Ben W. Hooper
Encyclopedia
Ben Walter Hooper was governor of the U.S. state
of Tennessee
from 1911 to 1915.
, was unofficially "adopted
" by members of his rural
Baptist
church, and was belatedly acknowledged by his natural father, a prominent physician. He was a native of Newport
in Cocke County, Tennessee. He was admitted to the bar
in 1894, and served in the state legislature
. He was a captain of the 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-American War
of 1898, and nominated by the Republicans for governor
in 1910 over Alfred A. Taylor
. His initial Democratic opponent, incumbent Governor Malcolm R. Patterson
, despite winning the nomination withdrew from race due to diffences among Democrats, which in turn led to the nomination of United States Senator and three-term former governor
Robert Love Taylor
, younger brother of Alf Taylor
.
Then the Prohibition
issue badly split the Democrats and a faction of them called "Independents" endorsed Hooper, the challenger for governor, leading to his election. During legislative sessions Hooper's administration employed armed guards. Nonetheless, he was reelected in 1912, but was subsequently defeated for a third term in 1914 by Democrat Thomas C. Rye, a Prohibition advocate. During his terms, early child labor
laws were enacted and school attendance was made compulsory for young children provided that they lived within a realistic walking distance of a school. The method of the death penalty was changed from hanging
to electrocution
.
Hooper continued the practice of law
after his time as governor and maintained a keen interest in public affairs and Republican politics until just before his death in 1957. He wrote an autobiography
, The Unwanted Boy, and was widely regarded in East Tennessee
as an inspirational figure.
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 Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1911 to 1915.
Biography
Hooper, who was of illegitimate birth, spent part of his childhood in an orphanageOrphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, was unofficially "adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
" by members of his rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church, and was belatedly acknowledged by his natural father, a prominent physician. He was a native of Newport
Newport, Tennessee
Newport is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,242 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cocke County.-Geography:...
in Cocke County, Tennessee. He 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 1894, and served in the state legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. He was a captain of the 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
of 1898, and nominated by the Republicans for governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
in 1910 over Alfred A. Taylor
Alfred A. Taylor
Alfred Alexander Taylor, nickname Alf Taylor , was a lawyer and politician, serving as United States Congressman from 1889–1895, and later elected the Governor of Tennessee, serving from 1921 to 1923. Notably, in 1886 he lost the gubernatorial race to his younger brother Robert, a Democrat.- Early...
. His initial Democratic opponent, incumbent Governor Malcolm R. Patterson
Malcolm R. Patterson
Malcolm Rice Patterson was the governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911.-Biography:A native of Somerville, Alabama, Patterson was a son of Colonel Josiah Patterson, a distinguished Confederate cavalry officer and a United States Representative for Tennessee, and his wife Josephine...
, despite winning the nomination withdrew from race due to diffences among Democrats, which in turn led to the nomination of United States Senator and three-term former governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1879 to 1881, Governor of Tennessee from 1887 to 1891 and from 1897 to 1899, and subsequently a United States Senator from that state from 1907 until his death. He is notable for winning the governor's office in an election against...
, younger brother of Alf Taylor
Alfred A. Taylor
Alfred Alexander Taylor, nickname Alf Taylor , was a lawyer and politician, serving as United States Congressman from 1889–1895, and later elected the Governor of Tennessee, serving from 1921 to 1923. Notably, in 1886 he lost the gubernatorial race to his younger brother Robert, a Democrat.- Early...
.
Then the Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
issue badly split the Democrats and a faction of them called "Independents" endorsed Hooper, the challenger for governor, leading to his election. During legislative sessions Hooper's administration employed armed guards. Nonetheless, he was reelected in 1912, but was subsequently defeated for a third term in 1914 by Democrat Thomas C. Rye, a Prohibition advocate. During his terms, early child labor
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
laws were enacted and school attendance was made compulsory for young children provided that they lived within a realistic walking distance of a school. The method of the death penalty was changed from hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
to electrocution
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
.
Hooper continued the practice of law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
after his time as governor and maintained a keen interest in public affairs and Republican politics until just before his death in 1957. He wrote an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, The Unwanted Boy, and was widely regarded in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
as an inspirational figure.