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Outstanding 20th-Century Tennesseans

In March of 2006 Dr. Edwin Gleaves, retired State Librarian and Archivist of Tennessee, sought from seven Tennessee history buffs lists of 25 (more or less) 20th-century Tennesseans about whom every student of Tennessee history should know. Dr. Gleaves compiled these lists into a master roster of 31 names for presentation to the Tennessee history class that he now teaches at Lipscomb University. We are grateful to him for sharing this compilation with us.

One of the seven participants was Walter Durham, State Historian of Tennessee, who has generously allowed us to publish his list separately.

As you read and study the lists below, keep in mind that the busy schedules of the list-makers undoubtedly forced quicker decision-making than they would have preferred. In addition, be aware of the difficulty involved in making such lists--many worthy candidates must be omitted.

Despite the foibles of listmaking, the entries below are highly important, since they demonstrate the great diversity of accomplishment in 20th-century Tennessee.

The Compiled List

Category 1: Persons Who Received Seven Nominations

Hull, Cordell (1871-1955; lawyer, judge, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, winner of Nobel Peace Prize)

York, Alvin C. (1887-1964; World War I Army hero and later promoter of education in the Upper Cumberlands)

Category 2: Persons Who Received Six Nominations

Crump, E. H. “Boss” (1874-1954; Mayor of Memphis and highly influential political figure statewide)

Gore, Albert Jr. (b. 1948; U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, Vice President, presidential candidate, environmentalist, author, teacher)

Haley, Alex (1921-1992; novelist, biographer, author of Roots, largely responsible for popularizing genealogy in this country)

Kefauver, Estes (1903-1963; U.S. Senator, vice-presidential nominee, fought organized crime and segregation)

Category 3: Persons Who Received Five Nominations

Gore, Albert, Sr. (1907-1998; progressive U.S. Congressman and Senator, fought for civil rights legislation, known as the "Father of Medicare.”)

Rudolph, Wilma (1940-1994; Olympic medallist, teacher, and coach)

Category 4: Persons Who Received Four Nominations

Agee, James (1909-1955; writer and critic, author of Let Us Praise Famous Men and A Death in the Family)

Dudley, Ann Dallas (1876-1955; a national and state leader in the woman's suffrage movement)

Horton, Myles F. (1905-1990; educator, founder and director of the Highlander Folk School and the Highlander Research and Education Center)

Presley, Elvis (1935-1977; singer, entertainer, The King)

Ransom, John Crowe (1888-1974; poet and critic, leader of the Fugitives literary movement)

Category 5: Persons Who Received Three Nominations

Acuff, Roy (1903-1992; known as the “King of County Music” due to his long association with the Grand Ole Opry)

Cannon, Sarah Ophelia (1914-1996; Grand Ole Opry's Minnie Pearl, funded cancer research and treatment)

Clement, Frank G. (1920-1969; Governor, 1953-59, 1963-67; noted speaker)

Giovanni, Nikki (b. 1943; poet, educator, activist)

Handy, W. C. (1873-1958; composer and musician, "Father of the Blues")

Parton, Dolly (b. 1946; singer, entertainer, founder of the Imagination Library)

Smith, Bessie (1894-1937; nationally prominent blues singer)

Category 6: Persons Who Received Two Nominations

Alexander, Lamar (b. 1940; Governor, 1979-86; President, University of Tennessee; U.S. Secretary of Education; U.S. Senator)

Atkins, Chet (1924-2001; music executive, guitarist par excellence)

Baker, Howard, Jr. (b. 1925; U. S. Senator, ambassador, presidential chief of staff)

Foote, Shelby (1916-2005; novelist and historian; best known for his trilogy, The Civil War)

Frist, Thomas Sr. (b. 1910; founder of HCA)

Ingram, Martha (b. 1935; patroness of the arts, mainly in Nashville)

Lea, Luke (1879-1945; businessman, editor, military officer, financier)

McKellar, Kenneth D. (1869-1957; U.S. Senator, New Deal advocate and supporter of the Tennessee Valley Authority)

Scopes, John T. (1900-1970; center of controversy over teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school)

Taylor, Peter (1917-1994; novelist and short story writer, winner of Pulitzer Prize for A Summons to Memphis)

Warren, Robert Penn (1905-1989; poet, novelist, Pulitzer Prize winner, member of Fugitives group)

Walter Durham's List

Cordell Hull (secretary of state/Nobel Peace Prize)
Al Gore, Jr. (senator/vice president)
Estes Kefauver (senator/vice-presidential candidate)
Albert Gore, Sr. (senator)
Howard Baker (senator/ambassador)
Lamar Alexander (governor/secretary of education/senator)
E. H. Crump (political boss)
Tom Frist (HCA CEO)
Alexander Heard (education)
Ralph (Peck) Owen (banking)
Andrew Holt (education)
Fred Smith (head of FedEx)
Sergeant Alvin York (war hero)
Jim Sasser (senator/ambassador)
Martha Ingram (business/performing arts)
Elvis Presley (music)
Grace Moore (music)
Wilma Rudolph (Olympian)
Anne Dallas Dudley (women's voting rights amendment)
Alex Haley (Roots)
James Agee (author)
Ida B. Wells-Barnett (anti-lynching activist)
Myles Horton (educator/political activist)
Dolly Parton (music)
(2006)

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