By Ray Hill William Gannaway Brownlow was one of the most controversial figures in Tennessee history. “Parson” Brownlow was highly controversial during his own time and few figures ever relished the political battles he waged more than the man who was a pastor, editor, governor and United States senator. Brownlow was born in Virginia in […]
By Ray Hill An imposing statue dominates the State Capitol in Nashville, yet few recognize the figure staring off into the distance, overlooking the street where he was murdered in downtown Nashville. Edward Ward Carmack was by profession a newspaperman, but he was also a successful politician, serving as a Congressman and U. S. […]
By Ray Hill The lives of presidents and kings are usually equally celebrated or condemned, yet Franklin Delano Roosevelt remains one of the most iconic of American presidents to this day. During his lifetime as president, just about every aspect of Roosevelt’s life was avidly followed by millions of people and in 1940, a new […]
By Ray Hill As 1945 came to a close, the Second World War had been won by the Allied nations. Adolf Hitler had shot himself in his underground bunker as the Red Army overran his capital of Berlin. Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, had been executed by his own people and strung up by his […]
By Ray Hill The fascination with royal families is hardly new. I well remember just how many people were caught up in the wedding of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer. Like every capital of a civilized country, Washington, D.C. has a vibrant social life and the visit of King George VI and his queen, Elizabeth, […]
By Ray Hill As the United States Senate considered the nomination of Judge John J. Parker to serve on the U. S. Supreme Court, a variety of allegations were flung about publicly, not the least of which was a member of the Senate having been offered a judgeship if he would vote for Parker’s confirmation. […]
By Ray Hill In the twentieth century, only four nominees to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States have been rejected; all were the nominees of a Republican president and three of the four were rejected by Democrats, who controlled the United States Senate. John J. Parker, was the first nominee to […]
By Ray Hill Edward Terry Sanford, an Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, had set out for a routine visit to his dentist’s office on the morning of March 8, 1930. Within a few hours, Justice Sanford was dead. President Herbert Hoover nominated Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals judge John J. Parker of […]
By Ray Hill One of the responsibilities of the United States Senate as set out in the Constitution is that of advising and consenting to nominations made by the Executive Branch of the federal government. Between 1894 and 1968 – – – a span of seventy-four years – – – the United States Senate rejected […]
By Ray Hill For two decades, Eugene “Gene” Talmadge, was a fixture in Georgia politics. Bold, brash and plain spoken, Gene Talmadge was almost always on the ballot for some office until his death. Born on September 23, 1884 in Forsyth, Georgia, Gene Talmadge was far better educated than one might have otherwise believed. […]
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