Earl L. Brewer
| Earl Leroy Brewer | |
|---|---|
Earl L. Brewer
|
|
| 38th Governor of Mississippi | |
|
In office January 16, 1912 – January 18, 1916 |
|
| Lieutenant | Theodore G. Bilbo |
| Preceded by | Edmond Noel |
| Succeeded by | Theodore G. Bilbo |
| Member of the Mississippi Senate | |
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In office 1895 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 11, 1869 near Vaiden, Mississippi |
| Died | March 10, 1942 (aged 72) Jackson, Mississippi |
| Resting place | Oakridge Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Minnie Marion Block |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Earl Leroy Brewer (August 11, 1869 – March 10, 1942) was the Governor of Mississippi from 1912 to 1916. Elected as a Democrat, he was unopposed in the primary and won the governorship without ever making a single public campaign speech.
Brewer was born in Carroll County, Mississippi, near the town of Vaiden. His father, Ratliff Rodney Brewer, had been a farmer, plantation manager and overseer, and a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. His middle name came from his grandfather, Leroy Brewer (1793–1851). His uncle Leroy Jasper Brewer (1833–1911) lived long enough to see his nephew elected governor but died just weeks before inauguration. Brewer attended the University of Mississippi and after less than one year of study, obtained a Bachelor of Law degree in 1892. He immediately began practicing law and then was elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 1895. In 1902 he was appointed district attorney for the 11th District.
In 1907 he resigned his position as district attorney in order to run for governor. Brewer was narrowly defeated in his first attempt but won handily in the next campaign. As governor, Brewer promoted progressive reforms in several areas. The constitution was changed to create an elective judiciary; banking laws were established to limit interest rates; and a Bureau of Vital Statistics was created.
During his term there was a severe epidemic of pellagra in the state and other portions of the South. When the federal government sent Joseph Goldberger to study the disease and find a cure, Brewer offered full pardons to convicts who would participate in Goldberger's experiments. As a result of these studies, it was determined that pellagra was caused by a vitamin deficiency.
After his term was over, Brewer assisted in the defense of three Black defendants accused of murder who had been convicted on the basis of coerced confessions. Brewer argued and won their appeal to the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Mississippi.
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