Tom Connally
| Thomas Terry “Tom” Connally | |
 | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Earle B. Mayfield |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Price Daniel |
U.S. Representative from Texas'
11th Congressional District | |
| In office March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Robert L. Henry |
| Succeeded by | Oliver H. Cross |
State Representative from
Texas' 69th District | |
| In office January 3, 1903 – January 10, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | Abram Cole |
| Succeeded by | Austin Milton Kennedy W. C. O'Bryan |
State Representative from
Texas' 72th District | |
| In office January 8, 1901 – January 13, 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Little |
| Succeeded by | John W. Stollenwerck, Sr. Samuel R. Boyd |
| Born | August 19, 1877 Eddy, Texas |
| Died | October 28, 1963 (aged 86) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Louise Clarkson (died 1935) Lucile Sanderson Sheppard |
| Children | One |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Religion | Methodist |
Thomas Terry Connally (August 19, 1877 – October 28, 1963), usually referred to as Tom Connally, was a progressive Wilsonian Democrat from Texas who served as the state's U.S. representative and senator. A racist liberal, he was a New Dealer who blocked anti-lynching legislation and led internationalists in foreign policy.
Contents
U.S. House of Representatives
Connally was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1916 from Texas' 11th congressional district and re-elected five times.[1]
U.S. Senate
Connally ran for Senate in 1928 and faced incumbent Democrat Klansman Earle B. Mayfield. He finished second in the primary with Mayfield garnering a plurality,[2] and won the runoff by just over ten percentage points.[3]
Connally opposed the policies of Republican president Herbert Hoover, including efforts to raise the tariff.[4] During the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Connally was a staunch supporter of New Deal programs. The only notable time he broke from Roosevelt was during the president's 1937 court packing attempt.
Civil rights opposition
In 1935, Connally participated in the Southern Democratic filibuster of the Costigan–Wagner Act, an anti-lynching bill introduced by senators Edward P. Costigan and Robert F. Wagner.[5] Three years later, Connally joined fellow Southern Democratic senators Richard Russell, Jr., Walter Franklin George, and Claude Densen Pepper in filibustering the Wagner–Van Nuys Act.[6][7]
Connally led a filibuster for ten days against an attempt to rid the poll tax in 1942.[4]
Foreign policy
A globalist, Connally opposed the isolationist Republicans and headed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during the 1940s and 50s. He created a powerful alliance with Arthur Vandenberg which dominated foreign policy during the presidency of Harry Truman, and played a crucial role the establishment of the United Nations and NATO.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Connally, Thomas T. "Tom". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ↑ TX US Senate - D Primary. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ↑ TX US Senate - D Runoff. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Connally, Thomas Terry (1877–1963). Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ↑ Greenbaum, Fred (1967). "The Anti-Lynching Bill of 1935: The Irony of "Equal Justice—Under Law"," p. 79–82. Internet Archive. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Filibuster against anti-lynching bill. Washington, D.C., Jan. 27. Members of the bloc of Southern Senators who have been filibusting against the anti-lynching bill for the last 20 days and are still going strong, left to right: Senator Tom Connaly, of Texas, Sen. Walter F. George, of Ga.; Sen. Richard Russell of Ga.; and Sen. Claude Pepper of Florida, 1/27/38 digital file from original negative. Library of Congress. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ↑ Reeve, Elspeth (March 12, 2013). The Hypocrisy of Schmooze. The Atlantic. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
External links
- Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
| ||||||||||||||||||||
