Ross Bass
Ross Bass | |
|---|---|
William R. Anderson | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 17, 1918 Martin Methodist College |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1941-1945 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Ross Bass (March 17, 1918 – January 1, 1993) was an American
Background
Bass was the son of a
He joined the
Congressional service
In 1954, Bass was elected as a
In 1963, Senator Estes Kefauver died in office. Governor Frank G. Clement made no secret that he wanted to run in the special election due in 1964 for the final two years of Kefauver's term. To that end, he appointed one of his cabinet members, Herbert S. Walters, to serve as a caretaker until the special election. However, Clement's plan backfired when Bass defeated him in the Democratic primary held in August.
In November, Bass defeated the
However, this race proved problematic for Bass. Clement still desired the seat for himself, especially since he could not run for reelection as governor in 1966 (in those days, Tennessee governors were barred from immediately succeeding themselves). He wanted to avoid being forced out of politics, as he had once before when faced with term limits the first time in 1958. Due to a large Republican crossover vote, Bass lost the August 1966 Democratic primary to Clement, even though he received 10% more votes than in the previous election. Clement went on to lose resoundingly to Baker in the general election.
Later political career
Bass subsequently made two attempts to re-enter politics. He ran for the 1974 Democratic nomination for governor, but finished fifth in a nine-candidate field—well behind the eventual winner, Ray Blanton.[7]
In 1976 he entered the Democratic primary for his former House seat and won the nomination. The district, however, had been significantly redrawn since his previous service. Bass found himself running in a large amount of territory that he did not know and that did not know him. Much of this area was located in suburban territory near Memphis and Nashville that had turned heavily Republican, at least at the national level. Bass lost badly — by almost 29 points — to the incumbent Republican representative, Robin Beard.[8]
Personal life
His first marriage to Avanell K Bass ended in divorce in 1967. He married Judy Bobo, of Nashville, in 1975; they divorced in 1979. In 1992 he married Jacqui Colter, who outlived him. After his divorce in 1979, he moved to
References
- ^ New York Times, January 2, 1993.
- ^ "Southern Congressmen Present Segregation Manifesto". CQ Almanac. 1956. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ "H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE".
- ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate Special Race - Nov 03, 1964".
- ^ "TO AGREE TO THE CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1564, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965".
- ^ Langsdon, Philip. Tennessee: A Political History Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000; pp. 375-387.
- ^ Hill, Ray. "The Last Hurrah of Ross Bass". Knoxville Focus September 10, 2017
External links
- United States Congress. "Ross Bass (id: B000223)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Ross Bass at Find a Grave
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