Frank G. Clement
| Frank G. Clement | |
|---|---|
Frank Clement during a visit to Israel in 1958.
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| 41st Governor of Tennessee | |
|
In office January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967 |
|
| Lieutenant | James L. Bomar, Jr. Jared Maddux |
| Preceded by | Buford Ellington |
| Succeeded by | Buford Ellington |
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In office January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959 |
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| Lieutenant | Jared Maddux |
| Preceded by | Gordon Browning |
| Succeeded by | Buford Ellington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frank Goad Clement June 2, 1920 Dickson, Tennessee |
| Died | November 4, 1969 (aged 49) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Dickson County Memorial Gardens Dickson, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Lucille Christianson (m. 1940) |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University (LL.B) |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Frank Goad Clement (June 2, 1920 – November 4, 1969) was an American politician who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959, and from 1963 to 1967. His 10 years in office was the longest of any of the state's 20th-century governors. Clement owed much of his rapid political rise to his ability to deliver rousing, mesmerizing speeches. His sermon-like keynote address at the 1956 Democratic National Convention has been described as both one of the best and one of the worst keynote addresses in the era of televised conventions.
As governor, Clement oversaw the state's economic transformation from a predominantly agricultural state to an industrial state. He increased funding for education and mental health, and was the first Southern governor to veto a segregation bill. In 1956, he dispatched the National Guard to disperse a crowd attempting to prevent integration at Clinton High School.
Clement was born at the Hotel Halbrook in Dickson, Tennessee, the son of Robert Clement, a local attorney and politician, and Maybelle (Goad) Clement, who operated the hotel. The family moved around for several years, living briefly in Vermont and Kentucky, before returning to Dickson in the 1930s. Clement graduated from Dickson County High School in 1937. While still young, he took speaking lessons with his aunt.
Clement attended Cumberland University from 1937 to 1939, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He then attended Vanderbilt University Law School, graduating with an LL.B in 1942. He worked as an agent for the FBI for about a year, mainly investigating internal security and espionage cases. In November 1943, at the height of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, eventually rising to the rank of first lieutenant and commanding officer of Company C of the Military Police Battalion at Camp Bullis in Texas.
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