Joe L. Evins
Encyclopedia
Joseph Landon Evins was a Democratic
U.S. Representative
from Tennessee
from 1947 to 1977.
Evins was a native of the Blend Community of DeKalb County, Tennessee, the son of James Edgar Evins and Myrtie Goodson Evins. His father was a Tennessee state senator and a successful local businessman.
Joe L. Evins graduated from Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
in 1933 and the Cumberland School of Law
in Lebanon, Tennessee
in 1934, as well as The George Washington University. He was admitted to the bar
in that same year and began practice in Smithville
, county seat
of DeKalb County.
In 1935 Evins was named a staff attorney
for the Federal Trade Commission
, and served in this position until 1938, when he was named the FTC's assistant secretary, a position which he held until 1940. Shortly after U.S.
entry into World War II
, he was commissioned in the United States Army
Judge Advocate General
Corps, serving on active duty until 1946, when he resumed his law practice in Smithville. Upon his return, he was also elected chairman of the DeKalb County Democratic Party. Later in that same year, he won the nomination of the Democratic Party for the seat from the 5th District. He won the election easily in this solidly-Democratic area, and was re-elected to fourteen more terms, generally with little or no opposition. His district was renumbered the 4th after the 1950 Census, when Tennessee lost a congressional district.
Evins was a powerful figure in Congress
. He was chairman of the House Select Committee on Small Business for six years, and for the following Congressional session of the United States House Committee on Small Business
, and served on the important House Appropriations Committee. He used his influence to make sure that his district, a mostly rural area east and south of Nashville
, was well taken-care of; Smithville was the smallest city chosen for participation in the Model Cities Program
and its major thoroughfare was renamed "Congressional Boulevard." The Tennessee Technological University
Appalachian Center for Craft near Smithville was built with a $5 million dollar federal grant that Evins secured as a member of the Appropriations Committee. Like most of his constituents, Evins was a moderate
ly conservative
Democrat; he was slow to accept to racial desegregation
, not because of deep-seated personal bigotry but because it was a change to what had long been the accepted order of things. However, he was one of three Tennessee Democratic congressmen not to sign the Southern Manifesto
.
Evins decided not to stand for re-election in 1976, after serving a total of 15 terms. At the time of his retirement in January 1977, his continuous service in the U.S. House of Representatives was longer than that of any other House member from Tennessee. In a spirited primary
to succeed him, Al Gore
won and began his political career.
Evins' family was, and remains, very prominent in Middle Tennessee
. His father is the namesake of Edgar Evins State Park
near Smithville, one of his brother's children ran a local bank
, another was the guiding force behind the founding of the Cracker Barrel
restaurant chain. His wife, Ann Smartt, with whom had three daughters, was the daughter of McMinnville
judge.. Evins' granddaughter, Cornelia Adelaide Overton, is a prominent Smithville and Nashville fiddler and is also a world renowned butterfly whisperer.
Evins died in Nashville March 31, 1984, and is buried in the Smithville Town Cemetery in Smithville.
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...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 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 1947 to 1977.
Evins was a native of the Blend Community of DeKalb County, Tennessee, the son of James Edgar Evins and Myrtie Goodson Evins. His father was a Tennessee state senator and a successful local businessman.
Joe L. Evins graduated from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1933 and the Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
in 1934, as well as The George Washington University. 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 that same year and began practice in Smithville
Smithville, Tennessee
Smithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of De Kalb County.-Geography:...
, county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of DeKalb County.
In 1935 Evins was named a staff attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
, and served in this position until 1938, when he was named the FTC's assistant secretary, a position which he held until 1940. Shortly after U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was commissioned in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Judge Advocate General
Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army
The Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army is composed of Army officers who are also lawyers and who provide legal services to the Army at all levels of command. The Judge Advocate General's Legal Service includes judge advocates, warrant officers, paralegal noncommissioned...
Corps, serving on active duty until 1946, when he resumed his law practice in Smithville. Upon his return, he was also elected chairman of the DeKalb County Democratic Party. Later in that same year, he won the nomination of the Democratic Party for the seat from the 5th District. He won the election easily in this solidly-Democratic area, and was re-elected to fourteen more terms, generally with little or no opposition. His district was renumbered the 4th after the 1950 Census, when Tennessee lost a congressional district.
Evins was a powerful figure in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. He was chairman of the House Select Committee on Small Business for six years, and for the following Congressional session of the United States House Committee on Small Business
United States House Committee on Small Business
The United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
, and served on the important House Appropriations Committee. He used his influence to make sure that his district, a mostly rural area east and south of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, was well taken-care of; Smithville was the smallest city chosen for participation in the Model Cities Program
Model Cities Program
The Model Cities Program was an element of United States President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty. The ambitious federal urban aid program ultimately fell short of its goals....
and its major thoroughfare was renamed "Congressional Boulevard." The Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...
Appalachian Center for Craft near Smithville was built with a $5 million dollar federal grant that Evins secured as a member of the Appropriations Committee. Like most of his constituents, Evins was a moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
ly conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Democrat; he was slow to accept to racial desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
, not because of deep-seated personal bigotry but because it was a change to what had long been the accepted order of things. However, he was one of three Tennessee Democratic congressmen not to sign the Southern Manifesto
Southern Manifesto
The Southern Manifesto was a document written February–March 1956 by Adisen and Charles in the United States Congress opposed to racial integration in public places. The manifesto was signed by 101 politicians from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South...
.
Evins decided not to stand for re-election in 1976, after serving a total of 15 terms. At the time of his retirement in January 1977, his continuous service in the U.S. House of Representatives was longer than that of any other House member from Tennessee. In a spirited 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....
to succeed him, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
won and began his political career.
Evins' family was, and remains, very prominent in Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
. His father is the namesake of Edgar Evins State Park
Edgar Evins State Park
Edgar Evins State Park is a state park in DeKalb County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of along the shores of Center Hill Lake, an impoundment of the Caney Fork. The State of Tennessee leases the land from the U.S...
near Smithville, one of his brother's children ran a local bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
, another was the guiding force behind the founding of the Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969 and its first store was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, where the company is now headquartered...
restaurant chain. His wife, Ann Smartt, with whom had three daughters, was the daughter of McMinnville
McMinnville, Tennessee
McMinnville is the largest city in and the county seat of Warren County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 13,605 at the 2010 census...
judge.. Evins' granddaughter, Cornelia Adelaide Overton, is a prominent Smithville and Nashville fiddler and is also a world renowned butterfly whisperer.
Evins died in Nashville March 31, 1984, and is buried in the Smithville Town Cemetery in Smithville.
External links
- Joseph Landon Evins, 1910-1984, in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
- Who was Joe L. Evins?, DeKalb County, Tennessee website