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Senator Albert Gore, Sr.: Tennessee Maverick
Best remembered as the father of Vice President Al Gore, Albert Gore, Sr., worked tirelessly in politics himself, a Democratic congressman and senator from 1939 to 1971 and a representative of southern liberalism and American reformism. In the first comprehensive biography of Gore, Kyle Longley has produced an incisive portrait of a significant American political leader and an arresting narrative of the shaping of a southern and American political tradition. His research includes archival sources from across the country as well as interviews with Gore’s colleagues, friends, and family.
Longley describes how the native of Possum Hollow, Tennessee, became known during his political career as a maverick, a man who, according to one journalist, would “rock almost anybody’s boat.” For his actions, Gore often paid a heavy price, personally and professionally. Overshadowed by others in Congress such as Lyndon Johnson, J. William Fulbright, Richard Russell, and Barry Goldwater, Gore nonetheless played a major role on the important issues of taxes, the Interstate Highway system, civil rights, nuclear power and arms control, and the Vietnam War.
Longley situates Gore as part of a generation of politicians who matured on the messages of William Jennings Bryan, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. In the South, Gore belonged to a staunch group of liberals who battled traditional conservative forces, often within their own party. He and others such as Estes Kefauver, Frank Porter Graham, and Ralph Yarborough set the stage for subsequent generations, including that of Jimmy Carter and Jim Sasser, and later Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jr., and John Edwards. From his career shines one encapsulating moment in 1952: squared off on the floor of the Senate against Strom Thurmond, who wanted Gore to sign the “Southern Manifesto” declaring southern resistance to desegregation, Gore responded simply, classically, “Hell no.”
Longley describes how the native of Possum Hollow, Tennessee, became known during his political career as a maverick, a man who, according to one journalist, would “rock almost anybody’s boat.” For his actions, Gore often paid a heavy price, personally and professionally. Overshadowed by others in Congress such as Lyndon Johnson, J. William Fulbright, Richard Russell, and Barry Goldwater, Gore nonetheless played a major role on the important issues of taxes, the Interstate Highway system, civil rights, nuclear power and arms control, and the Vietnam War.
Longley situates Gore as part of a generation of politicians who matured on the messages of William Jennings Bryan, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. In the South, Gore belonged to a staunch group of liberals who battled traditional conservative forces, often within their own party. He and others such as Estes Kefauver, Frank Porter Graham, and Ralph Yarborough set the stage for subsequent generations, including that of Jimmy Carter and Jim Sasser, and later Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jr., and John Edwards. From his career shines one encapsulating moment in 1952: squared off on the floor of the Senate against Strom Thurmond, who wanted Gore to sign the “Southern Manifesto” declaring southern resistance to desegregation, Gore responded simply, classically, “Hell no.”
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
18 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Longley
10 books6 followersThe author of nearly a dozen books, Kyle Longley is widely considered an expert in the field of U.S. foreign relations. Consulted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and MSNBC among others, he has taught in the field of modern U.S. history for more than 25 years.
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November 24, 2018
When Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. ran for president in 2000 he would have been the first president
to have been born in the nation's capital. His opponent George W. Bush of Texas made something of
that in that he was out of touch with the folks that elected him. But Albert Gore, Sr., first representative than Senator from Tennessee could never have been accused of that. He was born of
mountaineering folks in East Tennessee in a place called Possum Hollow. At the time Gore senior
was growing up it was represented by Cordell Hull in Congress and the internationalist minded Hull
became Gore's ideal for public service.
If you saw the movie Sergeant York and took note of where Gary Cooper as York grew up then you
have some idea of Gore's childhood and adolescence. Gore went to Congress first in 1938 and was
elected to the Senate first in 1952.
Gore's achilles heel as with many southern liberals was civil rights. For most of his career he
supported civil rights albeit slowly and reluctantly in deference to his constituents. Other than
that he was generally progressive on most issues. Of course he was a staunch defender of that
most unique of government institutions, The Tennessee Valley Authority. He thought that there
ought to be more such in the country providing cheap electric power.
When the Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation decision was handed down by the
Supreme Court, the southern members of Congress issued a manifesto deriding said decision. 3
Senators wouldn't sign on. Lyndon Johnson from Texas and both Tennessee Senators Estes Kefauver and Al Gore. It may have been Gore's finest act in his public service. He got some votes
to be Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 1956 but that went to his colleague Kefauver.
His liberalism on domestic issues and his opposition to the growing US involvement in Vietnam
also made him a rightwing target. Sadly he voted against the civil rights act of 1964 and strictly
for his own political survival. Fortunately he was running for a third term that year also and
Lyndon Johnson's coattails carried him in against some stiff Republican opposition. Tennessee
was a state that had gone twice for Eisenhower and in 1960 for Richard Nixon. It was one of the
first southern states where the Republican party developed in the 20th century, sadly on Al Gore's
watch.
Re-elected he did vote for the voting rights act in 1965 and supported all of the Lyndon Johnson
Great Society program. He also was more and more critical of the Vietnam War not nearing and
endearing himself to LBJ. The two never really got along in the Senate when Johnson was Majority
Leader. And when Nixon became president it went from a guy Gore didn't like to a guy Gore really
didn't like.
Came 1970 as Gore sought a fourth term the full weight of the White House came down on Gore and
a recently elected Republican Representative William Brock defeated him. In retirement Gore lived
until 1998 and saw his son go to the Senate from Tennessee as well and get elected Vice President.
A generally decent and honorable man Al Gore if not always courageous was always one who was
high minded. We could use his like today.
to have been born in the nation's capital. His opponent George W. Bush of Texas made something of
that in that he was out of touch with the folks that elected him. But Albert Gore, Sr., first representative than Senator from Tennessee could never have been accused of that. He was born of
mountaineering folks in East Tennessee in a place called Possum Hollow. At the time Gore senior
was growing up it was represented by Cordell Hull in Congress and the internationalist minded Hull
became Gore's ideal for public service.
If you saw the movie Sergeant York and took note of where Gary Cooper as York grew up then you
have some idea of Gore's childhood and adolescence. Gore went to Congress first in 1938 and was
elected to the Senate first in 1952.
Gore's achilles heel as with many southern liberals was civil rights. For most of his career he
supported civil rights albeit slowly and reluctantly in deference to his constituents. Other than
that he was generally progressive on most issues. Of course he was a staunch defender of that
most unique of government institutions, The Tennessee Valley Authority. He thought that there
ought to be more such in the country providing cheap electric power.
When the Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation decision was handed down by the
Supreme Court, the southern members of Congress issued a manifesto deriding said decision. 3
Senators wouldn't sign on. Lyndon Johnson from Texas and both Tennessee Senators Estes Kefauver and Al Gore. It may have been Gore's finest act in his public service. He got some votes
to be Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 1956 but that went to his colleague Kefauver.
His liberalism on domestic issues and his opposition to the growing US involvement in Vietnam
also made him a rightwing target. Sadly he voted against the civil rights act of 1964 and strictly
for his own political survival. Fortunately he was running for a third term that year also and
Lyndon Johnson's coattails carried him in against some stiff Republican opposition. Tennessee
was a state that had gone twice for Eisenhower and in 1960 for Richard Nixon. It was one of the
first southern states where the Republican party developed in the 20th century, sadly on Al Gore's
watch.
Re-elected he did vote for the voting rights act in 1965 and supported all of the Lyndon Johnson
Great Society program. He also was more and more critical of the Vietnam War not nearing and
endearing himself to LBJ. The two never really got along in the Senate when Johnson was Majority
Leader. And when Nixon became president it went from a guy Gore didn't like to a guy Gore really
didn't like.
Came 1970 as Gore sought a fourth term the full weight of the White House came down on Gore and
a recently elected Republican Representative William Brock defeated him. In retirement Gore lived
until 1998 and saw his son go to the Senate from Tennessee as well and get elected Vice President.
A generally decent and honorable man Al Gore if not always courageous was always one who was
high minded. We could use his like today.
Displaying 1 of 1 review