Frank Clement | |
|---|---|
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| 41st Governor of Tennessee | |
| In office January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967 | |
| Lieutenant | James Bomar Jared Maddux |
| Preceded by | Buford Ellington |
| Succeeded by | Buford Ellington |
| In office January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959 | |
| Lieutenant | Jared Maddux |
| Preceded by | Gordon Browning |
| Succeeded by | Buford Ellington |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Goad Clement June 2, 1920 Dickson, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | November 4, 1969 (aged 49) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lucille Christianson
(m. 1940) |
| Children | 3, including Bob |
| Education | Cumberland University Vanderbilt University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Frank Goad Clement (June 2, 1920 – November 4, 1969) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1967. Inaugurated for the first time at age 32, he was the state's youngest and longest-serving governor in the 20th century. Clement owed much of his rapid political rise to his ability to deliver rousing, mesmerizing speeches.[1] His sermon-like keynote address at the 1956 Democratic National Convention has been described as both one of the best and one of the worst keynote addresses in the era of televised conventions.[2]
As governor, Clement oversaw the state's economic transformation from a predominantly agricultural state to an industrial state.[1] He increased funding for education and mental health, and was the first Southern governor to veto a segregation bill.[1] In 1956, he dispatched the National Guard to disperse a crowd attempting to prevent integration at Clinton High School.[1] He attempted to enter national politics, and although his aggressive speeches at the 1956 Democratic national convention impressed some members of his own party, they disgusted many other politicians and brought an end to his federal political career.[3] His final years, including his last term as governor, were marked by severe alcohol abuse which deeply affected his personal and professional life. His wife, tired of his alcoholism, filed for divorce in 1969. He died in a car accident soon after announcing his intention to run for a fourth term, for a fourth separate term and for a third separate four-year term.[4]
- ^ a b c d Alan Griggs, "Frank G. Clement," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: December 19, 2012.
- ^ Colbert King, "Origins of a Vitriolic Keynote Speaker," Washington Post, September 11, 2004. Retrieved: December 19, 2012.
- ^ "What Would Daddy Say?". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ Clement, Bob (October 20, 2016). Presidents, Kings, and Convicts: My Journey from the Tennessee Governor'S Residence to the Halls of Congress. Archway Publishing. ISBN 9781480834453.