Kit Clardy
Encyclopedia
Kit Francis Clardy was a politician
from the U.S. state
of Michigan
. He was also known as Michigan's McCarthy, referring to his affinity for the controversial anti-communist U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy
.
Clardy was born in Butler, Missouri
, moved with his family first to Kansas City, Missouri
, and then in 1907 to a farm near Liberty, Missouri
. He attended schools in Butler, Kansas City, and Liberty, and the William Jewell College
in Liberty. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
at Ann Arbor
in 1925 and was admitted to the bar
in the same year. He practiced law in Ionia
, 1925-1927, served as assistant attorney general of Michigan, 1927-1931; was a member and chairman of the Michigan Public Utilities Commission 1931-1934. Clardy reentered the private practice of law in 1934.
In 1950, Clardy lost to incumbent William W. Blackney
in the Republican primary contest for the U.S. House of Representatives
for Michigan's 6th congressional district
. In 1952, Clardy won the Republican nomination after Blackney's retirement, and went on to defeat Democrat
Donald Hayworth
in the general election. He served a single term in the 83rd Congress
, from January 3, 1953 until January 3, 1955.
While in Congress, Clardy shared Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist sentiments and participated in House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) hearings. Clardy conducted HUAC hearings in November 1953 in Lansing, Michigan
, in which the committee subpoenaed University of Michigan
mathematics instructor Chandler Davis, pharmacology professor Mark Nickerson, and zoology professor Clement Markert.
In May 1954 he conducted another HUAC hearing in Flint, Michigan
, in which reportedly "not only abused the witnesses but incited violence against them." Recalling how in 1937 college youths had thrown union organizers for the UAW-CIO
into the Red Cedar River
. He said, "I was proud of those kids. They should also have tossed into the river the then Governor, the late Frank Murphy
." Reportedly, "Clardy's conduct of the hearing contributed to the lynch spirit which swept the city. A number of workers were dragged from their jobs in automobile plants by lynch gangs and beaten; hostile witnesses were evicted from their homes; their families had to go into hiding to escape the fury of mob hoodlums; the office of the lawyer for the witnesses was smeared with red paint."
Clardy was defeated in the general election by Hayworth in 1954. In 1956, Clardy lost the Republican primary to Charles E. Chamberlain
, who went on to defeat Hayworth in the general election.
In 1956 moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California
, where he resided until his death there in 1961. He is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
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 Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He was also known as Michigan's McCarthy, referring to his affinity for the controversial anti-communist U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
.
Clardy was born in Butler, Missouri
Butler, Missouri
Butler is a city in Bates County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,209 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bates County.Butler was the first city west of the Mississippi River to have electricity.-Geography:...
, moved with his family first to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and then in 1907 to a farm near Liberty, Missouri
Liberty, Missouri
Liberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. At the 2007 population estimate, the city population was 29,993...
. He attended schools in Butler, Kansas City, and Liberty, and the William Jewell College
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
in Liberty. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in 1925 and was admitted to 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:...
in the same year. He practiced law in Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
, 1925-1927, served as assistant attorney general of Michigan, 1927-1931; was a member and chairman of the Michigan Public Utilities Commission 1931-1934. Clardy reentered the private practice of law in 1934.
In 1950, Clardy lost to incumbent William W. Blackney
William W. Blackney
William Wallace Blackney was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Blackney was born in Clio, Michigan, and attended the public schools there. He went to Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan, and Ferris School in Big Rapids. He moved to Flint, in 1904 and served as county clerk of Genesee...
in the Republican primary contest for the U.S. 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...
for Michigan's 6th congressional district
Michigan's 6th congressional district
Michigan's 6th congressional district is a United States congressional district in southwest Michigan. It consists of all of Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren, counties, and includes most of southern and eastern Allegan and a portion of western Calhoun counties.-Major...
. In 1952, Clardy won the Republican nomination after Blackney's retirement, and went on to defeat Democrat
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...
Donald Hayworth
Donald Hayworth
Donald Hayworth was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Hayworth was born in Toledo, Iowa, and attended a country school in Mahaska County, Iowa, and high school in New Sharon, Iowa. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1918. During the First World War, he served as a private in the...
in the general election. He served a single term in the 83rd Congress
83rd United States Congress
The Eighty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1955, during the first two years...
, from January 3, 1953 until January 3, 1955.
While in Congress, Clardy shared Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist sentiments and participated in House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) hearings. Clardy conducted HUAC hearings in November 1953 in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, in which the committee subpoenaed University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
mathematics instructor Chandler Davis, pharmacology professor Mark Nickerson, and zoology professor Clement Markert.
In May 1954 he conducted another HUAC hearing in Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, in which reportedly "not only abused the witnesses but incited violence against them." Recalling how in 1937 college youths had thrown union organizers for the UAW-CIO
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
into the Red Cedar River
Red Cedar River (Michigan)
The Red Cedar River is a westward-flowing tributary of the Grand River in Michigan. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township in the southeastern corner of Livingston County, and it runs about through Okemos, East Lansing, including the campus of Michigan State University, and...
. He said, "I was proud of those kids. They should also have tossed into the river the then Governor, the late Frank Murphy
Frank Murphy
William Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
." Reportedly, "Clardy's conduct of the hearing contributed to the lynch spirit which swept the city. A number of workers were dragged from their jobs in automobile plants by lynch gangs and beaten; hostile witnesses were evicted from their homes; their families had to go into hiding to escape the fury of mob hoodlums; the office of the lawyer for the witnesses was smeared with red paint."
Clardy was defeated in the general election by Hayworth in 1954. In 1956, Clardy lost the Republican primary to Charles E. Chamberlain
Charles E. Chamberlain
Charles Ernest Chamberlain was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Chamberlain was born in Locke Township, Michigan and after graduating from Lansing Central High School in Lansing, went on to earn a B.S. degree in 1941 from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He earned an LL.B...
, who went on to defeat Hayworth in the general election.
In 1956 moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California
Palos Verdes Estates, California
Palos Verdes Estates is a city, incorporated in 1939, in Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was masterplanned by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The population was 13,438 at the 2010 census, up from 13,340 in the...
, where he resided until his death there in 1961. He is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.