Bibb Graves: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:23, 21 November 2023

Bibb Graves

David Bibb Graves (born April 1, 1873 in Hope Hull, Montgomery County; died March 14, 1942 in Sarasota, Florida) was a two-term Governor of Alabama, serving from 1927-31 and 1935-39.

Graves was the son of David and Mattie Graves, and a distant cousin of early Alabama governors William Wyatt Bibb and Thomas Bibb. After the death of his father at age one, he was raised on an uncle's farm in Texas and attended grade school there before enrolling at the University of Alabama. While in college, Graves captained the University of Alabama Corps of Cadets and played on Alabama's first football team. He completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in 1893 and began law school at the University of Texas, but soon transferred to Yale Law School, earning his LL.B. in 1896.

Graves began his law practice in Montgomery and soon entered politics. He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1898 and married his cousin, Dixie Bibb, in 1900. He was aligned with progressives in the legislature and opposed the Alabama Constitution of 1901. He retired from the house in 1904 to challenge incumbent Ariosto Wiley to represent the Second Congressional District of Alabama, but was unsuccessful and returned to practicing law. He served as campaign manager in Montgomery County for B. B. Comer in 1904 and chaired the Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee in 1914, where he helped write a proposal to replace the state's system of runoff elections with a first- and second-choice ballot option.

Beginning in 1907, Graves served as adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard and helped organize the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, which he commanded as lieutenant colonel and colonel. In September 1916 the regiment was mustered into federal service and stationed at the U.S. border to repel raiding parties. During World War I the unit was assigned to the 51st Artillery Brigade, with Graves serving as a colonel in the 117th Field Artillery in the 31st Division, which saw heavy action in France. When he returned from the war, he organized and headed the Alabama department of the American Legion.

Graves returned to politics in 1922 with an unsuccessful campaign for Governor against William Brandon. He became associated with the Montgomery chapter of the Ku Klux Klan and claimed the title of "Grand Cyclops".

Four years later, with the support of prohibitionists, female voters, organized labor, educators and Klan sympathizers, Graves edged out lieutenant governor Charles McDowell, the choice of wealthy planters and industrialists, to win the Democratic nomination.

As Governor, Graves succeeded in ending the state's Convict-Lease System and redirected their labors onto crews of the newly-created Alabama Highway Department. The state quadrupled its total length of paved roads from 5,000 to 20,000 miles and erected numerous toll bridges. The work was funded by $30 million in bonds financed by revenues from increased driver's license fees and a 2-cent gasoline tax. Though he did get tax increases for public utilities, railroads and industries, a booming economy and favorable borrowing terms were instrumental in allowing him to make many investments in state programs for education, public health and welfare. He more than doubled the education budget to $25 million, adding a Division of Negro Education to oversee operation of schools for African American students. He expanded state hospitals and improved the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind at Talladega. He also oversaw improvements to the Alabama State Docks and the creation of the Alabama Industrial Development Board.

Graves also involved himself in lobbying against anti-Klan legislation, and helped to suppress Attorney General Charlie McCall's investigation into Klan-related violence in Crenshaw County. He later attempted to disassociate himself from the Ku Klux Klan. After the 1929 stock market crash as the scope of the Great Depression became evident, Graves' policies left the state with greater debt than it could continue to service. Criticism of his administration mounted as, with no constitutional provisions for re-election, he left office.

In the 1934 election Graves soundly defeated Birmingham attorney Frank Dixon, whom he castigated as being controlled by "Big Mules" who fattened themselves on the backs of the laboring classes. He strengthened his ties with organized labor and established the Alabama Department of Labor while ending the practice of using the Alabama State Militia to break up strikes. As an adherent of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" program, Graves continued to expand education and welfare programs. When his proposal for raising property taxes to fund these programs failed, he pushed through the state's first sales tax instead.

When Hugo Black was appointed to the Supreme Court, Graves sent his wife, Dixie to serve his unexpired term in the U.S. Senate, making her the state's first female senator. Graves greeted delegates to the first Southern Conference on Human Welfare in Birmingham in 1938.

Again prevented from running for re-election, Graves returned to private life in 1938. As a personal friend of evangelist Bob Jones, Graves served on the founding board of Bob Jones College in Greenville, South Carolina. He was considered the favorite to return to the Governor's office in 1942, but died from kidney failure before the election. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery.

Due to his success in increasing public spending on education, many Alabama colleges named facilities after him.

Preceded by: William Brandon	Governor of Alabama 1927-1931	Succeeded by: Benjamin Miller
Preceded by: Benjamin Miller	Governor of Alabama 1935-1939	Succeeded by: Frank Dixon

References

Gilbert, William E. (1953) "The First Administration of Governor Bibb Graves, 1927-1930." Master's thesis, University of Alabama
Gilbert, William E. (1957) "Bibb Graves as a Progressive, 1927-1930." Alabama Review No. 10, pp. 15-30
Feldman, Glenn (1999) Politics, Society and the Klan in Alabama, 1915-1949. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press ISBN 9780817309848
Webb, Samuel L. & Margaret Armbrester, eds. (2001) Alabama Governors: A Political History of the State. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press ISBN 9780817310820
Flynt, Wayne (March 1, 2013) "David Bibb Graves (1927-31, 1935-39)". Encyclopedia of Alabama - accessed December 4, 2013
Lyman, Brian (February 4, 2022) "UA's decision to add first Black student's name to Bibb Graves building sparks retelling of Graves' history with KKK." Montgomery Advertiser

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+[[Image:Bibb Graves.jpg|right|thumb|Bibb Graves]]
 '''David Bibb Graves''' (born [[April 1]], [[1873]] in Hope Hull, Montgomery County; died [[March 14]], [[1942]] in Sarasota, Florida) was a two-term [[List of Governors of Alabama|Governor of Alabama]], serving from [[1927]]-[[1931|31]] and [[1935]]-[[1939|39]].
-Graves was the son of David and Mattie Graves, and a distant cousin of early Alabama governors [[William Wyatt Bibb]] and [[Thomas Bibb]]. He grew up in Texas and attended grade school there before enrolling at the [[University of Alabama]]. While in college, Graves captained the [[University of Alabama Corps of Cadets]] and played on Alabama's first [[1892 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|football team]]. He completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in [[1893]] and began law school at the University of Texas, but soon transferred to Yale Law School, earning his LL.B. in [[1896]].
+Graves was the son of David and Mattie Graves, and a distant cousin of early Alabama governors [[William Wyatt Bibb]] and [[Thomas Bibb]]. After the death of his father at age one, he was raised on an uncle's farm in Texas and attended grade school there before enrolling at the [[University of Alabama]]. While in college, Graves captained the [[University of Alabama Corps of Cadets]] and played on Alabama's first [[1892 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|football team]]. He completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in [[1893]] and began law school at the University of Texas, but soon transferred to Yale Law School, earning his LL.B. in [[1896]].
 Graves began his law practice in Montgomery and soon entered politics. He was elected to the [[Alabama House of Representatives]] in [[1898]] and married his cousin, [[Dixie Graves|Dixie Bibb]], in [[1900]]. He was aligned with progressives in the legislature and opposed the [[Alabama Constitution of 1901]]. He retired from the house in [[1904]] to challenge incumbent [[Ariosto Wiley]] to represent the [[Second Congressional District of Alabama]], but was unsuccessful and returned to practicing law. He served as campaign manager in Montgomery County for [[B. B. Comer]] in [[1904]] and chaired the [[Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee]] in [[1914]], where he helped write a proposal to replace the state's system of runoff elections with a first- and second-choice ballot option.
-Beginning in [[1907]], Graves served as adjutant general of the [[Alabama National Guard]] and helped organize the [[1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment]], which he commanded as lieutenant colonel and colonel. In September [[1916]] the regiment was mustered into federal service and stationed at the U.S. border to repel raiding parties. During [[World War I]] the unit was assigned to the 51st Artillery Brigade, with Graves serving as a colonel in the 117th Field Artillery in the 31st Division, which saw heavy action in France.
+Beginning in [[1907]], Graves served as adjutant general of the [[Alabama National Guard]] and helped organize the [[1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment]], which he commanded as lieutenant colonel and colonel. In September [[1916]] the regiment was mustered into federal service and stationed at the U.S. border to repel raiding parties. During [[World War I]] the unit was assigned to the 51st Artillery Brigade, with Graves serving as a colonel in the 117th Field Artillery in the 31st Division, which saw heavy action in France. When he returned from the war, he organized and headed the [[Alabama department of the American Legion]].
-<!--After the war, he organized the politically potent Alabama department of the American Legion, for which he also served as chair.
+Graves returned to politics in [[1922]] with an unsuccessful campaign for Governor against [[William Brandon]]. He became associated with the Montgomery chapter of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] and claimed the title of "Grand Cyclops".
-Like many state militia officers, after the war, Graves effectively used his military associations with veterans in furthering his political career. Graves ran in the 1922 governor's race but lost badly to conservative William W. Brandon. Although most pundits wrote him off as a two-time loser, Graves fashioned one of the strongest coalitions in Alabama political history in his successful 1926 gubernatorial race. Prohibitionists and women backed him because of his stand on temperance and women's rights. Organized labor approved his record on issues affecting working people and his pledge to abolish the convict-lease system, which depressed the wages of free labor. Educators endorsed his pledge to establish a minimum seven-month school term statewide (44 counties had terms shorter than that in 1926) and to increase education funding. He also used his position as Grand Cyclops of the Montgomery Klavern of the Ku Klux Klan to win much of that powerful voting bloc in 1926. Although Graves won less than 30 percent of first-choice votes against lieutenant governor Charles S. McDowell of Eufaula (who was backed by conservative Black Belt planters and powerful Birmingham corporate interests), he did well enough with second-choice votes to win the Democratic nomination. He ran strongest among rural white voters in north Alabama and weakest in the Black Belt.
+Four years later, with the support of prohibitionists, female voters, organized labor, educators and Klan sympathizers, Graves edged out lieutenant governor [[Charles McDowell]], the choice of wealthy planters and industrialists, to win the Democratic nomination.
-Montgomery native Dixie Bibb Graves (1882-1965) was the Dixie Bibb GravesAs Alabama's 40th governor, Graves compiled an impressive record. The legislature enacted his proposal to end the convict-lease system late in 1927, making Alabama the last state in the nation to do so. His aggressive highway construction efforts absorbed many of the convicts in state road work. He financed a $30 million road and toll bridge program by imposing higher state fees on driver's licenses and gasoline. By 1930, the state's hard-surfaced roads had increased from 5,000 miles when he took office to more than 20,000 miles. The number of registered vehicles in the state had climbed from 74,637 in 1920 to 277,147 in 1930. He also convinced the legislature to pass the largest educational appropriation in state history to that time, increasing Governor Brandon's $9.9 million education budget to $25 million. Graves also presided over a complete revision of the state's education code, adding a Division of Negro Education with a black director. He also supported legislation for a new 225-bed hospital for blacks at Mount Vernon and a 200-bed addition to Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa, as well as major improvements for the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind at Talladega. State appropriations for child welfare and public health doubled, exceeding the national average.
+As Governor, Graves succeeded in ending the state's [[Convict-Lease System]] and redirected their labors onto crews of the newly-created [[Alabama Highway Department]]. The state quadrupled its total length of paved roads from 5,000 to 20,000 miles and erected numerous toll bridges. The work was funded by $30 million in bonds financed by revenues from increased driver's license fees and a 2-cent gasoline tax. Though he did get tax increases for public utilities, railroads and industries, a booming economy and favorable borrowing terms were instrumental in allowing him to make many investments in state programs for education, public health and welfare. He more than doubled the education budget to $25 million, adding a Division of Negro Education to oversee operation of schools for African American students. He expanded state hospitals and improved the [[Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind]] at [[Talladega]]. He also oversaw improvements to the Alabama State Docks and the creation of the [[Alabama Industrial Development Board]].
-A booming state economy funded these improvements. But the 1929 stock market crash and ensuing depression devastated the state's manufacturing economy and punished the state for acquiring so much bonded indebtedness. Graves's "spend now, pay later" philosophy for funding infrastructure improvements made him vulnerable to conservative criticism, as did his habit of appointing political cronies to office and his early fraternization with the KKK, despite his late 1920's denunciation of the organization's violence and his resignation from its membership.
+Graves also involved himself in lobbying against anti-Klan legislation, and helped to suppress Attorney General [[Charlie McCall]]'s investigation into Klan-related violence in Crenshaw County. He later attempted to disassociate himself from the Ku Klux Klan. After the [[1929]] stock market crash as the scope of the [[Great Depression]] became evident, Graves' policies left the state with greater debt than it could continue to service. Criticism of his administration mounted as, with no constitutional provisions for re-election, he left office.
-Unable to stand for reelection under terms of the state constitution, Graves returned to his law practice until 1934, when voters easily reelected him over conservative Birmingham corporate lawyer Frank M. Dixon. He thus became the first governor since enactment of the 1901 Constitution to win a second term. During his 1934 race, Graves called his opponents "Big Mules," using the image of a hearty animal tied to the end of a heavily loaded wagon, munching corn contentedly, while a scrawny mule harnessed to the front of the wagon pulled the entire load. The term and the imagery would remain a short-hand description of Alabama political factionalism and economic class divisions into the twenty-first century.
+In the [[1934 primary elections|1934 election]] Graves soundly defeated [[Birmingham]] attorney [[Frank Dixon]], whom he castigated as being controlled by "[[Big Mules]]" who fattened themselves on the backs of the laboring classes. He strengthened his ties with organized labor and established the [[Alabama Department of Labor]] while ending the practice of using the [[Alabama State Militia]] to break up strikes. As an adherent of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" program, Graves continued to expand education and welfare programs. When his proposal for raising property taxes to fund these programs failed, he pushed through the state's first [[sales tax]] instead.
-Governor Bibb Graves appointed his wife, Dixie Bibb Bibb and Dixie Bibb GravesDuring his second term, Graves sided with increasingly powerful labor unions, created a new state Department of Labor, appointed many women as administrators in the department, and refused to use the state militia to break strikes. On matters other than race, he was a loyal New Dealer, supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt and the president's Alabama allies. In education, he created the Minimum Foundation Program to equalize educational opportunity for all students, regardless of where they lived, provided free textbooks for some grades, and reluctantly passed the first state sales tax to fund schools when property tax increases failed. The governor also appointed his wife, Dixie (an enthusiastic supporter of women's rights), to fill Senator Hugo Black's unexpired U.S. Senate seat.
+When [[Hugo Black]] was appointed to the Supreme Court, Graves sent his wife, [[Dixie Graves|Dixie]] to serve his unexpired term in the U.S. Senate, making her the state's first female senator. Graves greeted delegates to the first [[Southern Conference on Human Welfare]] in [[Birmingham]] in [[1938]].
-After another hiatus from politics, Graves was once again the overwhelming favorite to win the 1942 governor's race for an unprecedented third term when he died of kidney failure in mid-March. Graves' legacy was a paradox. As the best-educated governor in Alabama's history, he was closely allied to the KKK and practiced patronage politics. Fiercely opposed by the state's Big Mules, his personal background was more similar to theirs than to the working-class blacks and whites whose interests he championed. His unparalleled promotion of women to government positions, his education reforms, support of better roads, organized labor, and public health, endeared him to millions of ordinary Alabamians of both races but generated bitter hatred among conservative interests. Certainly Graves, along with James E. ("Big Jim") Folsom, were Alabama's most liberal twentieth century governors.-->
+Again prevented from running for re-election, Graves returned to private life in [[1938]]. As a personal friend of evangelist Bob Jones, Graves served on the founding board of Bob Jones College in Greenville, South Carolina. He was considered the favorite to return to the Governor's office in [[1942]], but died from kidney failure before the election. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery.
+Due to his success in increasing public spending on education, many Alabama colleges [[Bibb Graves Hall (disambiguation)|named facilities after him]].
+{{start box}}
+{{succession box | before = [[William Brandon]] | title = [[List of Governors of Alabama|Governor of Alabama]] | years = 1927-1931 | after = [[Benjamin Miller]]}}
+{{succession box | before = [[Benjamin Miller]]| title = [[List of Governors of Alabama|Governor of Alabama]] | years = 1935-1939 | after = [[Frank Dixon]]}}
+{{end box}}
 ==References==
-* Flynt, Wayne. "Bibb Graves." Alabama Governors: A Political History of the State, edited by Samuel L. Webb and Margaret E. Armbrester. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2001.
+* Gilbert, William E. (1953) "The First Administration of Governor Bibb Graves, 1927-1930." Master's thesis, University of Alabama
-* Gilbert, William E. "The First Administration of Governor Bibb Graves, 1927-1930." M.A. thesis, University of Alabama, 1953.
+* Gilbert, William E. (1957) "Bibb Graves as a Progressive, 1927-1930." ''Alabama Review'' No. 10, pp. 15-30
+* Feldman, Glenn (1999) ''Politics, Society and the Klan in Alabama, 1915-1949.'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press ISBN 9780817309848
+* {{Webb & Armbrester-2001}}
 * Flynt, Wayne (March 1, 2013) "[http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1565 David Bibb Graves (1927-31, 1935-39)]". Encyclopedia of Alabama - accessed December 4, 2013
+* Lyman, Brian (February 4, 2022) "UA's decision to add first Black student's name to Bibb Graves building sparks retelling of Graves' history with KKK." ''Montgomery Advertiser''
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Graves, Bibb}}
+[[Category:1873 births]]
+[[Category:1942 deaths]]
+[[Category:Alabama alumni]]
+[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players]]
+[[Category:Attorneys]]
+[[Category:State legislators]]
+[[Category:US Army officers]]
+[[Category:World War I veterans]]
+[[Category:Alabama governors]]

Bibb Graves: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:23, 21 November 2023

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