Chauncey Sparks
Chauncey Sparks | |
|---|---|
Governor of Alabama | |
| In office January 19, 1943 – January 20, 1947 | |
| Lieutenant | Leven H. Ellis |
| Preceded by | Frank M. Dixon |
| Succeeded by | James E. Folsom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Chauncey Sparks October 8, 1884 Barbour County, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 1968 (aged 84) Eufaula, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Eufaula, Alabama |
George Chauncey Sparks (October 8, 1884 – November 6, 1968), known as Chauncey Sparks, was an attorney and
Under the state constitution, Alabama governors could not serve consecutive terms at the time, so Sparks left office without seeking reelection. In 1950, Sparks ran unsuccessfully for reelection as governor. He was the only lifelong bachelor to serve as Alabama governor in the 20th century.[1]
Life and career
Chauncey Sparks was born in Barbour County, Alabama, the son of George Washington and Sarah E. (Castello) Sparks. After his father's death when Chauncey was two years old, the family moved to Quitman County, Georgia where his mother's people lived. He attended school and helped with the family farm. Sparks graduated from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia in 1907 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received his law degree in 1910.
He wanted to return to Alabama and passed the
In 1911, Sparks was appointed judge of the inferior court of Barbour County by Democratic Governor Emmet O'Neal, a position he held until 1915. He was a representative in the Alabama Legislature from 1919 to 1923 and 1931–1939. A prominent Democrat, Sparks served as secretary of the Barbour County Democratic Executive Committee from 1914 to 1918. He also served as a member of the board of trustees of the Department of Archives and History, representing the 3rd Congressional District.
Sparks' first bid for governor of Alabama was in 1938, and he was defeated by Frank M. Dixon.
Governor
In 1942, Sparks defeated
During his administration, Sparks had to contend with the effects of a wartime economy and the dismantling of war-geared programs after World War II. The massive industrial growth in Alabama during the war resulted in numerous labor problems, making it necessary to re-establish the state Labor Department.
Sparks achieved noteworthy educational gains by doubling state appropriations and lengthening the seven-month school term to eight months. Nevertheless, the system was segregated, and black education was typically underfunded by the state legislature, as were other black facilities.
Under his administration, the University of Alabama School of Medicine (now The University of Alabama at Birmingham) was established in Birmingham, which had become a major industrial city; and a school of forestry was opened at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). Due to his agricultural background, Sparks was interested in aiding the state's agricultural programs. This included increased appropriations and the establishment of several new farm experiment stations under the auspices of Alabama Polytechnic Institute's Agricultural College.
During Sparks' administration, a constitutional amendment was passed requiring the state legislature to convene every two years instead of every four years. The legislature continued to be dominated by rural counties and was not reapportioned to acknowledge changes in the state and movement of population to urban centers until the mid-century. One of Sparks' most significant achievements was his success in reducing state debt by 25 percent.
Race relations
Sparks was an outspoken opponent of what he terms as "federal encroachments"
During his campaign, Sparks pledged to "keep the federal government's nose out of Alabama business."[5] He believed in "absolute segregation" and said the Alabama Democratic Party should "do everything necessary to maintain an all-white party."[6]
During his administration, Alabama voters approved the Boswell Amendment, which reduced the already limited franchise of black people in the state.
In response to nationwide protests over the kidnapping and gang rape of
In 2011, the Alabama House of Representatives apologized to Taylor on behalf of the state "for its failure to prosecute her attackers" and bring them to justice.[citation needed]
Later life
Sparks was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1950 by Democrat Gordon Persons. Sparks devoted the rest of his life to his private law practice in Eufaula. A lifelong bachelor, he died there on November 6, 1968.
Legacy and honors
- The Gov. Chauncey Sparks House in Eufala was listed in 1972 on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]
Gov. Chauncy Sparks House | |
  | |
| Location | 257 Broad St., Eufaula, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°53′40″N 85°8′45″W / 31.89444°N 85.14583°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | Whipple, W.C. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000157[7] |
| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1972 |
References
- ^ "Chauncey Sparks (1943-47) | Encyclopedia of Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ Glenn Feldman, The Disenfranchisement Myth: Poor Whites and Suffrage Restriction in Alabama, Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2004, pp. 135–136
- OCLC 32739924.
- ^ a b "Harvey H. Jackson, "Chauncey Sparks (1943-47)" Archived 2010-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, The Encyclopedia of Alabama, accessed Dec. 24, 2012.
- ^ a b McGuire, Danielle L. (2010). At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance- A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power. Random House, p. 119-125.
- ^ a b John Egerton, Speak Now Against the Day: The Generation Before the Civil Rights Movement in the South, UNC Press Books, 1994, p. 391
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
External links
- Governor Sparks Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, Alabama Archives
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