Frank G. Clement

Frank Clement during a visit to Israel in 1958

Frank Goad Clement (born June 2, 1920 in Dickson , Dickson County , Tennessee , † November 4, 1969 in Nashville , Tennessee) was an American politician and the 46th and 48th Governor of the state of Tennessee.

Early years

Frank Clement attended Cumberland University from 1937 to 1939 and then studied law at Vanderbilt University . There he graduated in 1942. In the same year he worked temporarily as an FBI agent. During the Second World War and the Korean War , he served as a soldier in the US Army. Upon his return, he applied for the governor of Tennessee in 1952.

Governor of Tennessee

In his final tenure, incumbent Gordon Browning came under suspicion of corruption in connection with the purchase of a hotel building in Nashville. For the elections in 1952 there was therefore a power struggle within the Democratic Party between Browning and Clement, who won the primaries with the help of new media such as television and taking advantage of the corruption allegations against Browning. In addition, Clement was a talented speaker who knew how to inspire his audience. Browning lost the nomination to Clement, who subsequently also won the actual elections.

The main event in Clement's first term was the constitutional reform of 1953. Among other things, this reform extended the term of office of a governor from two to four years. Clement was elected before this reform was passed, making him the last Tennessee governor to serve a two-year term. After this period he was allowed to run again and, after successful re-election in 1954, became the first governor of the state with a four-year legislative period. As governor, he campaigned for improved health policies that should also benefit the poor. For the mentally handicapped he set up a separate ministry in his government, which was only supposed to devote itself to their problems. He also started a large-scale project to expand the highways. The height of the civil rights movement also fell during his reign, which the governor faced rather moderately, which set him apart from most other governors in the southern United States. Clement also campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty , but could not find a majority for it. The State of Tennessee Historical Archives received its own building in those years.

The new constitution extended the governor's term of office to four years, but prohibited direct re-election (an exception was made in 1954 because Clement's first term had not yet started under the new constitution). Therefore, Clement was not allowed to run for re-election in 1958. Buford Ellington was elected in his place, but four years later he was allowed to run again. He took advantage of this opportunity and was re-elected governor for four years. From 1963 to 1967 he continued the policy he had begun in his previous term. At the end of the four years, he was again constitutionally excluded from direct candidacy and, as in 1958, Buford Ellington was elected as his successor. With Clement and Ellington there were only two governors in Tennessee between 1953 and 1971, who ruled together for 18 years. Because of the constitutional requirement regarding terms of office, Clement ran for the US Senate in 1966 . After defeating incumbent Ross Bass at the Democratic Primary , he was defeated by Republican Howard Baker in the actual election .

End of life and death

Clement resigned from the governor's office in January 1967. He practiced as a lawyer again. He died in a car accident in Nashville on November 4, 1969, at the age of 49. Frank Clement was married to Lucille Christianson, with whom he had three children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978 . Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, CT 1978. 4 volumes
• The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 55. James T. White & Company, New York.

Web links

• Frank Clement in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Tennessee (English)
• Frank G. Clement in the database of Find a Grave (English)