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Estes Kefauver had many qualities that would have made him a fine President. Public speaking was not one of them. A look at what made Kefauver such a poor speaker… and why the public loved him anyway.
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Estes Kefauver was a popular campaigner who could never say no to a friend. In 1956, to help a fellow Senator, Kefauver had his campaign plane diverted to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, which forced a surprising exit.
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Kefauver’s final Senate run was his most challenging yet, as he faced a strong opponent in a race that focused on civil rights… and angry pharmacists.
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“The Racket” was a remake of a ’20s movie about Al Capone. With the Kefauver crime hearings captivating America, the producers tried to tweak it in order to ride that popular wave… to the point of offering a role to Kefauver himself.
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After Brown v. Board of Education, the first Southern school to integrate was in Estes Kefauver’s native Tennessee. In a difficult situation, Kefauver had the courage to stand up against segregationist violence and for rebuilding and the rule of law.
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Eisenhower’s 1952 relied on the sales of Madison Avenue -and Disney – to roll to victory. After resisting those techniques the first time around, the Stevenson/Kefauver campaign gave them a try in ’56. How did it turn out? Judge for yourself.
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A Humphrey Bogart movie about the mob came out while the Kefauver organized crime hearings were sweeping the nation. So why not…. get Kefauver to put in an appearance?
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Here’s a story you won’t find in your history book: a tale of sectional rivalries, Presidential recreation, beauty queens, hungry reporters, and fish. So, so many fish.
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In 1960, Estes Kefauver was not a candidate for President… but he remained beloved with the voters. See the ad he recorded asking voters to support the Kennedy/Johnson ticket
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Think Kefauver’s rise from freshman Senator in ’48 to Presidential candidate in ’52 was really quick? Turns out he was being talked up for national office even earlier… as in immediately.
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Remember when you broke a bone as a kid, and you got your friends to sign your cast? Kefauver proved that it’s never too late to take advantage of that opportunity.
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Kefauver’s first Senate term made him nationally famous… but controversial at home. To win re-election, he’d have to face a hyper-ambitious young Congressman who just wouldn’t… stop… talking.
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A random photo from the 1956 convention leads to the revelation of a remarkable life and story. No, not Kefauver’s.
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Follow me as I track down the story behind a magazine photograph. I try to figure out not only where Kefauver was… but when and why
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Some things never change – including the ridiculous stories that get written during political “silly season.” In this case, the dead time between conventions led to a silly story about a bizarre “ban.”
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Let’s go back to where it all began. In Estes Kefauver’s first campaign for the Senate, he took down a powerful political machine, earned the national spotlight… and gained a symbol that stuck with him.
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Estes Kefauver’s probe of organized crime turned him into a national hero, and inspired movies, TV shows… and even songs. Here’s a song that speaks to Kefauver’s crime-busting reputation.
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In 1962, Kefauver attended the World’s Fair in Seattle. While he was there, he got to represent his state, visit his daughter, travel to space, and greet a milestone visitor. Not bad for one day.
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Estes Kefauver and Lyndon Johnson had a number of things in common: two liberal-leaning, ambitious Southern Democrats who joined the Senate in the same year. But their approach to politics – and the pursuit of power – couldn’t have been more different.
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The song most associated with Kefauver was “The Tennessee Waltz,” for better or for worse (and definitely for worse after a long campaign). But there’s a long-forgotten campaign song that captures his folk-hero appeal.
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I decipher an anti-Eisenhower poster from 1956, showing how many issues that seem vitally important in their day will ultimately be forgotten by history.
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Although Kefauver’s political career made it difficult for him to spend time with his kids, he did his best to be a fun and loving father. Sometimes, however, that habit hurt him… literally.
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A sample ballot from the 1956 Indiana primary offers a snapshot of state’s political scene… and a handful of fascinating stories.
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If you think the first presidential debate on TV was between Nixon and JFK, you’re off by four years. It was Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver who first took their case to the airwaves. Find out what they discussed – and how it showed the real differences between the candidates.
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Everett Dirksen and Estes Kefauver were fierce opponents when it came to regulating big business and monopolies… but when they fought, they often did it with a smile.
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Like baseball’s Continental League, an upstart football league looks to Kefauver’s Antitrust and Monopoly Subcommittee for help when the older league tries to freeze them out. But this time, Kefauver stays out of it.
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Kefauver’s advisors wrote an acceptance speech in case he won the Presidential nomination in ’52. It’s not as pretty as the one Adlai Stevenson gave… but it might have been more effective.
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The complete draft text of the acceptance speech Estes Kefauver might have given if he had won the Presidential nomination in 1952.
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The forgotten story of how an Alabama attorney and an Oklahoma elected tried to throw the 1960 election to someone who wasn’t a candidate… and how it could happen again.
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A comment on one of my posts led me to an interview with a man who volunteered for Kefauver… while still in high school! This was just one chapter of his remarkable life.
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In 1962, Kefauver wrote an article calling for electoral college reform. His call went unheeded… and we’re still paying the price for it today.
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Adlai Stevenson knew he had a secret weapon in the 1956 Presidential campaign: his running mate. In his ads, Stevenson prominently featured Kefauver’s name – and even the man himself, talking about Ike’s broken promises.
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The transcripts of the organized crime hearings include a reference to a then-current pop song. Check out the song here, but beware: it’s a real earworm.
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Think Estes Kefauver only faced off with organized crime once? Think again. A decade after the hearings that made him famous, Kefauver took on the mob again… and tried to clean up boxing.
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A quote from one of Kefauver’s books sends me on a quest for a unique photo. I wound up finding it… then I found out it was less unique than I thought.
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A lot of Senators can claim to be responsible for important laws. But how many of them can claim to be responsible for the creation of four pro baseball teams? Estes Kefauver can. Find out how he, along with a New York lawyer and a longtime exec, forced MLB to expand against its will.
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Before he started slinging irresponsible accusations about Communism, Joseph McCarthy was slinging irresponsible accusations about the Army… and sticking up for the Nazis. No, seriously.
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A look at a 1952 movie inspired by the Kefauver Committee organized crime hearings… featuring an appearance from the Senator himself.
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Why do we still need Estes Kefauver? Because he’d know what to do to counter Fanatics’ increasing stranglehold on sports merchandise.
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Estes Kefauver made a lot of enemies in the Senate. Perhaps his fiercest foe was the senior Senator from his own state.
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Estes Kefauver successfully rescued the TVA from Kenneth McKellar’s whims. But could he save it from Ike and the threat of privatization?
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From the very beginning of his political career, Estes Kefauver was a strong supporter of public power and the Tennessee Valley Authority. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to anyone who threatened it… even a powerful Senator from his own state.
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Estes Kefauver recognized that the Big Three was failing to respond to consumer demand for compact, efficient cars. He also recognized that if Detroit wouldn’t meet that demand, then Europe and Japan would.
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Featuring two new menu options: Kefauver on the Issues and Kefauver’s Campaigns.
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Kerauver’s observations about the auto industry were prescient in many ways, and Detroit should have listened to him. In Part 1 of this series, we look at Kefauver’s remarks on the over-the-top excesses of 1950s auto styling.
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Kefauver’s handshake made him famous. But it was really just a symbol of his campaign style, and his belief in the importance of personal contact with voters.
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Kefauver’s crime hearings briefly made him a national celebrity… enough of one to be the mystery celebrity on an episode of “What’s My Line?”
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A random picture from the campaign trail inspired a trip down a rabbit hole. What was the “Live Better Electrically” camoaign, and what did it have to do with a future President?
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Coya Knutson was Minnesota’s first Congresswoman. She bucked the state political establishment to endorse Estes Kefauver for President. It was a bold move… but it cost her dearly.
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Estes Kefauver was a dog person. So was his wife. But was their dog Richard Nixon’s puppy daddy? Find out here!
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Estes Kefauver was for DC statehood before DC statehood was cool… as in 75 years ago.
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Like shopping at stores like Walmart and Target? In a way, you have Estes Kefauver to thank for it.
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Estes Kefauver and Elvis Presley were the two most famous Tennesseans of the 1950s. Read about the time Kefauver talked about Presley… and another unusual connection between them.
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Estes Kefauver’s opponents tried to smear him by tying him to Vito Marcantonio. Who was Marcantonio? Think of him as the AOC or Rashida Tlaib of his day.
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Estes Kefauver’s decades-long fight against corporate power culminated in a bill to mandate prescription drug safety and efficacy. It was his signature legislative accomplishment – but in his mind, it was a half-measure at best.
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Perhaps no political was dearer to Estes Kefauver’s heart than antitrust and opposing corporate monopolies. To Kefauver, political power was tied to economic power… and the people couldn’t be truly free if big business had too much sway.
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Kefauver’s signature foreign policy idea was Atlantic Union… a concept that’s long since vanished into history. What was it, and why didn’t it work out?
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Estes Kefauver always took a strong stance on civil rights. Time and again, he stood up for suspected Communists and other unpopular groups. In the era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, that was a lonely place to be.
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Estes Kefauver was one of the best friends that organized labor had in the Senate. How did a Southerner from a white-collar background become such a strong ally of unions? Because he was willing to listen.
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Estes Kefauver was one of the few Southern Senators who didn’t take the segregationist line on civil rights. A closer look at his record shows a man who evolved over time… but remained consistent in his belief in moderate progress and equal application of the law.
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Kefauver lost the nomination, but he won a consolation prize: Stevenson’s VP nomination. Their campaign started with a ray of hope… that turned out to be the headlight of Ike’s oncoming train.
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Undaunted by his loss in 1952, Kefauver tried for the Presidency a second time. This time, though, he’d have company in the primaries. Adlai Stevenson was taking it to the streets.
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Riding a wave of popularity from the televised crime hearings, a young Kefauver – still in his first term as a Senator – decided to run for President. His popularity carried him a long way… but, as it turned out, not long enough.
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In the early 1950s, Kefauver chaired a series of hearings into organized crime. The hearings made Kefauver a household name, a Presidential contender… and Public Enemy Number One to Democratic leaders.
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The coonskin cap was a symbol for Estes Kefauver throughout his political career. Why? Hint: It had nothing to do with Davy Crockett.
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Why try to revive the memory of a Senator who’s been dead for 60 years? Because we need a man like Estes Kefauver now more than ever.
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Estes Kefauver for President 