 1 is a hydroelectric dam on the Ocoee River in Polk County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam impounds the Parksville Reservoir , and is the farthest downstream of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Completed in 1911,...
and No. 2
Ocoee Dam No. 2
Ocoee Dam Number 2 is a hydroelectric dam on the Ocoee River in Polk County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam impounds the Ocoee No. 2 Reservoir and is one of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Ocoee Dam No...
, Blue Ridge Dam
Blue Ridge Dam
Blue Ridge Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Toccoa River in Fannin County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the uppermost of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority...
, and Great Falls Dam. Although eventually forced to sell TEPCO's power division, Guild continued operating the company's streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
holdings, eventually transforming these holdings into the Southern Coach bus lines.
Early life
Guild was born in Chattanooga in 1887, the son of Josephus Conn Guild, Sr. (1862–1907) and Mary Orr. Guild's grandfather, George Guild, served as mayor of NashvilleNashville, 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...
in the early 1890s, and his namesake great-grandfather Josephus Conn Guild (1802–1883) was a prominent Sumner County
Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
judge and author. The name "Conn" was the maiden name of Guild's great-great-grandmother (Judge Guild's mother), Elizabeth Conn. Guild's father, who moved to Chattanooga in 1885, has been described as "the most capable engineer of his day." In the 1890s, he designed the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is an inclined plane railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the...
, which at the time of its construction was the steepest railway in the world.
Guild attended the Baylor School
Baylor School
Baylor School is a private, coeducational prep school on the outskirts of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school was founded in 1893 and since 1915 has been located on the same hillside site by the Tennessee River. The school went through several incarnations: moving from an all-male military academy...
(his father was a friend of the school's founder) from 1897 to 1905, after which he received technical training at 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...
and studied engineering at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. In 1904, Guild accompanied his father and his father's business partner Charles James to what would eventually be the Hales Bar Dam site, where they met with Nicholas Brady
Nicholas Frederic Brady
Nicholas Frederic Brady was a New York City businessman and philanthropist who was the first American to receive the Roman Catholic Church honor, the Ordine Supremo del Christo. He was the holder of several papal honors including being a papal duke.Born in Albany, New York, the son of...
(son of New York financier Anthony N. Brady
Anthony N. Brady
Anthony Nicholas Brady was an American businessman born in Lille, France who emigrated to Troy, New York in 1857. Settling in Albany, New York he was first employed by a local barber and at age 19 went into business for himself, opening a tea store that he soon expanded with other outlets...
) and utilities expert Thomas E. Murray
Thomas E. Murray
Thomas E. Murray was an American inventor and businessman who developed electric power plants for New York City as well as many electrical devices which influenced life around the world, including the dimmer switch and screw-in fuse...
to secure funding for the dam's construction. Guild, Sr. and James established the Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company that same year to oversee the dam's construction.
TEPCO and TVA
After receiving his engineering degree in 1909, Guild joined his late father's company and aided in the completion of Hales Bar Dam. The dam went into operation in November 1913, after which the title was turned over to the federal government, with Chattanooga & Tennessee Power retaining rights to the power generation profits for 99 years. In 1915, Guild was named Chattanooga & Tennessee Power's general manager, and in 1922 he helped oversee the merger of several Tennessee power firms to form the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The merger included Chattanooga & Tennessee Power, the Tennessee Power Company (which had built Great Falls Dam on the Caney Fork in 1917), and the E.W. Clark & Co.E.W. Clark & Co.
E. W. Clark & Co. was a banking and financial firm founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1837 by Enoch White Clark. Among its partners were American Civil War financier Jay Cooke and West Philadelphia developer Clarence Howard Clark....
subsidiaries Chattanooga Railway & Light (which controlled Chattanooga's street lights and street cars) and the East Tennessee Power Company (which had built Ocoee dams 1 and 2 on the Ocoee River). In the 1920s, with Guild as its vice president, TEPCO expanded rapidly, eventually acquiring control of 45 Tennessee power and utilities firms. Blue Ridge Dam
Blue Ridge Dam
Blue Ridge Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Toccoa River in Fannin County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the uppermost of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority...
, which was advanced enough to require just six employees for its operations, was completed in the early 1930s by a TEPCO subsidiary. In 1933, Guild was selected as TEPCO's president.
As part of President 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...
initiatives, the federal government created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933. TVA was given oversight of the entire Tennessee River watershed and the power to use eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to seize privately owned dams in the watershed. Guild vehemently opposed the agency's creation. In 1936, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of TVA in the Ashwander case
Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority
Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority, 297 U.S. 288 , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court providing the first elaboration of the doctrine of "Constitutional avoidance".-Background:...
, TEPCO and several other private firms sued TVA, challenging the agency's constitutionality. The private utilities were represented by Wendell Wilkie (Wilkie's Commonwealth and Southern Corporation owned interests in several of the power firms) and Newton D. Baker, while TVA was represented by attorneys James Lawrence Fly
James Lawrence Fly
James Lawrence Fly was an influential American lawyer, famous as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and, later, director of the American Civil Liberties Union...
and John Lord O'Brian. The federal district court ruled in favor of the private utilities, but the decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals in early 1938. The private utilities appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed the suit in January 1939, claiming the utilities lacked standing
Standing (law)
In law, standing or locus standi is the term for the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the law or action challenged to support that party's participation in the case...
. On August 15, 1939, TEPCO sold its assets to TVA for $78 million.
Later life
Guild retained control of TEPCO's Chattanooga street car division, which he reorganized as Southern Coach Lines in 1941. The company operated street cars until 1946, when it focused on bus travel. Guild retired as company president in 1961. The company was purchased by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation AuthorityChattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority is the mass transit provider for Chattanooga, Tennessee and its vicinity....
in 1973.
Guild owned a large house on Lookout Mountain, and even in his later years, it wasn't uncommon to see Guild driving down the mountain in one of his custom-made sports cars. Guild also owned a 320 acres (129.5 ha) cattle and hog farm near Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....
, where he cured hams and sausages using old family recipes. Guild married his first wife, Sarah Nichols, in 1912, and they had one daughter, Virginia (1915–2001). Guild died on June 26, 1969, and is buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery.
External links
- Jo Conn Guild Collection of Tennessee Electric Power Company Records, 1933—1939 — Tennessee State Library and Archives finding aid