Vernon Gipson

Publication Date

8-1978

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Lowell Harrison, Crawford Crowe, Marion Lucas

Comments

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Degree Program

Department of History

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

This political biography of Ruby Laffoon, Kentucky governor, 1931-1935, covers more than his administration and begins with his great-grandfather’s migration to Kentucky from North Carolina. Sketches of Laffoon’s early childhood in Hopkins County and the political background of his family are both included.

Laffoon’s political background gave him the opportunity to work in Washington, D.C., and to attend law school at night. Laffoon entered the practice of law in Madisonville at the age of twenty-one an dlater became a partner in an insurance company. Laffoon’s political background caused him to enter politics even before practicing law. In his early political career he served as city attorney of Madisonville, as county attorney of Hopkins County twice, as chairman of the Kentucky Insurance Rating Board, and as circuit court judge twice. His early political races were not all victories for he lost bids for office of county attorney for Hopkins County, state auditor, state treasurer, and commonwealth attorney.

At the age of thirty-six Laffoon reached his boyhood goal of becoming governor of Kentucky after he was nominated as the Democratic party’s candidate at the 1931 nominating convention. With a unified party he defeated William B. Harrison in the general election. However, this unity was soon shattered by an intra-party struggle which resulted in a Laffoon faction and an A.B. Chandler faction. Laffoon and Chandler split when Laffoon proposed a sales tax to the 1932 Kentucky General Assembly. Although the measure failed, party factionalism continued throughout the administration. The sales tax issue was revived in a special session in 1933 and again in the general session of 1934 before it was finally passed in a special session in 1934.

Throughout Laffoon’s administration, the “Great Depression” raged. Laffoon supported Franklin D. Roosevelt for the presidency in 1932 but came to odds with him over national relief to Kentucky. The final struggle with Roosevelt occurred over whether to have a convention or a primary election to determine the Democratic party candidate for the gubernatorial election of 1935. Roosevelt sided with the Chandler faction on this issue. When Laffoon left Kentucky to visit Roosevelt early in 1935, Chandler called a special session of the legislature. The validity of this session was upheld in the courts, and later Chandler won the primary against Laffoon’s political ally Tom Rhea, after a double primary election law was passed by the special session.

Laffoon was greatly criticized by the Chandler faction but had several accomplishments in spite of their party’s factionalism. He was able to cause the passage of legislation by astutely forming a coalition with the majority of the Republican legislators. He also restored to the office of governor the power that had been removed by legislative law in 1930. Another of his major accomplishments was the passage of the county budgetary law, which required county governments to be operated on a business-like basis.

This work ends with a reflection on Laffoon the man as compared to Laffoon the politician. Laffoon died March 1, 1941, while still very active in politics.

Disciplines

American Politics | Arts and Humanities | History | Political History | Political Science | Social and Behavioral Sciences | United States History

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