By Ray Hill The White House, following a century and a half of wars, repairs and the addition of a new third floor caused serious problems for the area reserved for the First Family. Virtually nobody thought Harry Truman would be occupying the White House in 1949 and the Republican Congress had been exceptionally generous […]
By Ray Hill I’ve written about Senator Bennett Champ Clark of Missouri previously, but I think he is such an interesting character, he deserves a closer look. Bennett Clark’s life has all the fundamentals of a good story; love, success, turmoil and tragedy. Clark was born to fortuitous circumstances and was highly intelligent and quite […]
By Ray Hill Dan Kuykendall (pronounced Kirk-en-dall) was the first Republican to be elected to Congress from West Tennessee since 1882. Kuykendall was also the first Republican to represent E. H. Crump’s former domain of Memphis in the House of Representatives; Kuykendall was also the last Republican to represent the area in Congress. Kuykendall was […]
Father of the Tennessee Valley Authority By Ray Hill George W. Norris, although a Nebraskan, has a relevance and importance to our community many may fail to realize. Norris Dam and the community of Norris are named for George William Norris. One might think it odd for landmarks in Tennessee to be named for a […]
By Ray Hill Willa Blake Eslick was the first woman ever to be elected to Congress from the State of Tennessee. Mrs. Eslick served only an abbreviated term in the U. S. House of Representatives and was elected following the death of her husband, Congressman Edward E. Eslick. Willa Blake was born on September […]
By Ray Hill Americans have always been fascinated with entertainers and Eddie Cantor was nothing if not an entertainer. Cantor was one of those few stars who conquered every popular entertainment medium of his time; stage, film, recording artist, television and radio. Eddie Cantor could do it all, sing, dance, act, and was a […]
By Ray Hill W. “Ned” Carmack’s campaign for the United States Senate ended on a dusty road in rural West Tennessee under circumstances never resolved. Carmack’s wife Charlotte arrived to whisk him home to Murfreesboro, where Carmack spent some time in a hospital. Found unconscious, beaten, bloodied and partially paralyzed, Ned Carmack was forced to […]
By Ray Hill Edward Ward Carmack, Jr. possessed a name made famous by his father. E. W. Carmack had been a congressman, United States senator and only just barely missed having been elected governor; the elder Carmack had also been a newspaper editor who deftly used his pen to praise his friends and torture his […]
By Ray Hill Henry Hollis Horton had once been one of the luckiest men in Tennessee politics. Horton had little political experience after beginning a law practice in Marshall County. Horton served a single term in the Tennessee House of Representatives and had been elected to the State Senate in 1926. Despite being a freshman […]
By Ray Hill While Lucille Foster McMillin is barely remembered today, she was a pioneer for women in public service during her time. Married to Benton McMillin, a member of Congress for twenty years and twice governor of Tennessee, Lucille Foster McMillin was Tennessee’s First Lady from 1899 – 1903. Mrs. McMillin was the second […]
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