A Biography of B. Carroll Reece

University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2007 Republican, First, Last, and Always: A Biography of B. Carroll Reece Fashion Suzanne Bowers University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Bowers, Fashion Suzanne, "Republican, First, Last, and Always: A Biography of B. Carroll Reece. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2007. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/128 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Fashion Suzanne Bowers entitled "Republican, First, Last, and Always: A Biography of B. Carroll Reece." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Robert J. Norrell, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Lorri Glover, Stephen V. Ash, Anthony Nownes Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Fashion Suzanne Bowers entitled “Republican, First, Last, and Always: A Biography of B. Carroll Reece.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Robert J. Norrell Major Professor We have read this dissertation And recommend its acceptance: Lorri Glover Stephen V. Ash Anthony Nownes Accepted for the Council: Carolyn Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Original Signatures are on File with official student records. Republican, First, Last, and Always: A Biography of B. Carroll Reece A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Fashion S. Bowers August 2007 Copyright © 2007 by Fashion S. Bowers All Rights Reserved ii Dedication For my mother and father, who made me the person I am today; For my sister, who constantly challenged me to go one step higher; and For Laura, a dear friend who always believed in me. May I always remember to live life as fully as you did. iii Acknowledgements For many years I promised my family that I would become the second Dr. Bowers, following in the footsteps of my uncle, Dr. Bob Bowers. I have achieved my goal on that promise, with the support and occasional harassment of my family and friends. I am grateful for their understanding and love throughout my years of school. My sincerest thanks go to my advisor, Dr. Robert J. Norrell. His refusal to settle for less than excellence drove me to become a better writer and historian. I also would like to thank my other committee members, Dr. Lorri Glover and Dr. Steven Ash for their advice and guidance. Dr. Glover provided invaluable instruction during my teaching assistantship and trained me to become a better teacher. The research for this dissertation was made possible with the assistance of a number of individuals. Ned Irwin, Georgia Greer, and John Fleenor, from the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University, provided assistance during my research of the B. Carroll Reece Papers. Captain Brett Monette of the United States Army helped clarify army rankings for me, and Katie Evans assisted my in my research of legal cases. I would like to thank Jackie Laney for her editorial assistance and for reviewing initial drafts of my dissertation. Julie Thenn provided moral support and also read initial drafts. I would like to thank the Bernadotte Schmitt Research Award for its assistance in covering the costs of my travels. Also, to my friends in the department, thank you for your constant encouragement and support. iv Abstract From 1920 to 1961, B. Carroll Reece served a then unprecedented thirty-five years in the United States House of Representatives. Reece grew up in the poverty- stricken area of eastern Tennessee, one of thirteen children. He attended college at Carson-Newman College and New York University but felt called to enlist in the army during World War I. He earned numerous commendations for his service and returned to the United States with an increased animosity towards communism. He returned to education, but an opportunity presented itself for Reece to fulfill his dream of entering politics. He ran for and won the First District seat in the House of Representatives in 1920. During his tenure, his hatred of communism and devotion to the Republican Party led him to become a central figure in the debates over the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, nitrate plants, the 1946 congressional elections, and the 1954 Special Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations. Reece’s loyalty to Robert Taft and his conservative stance on international involvement, communism, and economics influenced the decision of the Republican Party to name him chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1946. He resigned this position after he was unable to use his influence to secure the presidential nomination for Taft, but he remained devoted to Taft and Taft’s desire to become president. After Taft’s death, Reece turned his attention more fully on the crusade to eradicate communism within the United States and its government. He led an investigation into large foundations for fostering subversion through their grants to leftist organizations and universities. Although this did coincide with his conservative ideology, Reece had begun to see the decline in power of the “Old Guard” faction of the Republican Party and strove desperately to prevent liberals from taking over the party. The investigation garnered much condemnation, and its report became widely criticized within Congress. His investigation contributed to the increasing animosity towards foundations and large concentrations of wealth that continues today. Reece maintained his position that communism posed a threat to the security of the nation and the Republican Party until his death in 1961. v Table of Contents Chapter Page Introduction....................................................................................................................1 1. Reece, Who Are You? .............................................................................................9 2. Pass Public Office Around.....................................................................................34 3. Upon Safe Leadership............................................................................................62 4. Victory for Real Republicans.................................................................................87 5. To Elect and Not to Select ...................................................................................110 6. Morality Must Be Restored..................................................................................140 7. Un-American and Subversive Activities .............................................................160 8. A Labor of Love...................................................................................................181 9. Our Enemy, the Communist ................................................................................209 10. Tennessee’s Mister Republican ...........................................................................224 Bibliography ..............................................................................................................244 Appendix: List of Figures..........................................................................................253 Vita ...........................................................................................................................262 vi List of Figures Figure Page Figure 1 – The Reece Family.....................................................................................254 Figure 2 - Basketball Team at Carson-Newman College ..........................................255 Figure 3 – Military Photographs of B. Carroll Reece................................................255 Figure 4 – B. Carroll Reece, undated.........................................................................256 Figure 5 – B. Carroll Reece and his wife...................................................................256 Figure 6 – B. Carroll Reece with his collection of elephants ....................................257 Figure 7 – B. Carroll Reece with his collection of elephants ....................................257 Figure 8 – B. Carroll Reece and his daughter ............................................................258 Figure 9 – B. Carroll and Louise Reece.....................................................................258 Figure 10 – B. Carroll Reece campaigning................................................................259 Figure 11 – B. Carroll Reece at a campaign rally......................................................259 Figure 12 – B. Carroll Reece, later years...................................................................260

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