Eugene Talmadge
Encyclopedia
Eugene Talmadge was a Democratic
politician
who served two terms as the 67th Governor of Georgia
from 1933 to 1937, and a third term from 1941 to 1943. Elected to a fourth term in 1946, he died before taking office. To date only Joe Brown
and Eugene Talmadge have been elected four times as Governor of Georgia.
. He went to the University of Georgia
and graduated from the University's law school
. While at UGA, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
and Sigma Nu
fraternity. Eugene had some offices in Telfair County, Georgia
. He was unsuccessful twice when running for the Georgia state legislature
, but was elected State Agriculture commissioner in 1926 and was re-elected twice. Talmadge uses the newspaper of his department to give advice to farmers and talk about his political views. He was criticized by the State Senate
for improperly spending funds and using department funds to make trips to the Kentucky Derby
. Accused of "stealing" $20,000 by shipping Georgia hogs to Chicago, Talmadge told one group of farmers, "Sure I stole it! But I stole it for you."
. Talmadge ran for Governor and won a majority of the county unit votes
in the Primary (then tantamount to election
, since the Republican Party
was practically non-existent). The County Unit System gave power to the most rural counties, which were Talmadge's base. He boasted, , "I can carry any county that ain't got street cars." He made 12 campaign promises, the most controversial of which was to lower the price of an automobile license to only $3, which put them within the budgets of the poor farmers. The state legislature intensely debated the $3 license issue but did not pass it. After it adjourned, Talmadge fixed the $3 fee by proclamation.
He was re-elected in 1934. When officials refused to do what he wanted, he was known to take actions, including issuing executive orders, that were called 'dictatorial' by his critics.
Talmadge governed as a conservative, and vehemently attacked the liberalism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and the New Deal
, singling out policies favorable to blacks, the farm programs, and relief programs such as the WPA
and Civilian Conservation Corps
. He tried to build a region-wide coalition. making a national speaking tour in preparation for a challenge to FDR in 1936. His Southern Committee to Uphold the Constitution, organized a convention in Macon, Georgia, in January 1936 that brought together fragments of the old Huey P. Long coalition. Talmadge pledged to defend the "sovereignty of our States and local self-government" at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. But Roosevelt, who visited Georgia often, was more popular with the poor farmers. Unable to run for re-election in 1936, Talmadge chose to challenge Senator Russell in the primary
, but Russell defeated Talmadge by a landslide, and Talmadge's presidential hopes collapsed.
Talmadge challenged Senator Walter George
in 1938. Roosevelt tried to purge George and had his own candidate Lawrence Camp. With his opposition split, George won easily.
, a dean at the University of Georgia, had advocated bringing blacks and whites together in the classroom, he launched an attack on the university, charging elitism, and called for the regents to remove Cocking and purge the university of Communists, "foreigners" (non-Georgians), and subscribers to racial equality. The university board of regents
at first refused Talmadge's demands for dismissal of offending faculty members, but after the Governor restructured the board, the dismissals took place. This intervention into academic affairs caused the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
to remove accreditation from the Georgia state universities, and it contributed to Talmadge's defeat by Ellis Arnall
in 1942.
During Arnall's term, the state legislature lengthened his term to four years and prohibited him from seeking re-election in 1946. Talmadge ran for Governor and used the United States Supreme Court's Smith v. Allwright
decision as his main issue. Talmadge promised that if he were to be elected, he would restore the 'Equal Primary'.
Talmadge lost the popular vote in the Democratic primary to James V. Carmichael but won a majority of the 'county unit votes'. However, he died in December 1946, before he could be sworn in for his fourth term; his death precipitated the 1947 "three governors" controversy among Arnall, Melvin E. Thompson
and Talmadge's son Herman
.
in Savannah, Georgia is named after Eugene Talmadge, and connects downtown Savannah, Georgia
with the Carolina Low Country via the Savannah River
.
(The "Cocking affair
" later became the subject of Michael Braz's opera
, A Scholar Under Siege
, composed for the centenary of Georgia Southern University
and premiered in 2007.)
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served two terms as the 67th Governor of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from 1933 to 1937, and a third term from 1941 to 1943. Elected to a fourth term in 1946, he died before taking office. To date only Joe Brown
Joseph E. Brown
Joseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
and Eugene Talmadge have been elected four times as Governor of Georgia.
Early career
Talmadge was born in Forsyth, GeorgiaForsyth, Georgia
Forsyth is a city in Monroe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,776 at the 2000 census. This number was corrected to read 4,300. The city is the county seat of Monroe County.Forsyth is part of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He went to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and graduated from the University's law school
University of Georgia School of Law
The University of Georgia School of Law is a graduate school of the University of Georgia. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University...
. While at UGA, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
Phi Kappa Literary Society
The Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
and Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity. Eugene had some offices in Telfair County, Georgia
Telfair County, Georgia
Telfair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 11,794. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 13,366...
. He was unsuccessful twice when running for the Georgia state legislature
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
, but was elected State Agriculture commissioner in 1926 and was re-elected twice. Talmadge uses the newspaper of his department to give advice to farmers and talk about his political views. He was criticized by the State Senate
Georgia Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
for improperly spending funds and using department funds to make trips to the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Accused of "stealing" $20,000 by shipping Georgia hogs to Chicago, Talmadge told one group of farmers, "Sure I stole it! But I stole it for you."
Governor
In 1932, Governor Richard B. Russell, Jr. sought a seat in the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Talmadge ran for Governor and won a majority of the county unit votes
County Unit System
The County Unit System was used by the U.S. state of Georgia to determine a victor in its primary elections.Each county was given a certain number of votes and the candidate who received the highest number of votes in that county won all their 'unit votes', under a form of block voting...
in the Primary (then tantamount to election
Tantamount to election
"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
, since the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
was practically non-existent). The County Unit System gave power to the most rural counties, which were Talmadge's base. He boasted, , "I can carry any county that ain't got street cars." He made 12 campaign promises, the most controversial of which was to lower the price of an automobile license to only $3, which put them within the budgets of the poor farmers. The state legislature intensely debated the $3 license issue but did not pass it. After it adjourned, Talmadge fixed the $3 fee by proclamation.
He was re-elected in 1934. When officials refused to do what he wanted, he was known to take actions, including issuing executive orders, that were called 'dictatorial' by his critics.
Talmadge governed as a conservative, and vehemently attacked the liberalism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, singling out policies favorable to blacks, the farm programs, and relief programs such as the WPA
WPA
- Agencies and organizations :*World Pool-Billiard Association*World Psychiatric Association- United States :*Washington Project for the Arts*Women's Prison Association...
and Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
. He tried to build a region-wide coalition. making a national speaking tour in preparation for a challenge to FDR in 1936. His Southern Committee to Uphold the Constitution, organized a convention in Macon, Georgia, in January 1936 that brought together fragments of the old Huey P. Long coalition. Talmadge pledged to defend the "sovereignty of our States and local self-government" at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. But Roosevelt, who visited Georgia often, was more popular with the poor farmers. Unable to run for re-election in 1936, Talmadge chose to challenge Senator Russell in the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, but Russell defeated Talmadge by a landslide, and Talmadge's presidential hopes collapsed.
Talmadge challenged Senator Walter George
Walter F. George
Walter Franklin George was an American politician from the state of Georgia. He was a long-time United States Senator and was President pro tempore. He was a Democrat.-Early years:...
in 1938. Roosevelt tried to purge George and had his own candidate Lawrence Camp. With his opposition split, George won easily.
University of Georgia
Talmadge returned to the Governor's office in 1940, emerging as the leader of racist and segregationist elements in Georgia. Responding to reports that Walter CockingWalter Cocking
Walter Cocking was an academic administrator and the namesake for the 1941 controversy, the Cocking affair.-Early life and education:Cocking was born in Iowa, and earned a doctorate from Columbia University in New York.-Early career:...
, a dean at the University of Georgia, had advocated bringing blacks and whites together in the classroom, he launched an attack on the university, charging elitism, and called for the regents to remove Cocking and purge the university of Communists, "foreigners" (non-Georgians), and subscribers to racial equality. The university board of regents
Georgia Board of Regents
The Georgia Board of Regents oversees the University System of Georgia as part of the state government of Georgia in the United States. The University System of Georgia is composed of all state public institutions of higher education.-History:...
at first refused Talmadge's demands for dismissal of offending faculty members, but after the Governor restructured the board, the dismissals took place. This intervention into academic affairs caused the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
to remove accreditation from the Georgia state universities, and it contributed to Talmadge's defeat by Ellis Arnall
Ellis Arnall
Ellis Gibbs Arnall was an American politician, a progressive Democrat who served as the 69th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1943 to 1947.-Education:...
in 1942.
During Arnall's term, the state legislature lengthened his term to four years and prohibited him from seeking re-election in 1946. Talmadge ran for Governor and used the United States Supreme Court's Smith v. Allwright
Smith v. Allwright
Smith v. Allwright , 321 U.S. 649 , was a very important decision of the United States Supreme Court with regard to voting rights and, by extension, racial desegregation. It overturned the Democratic Party's use of all-white primaries in Texas, and other states where the party used the...
decision as his main issue. Talmadge promised that if he were to be elected, he would restore the 'Equal Primary'.
Talmadge lost the popular vote in the Democratic primary to James V. Carmichael but won a majority of the 'county unit votes'. However, he died in December 1946, before he could be sworn in for his fourth term; his death precipitated the 1947 "three governors" controversy among Arnall, Melvin E. Thompson
Melvin E. Thompson
Melvin Ernest Thompson was an American educator and politician from Millen in the U.S. state of Georgia.Thompson was born in Millen, Georgia to Henry J. And Eva Thompson. He graduated from Emory University in 1926 and earned a Master of Arts from the University of Georgia in 1935. He also earned...
and Talmadge's son Herman
Herman Talmadge
Herman Eugene Talmadge was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served as governor of Georgia briefly in 1947 and again from 1948 to 1955. His term was marked by his segregationist policies. After leaving office Talmadge was elected to the U.S...
.
Memory
The Talmadge Memorial BridgeTalmadge Memorial Bridge
The Talmadge Memorial Bridge is a bridge in the United States that spans the Savannah River between downtown Savannah, Georgia, and Hutchinson Island.-History:...
in Savannah, Georgia is named after Eugene Talmadge, and connects downtown Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
with the Carolina Low Country via the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
.
(The "Cocking affair
Cocking affair
The Cocking affair was an attempt in 1941 by Georgia governor Eugene Talmadge to exert direct control over the state's educational system, particularly through the firing of Professor Walter Cocking and the subsequent removal of members of the Georgia Board of Regents who disagreed with the decision...
" later became the subject of Michael Braz's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, A Scholar Under Siege
A Scholar Under Siege
A Scholar Under Siege is an opera in two acts by contemporary American composer Michael Braz. Braz also wrote the English language libretto for the opera which was composed for the centenary of Georgia Southern University...
, composed for the centenary of Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
and premiered in 2007.)
See also
- Herman TalmadgeHerman TalmadgeHerman Eugene Talmadge was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served as governor of Georgia briefly in 1947 and again from 1948 to 1955. His term was marked by his segregationist policies. After leaving office Talmadge was elected to the U.S...
- List of Governors of Georgia
- Talmadge Memorial BridgeTalmadge Memorial BridgeThe Talmadge Memorial Bridge is a bridge in the United States that spans the Savannah River between downtown Savannah, Georgia, and Hutchinson Island.-History:...
Further reading
- Anderson, William. The Wild Man from Sugar Creek: The Political Career of Eugene Talmadge (1975)
- Lesseig, Corey T. "Talmadge, Eugene" in American National Biography Online (2000)
- Logue, Cal McLeod. Eugene Talmadge: rhetoric and response (1989)