House of representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the senate from 1949 until his death in 1963. Carey estes kefauver was an american politician from tennessee who led an investigation into organized crime in the 1950s in 1956, he was selected by the democratic national convention to be the running mate of presidential nominee adlai stevenson. The greatest show of them all economic hardship reporting. Kefauver then moved on to the law department of yale university and was admitted to the bar in 1926. Estes kefauver of tennessee had served as chairman of a senate. Oct 17, 2020 estes kefauver, senator from tennessee 194963, has been a perplexing figure. Senator estes kefauver chaired the investigation committee. And the publication of his bestselling book, profiles in courage. The comicbook scare david hajdu bookforum magazine.
Subjects include the causes and prevention of organized crime, gambling, and juvenile delinquency during the 1950s and early 1960s. July 26, 1903 august 10, 1963 was an american politician from tennessee. Joseph bruce gorman, the early career of estes kefauver, east tennessee historical societys publications, 1970, pp. The veterans victory demonstrated to congressman estes kefauver and other. Crime documents from the estes kefauver collection press releases, speeches, article drafts, and government publications penned by politician estes kefauver and colleagues on the organized crime and juvenile delinquency commissions are included in this collection. Senator estes kefauver launched a twoyear investigation of the mob.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. The estes family in the italian renaissance the cary estes genealogy book and cary estes moore genealogy book ties from the estes family to estes kefauver daly family album daly genealogy bogan family of cork, ireland life, a novel by michael seltzer my son. The story goes that when he arrived at the hearing in full diamondencrusted wardrobe, his attorney monk zelden. I wrote a book once, noting in its title that the place in which the story was set was. The late senator kefauver 190363 repeatedly went searching for organized crime with a television camera. Nov 24, 2007 in particular, a congressional inquiry chaired by senator estes kefauver prompted groundbreaking legislation to control approval, marketing, and promotion of medicines. Diamond jim moran reigned over restaurants as a sparkling.
Also includes photographs of kefauver at home in washington, d. Estes attended the university of tennessee from 1922 to 1924, receiving a bachelor of arts degree and being initiated into the kappa sigma fraternity. What moe dalitz didnt say to kefauver the mob museum. He ran for president twice, was the 1956 democratic vice presidential nominee, pioneered the use of television in congressional hearings, and dug deep into many policy areas in the us senate. Kefauver was born in madisonville, tennessee, to robert cooke kefauver and phredonia bradford nee estes. In the 1940s, psychiatrist fredric wertham entered this enduring debate with his many articles in popular periodicals and his popular book seduction of the innocent. Dalitzs answer is widely quoted in books, magazines, websites even museums as a moment of defiance against hypocrisy. A yale graduate, cum laude, he was almost a coldblooded intellectual. Fredric wertham author of seduction of the innocent. He became famous in 1950 by subpoenaing gangsters to testify at hearings on organized crime.
Jack kennedy and estes kefauver materialize, with separate little entourage. Sep 03, 2020 he testified at one of the hearings convened by sen. Carey estes kefauver was an american politician from tennessee who led an investigation into organized crime in the 1950s. Steel president roger blough in room 457 of the old senate office building. Estes kefauver high school of the equally fictional dacron, ohio, in the. The school is located in dacron, ohio a reference to the city akron, ohio, and to inexpensive synthetic fabric dacron. The 1950 assassination of a gambling kingpin in kansas city led to a special senate investigation into organized crime chaired by tennessee sen. Congressional hearings have a highstakes history the. Even though the mafia had become entrenched as a national syndicate in the united states during prohibition, no one had ever gone after it the way kefauver. The united states subcommittee on juvenile delinquency was put together by senator robert hendrickson rnew jersey in 1953. Halsey 18821959 date from 1907 to 1959, but are most numerous for the years 19431959. This seems to be a man with a bloody axe holding a womans head up which has been severed from her body. Crime in america, by estes kefauver, chairman of the senate crime investigating committee may 10, 1950may 1, 1951 edited and with an introd.
Senator estes kefauver was the chairman of the senate crime investigating committee may 10, 1950may 1, 1951. After that, he longed to be president and coveted more free tv coverage. This account is based upon the testimony taken at the hearings and upon the reports of the special committee to investigate crime in interstate commerce popularly known as the kefauver committee to the senate. Estes kefauver simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. He died on august 10, 1963 in bethesda, maryland, usa. Jun 27, 2019 crime documents from the estes kefauver collection this digital collection includes press releases, speeches, article drafts, and government publications penned by estes kefauver and colleagues on the organized crime and juvenile delinquency commissions. Senator estes kefauver interstate apportionment of business income for state income tax purposes by charles e. In 1952 and 1956, kefauver ran for president, but was unsuccessful in his bid for the democratic nomination. In the 1940s and 1950s,comic books came under re in a manner similar to that of other decency crusades. The united states senate special committee to investigate crime in interstate commerce, better known as the kefauver committee after its chairman estes kefauver, dominated the news in 1951 and 1952 and shed light on an alleged widespread criminal conspiracy that included, among other things, illegal gambling on sports, primarily horse racing. Senator kefauver himself had only died the year before, in 1963. Kefauver then moved on to the law department of yale university and was admitted to the bar in 1926 kefauver. Kefauver became a lawyer in chattanooga, tennessee, in 1927.
Estes kefauver and the tradition of southern progressivism. He was on the cover of time magazine and cowrote a book, crime in america, about the investigation. He was on the cover of time magazine and cowrote a book, crime in america. The tennessean edged out kennedy on the second ballot in an open floor fight to become the running mate of adlai stevenson, who had refused. A senate subcommittee, spearheaded by senator estes kefauver,was charged with the task of investigating the effects of comic books.
A public drama while addressing the problem of organized crime, kefauver, a political opportunist who had helped push for the creation of the committee, was hoping to gain national exposure and. Gonzalo aguirre often standardized, protocols compatible with the creation of the codified legislation of the. Senate special committee, chaired by democratic tennessee senator estes kefauver, determined that a sinister criminal organization known as the mafia. Estes attended the university of tennessee from 1922 to 1924, receiving a.
Explains why the first comic book code didnt stick. Senate seat after the stevenson kefauver ticket lost to the eisenhowernixon ticket in 1956, kefauver was named chair of. The clamour surrounding the comics peaked in 1954,when a senate subcommittee,led by senators robert hendrickson and estes kefauver,was charged to investigate the effects of mass media on children. Subcommittee to investigate comic books and juvenile. He was preoccupied by an event that he considered much more important. Wertham added professional warrant to longstanding decency concerns. Most students of politics or government have seen kefauver s name. Jim on history looks back at the only election john f. The cary estes genealogy book and cary estes moore genealogy book ties from the estes family to estes kefauver daly family album daly genealogy bogan family of cork, ireland life, a novel by michael seltzer my son behind locked windows, a novel by michael seltzer eyes of a child, a short storyby michael seltzer. Kefauver, carey estes, a representative and a senator from tennessee. Estes kefauver 19031963 american experience official site pbs. Gore was ready to make his move in 1948, but the popular estes kefauver jumped.
This comic depicts a man with a bloody ax holding a. Photographs show estes kefauver campaigning for the democratic presidential nomination. Estes kefauver was born in madisonville, tennessee, on 26th july, 1903. In 1956, he was selected by the democratic national convention to be the running mate of presidential nominee adlai stevenson. Senator estes kefauver, a democrat from tennessee, chaired the committee. Estes kefauver, a softspoken candidate in a coonskin cap and hornrimmed glasses, swept to the head of the democratic presidential pack by winning 12 of the 15 primaries.
Hendrickson, and richard clendenen, investigator for senate subcommittee on juvenile delinquency show chart of lurid comic books to. Kefauver gained national prominence and popularity as a result of the hearings. In 1956, senator estes kefauver seized the democratic vicepresidential nomination by an eyelash. Estes kefauver 19031963 american experience official. Senator estes kefauver, the subcommittee chairman, was a publicity genius. Estes kefauver was born on july 26, 1903 as carey estes kefauver. Kennedy of massachusetts on the second ballot in an open floor fight to become the running mate of adlai e. President, i ask unanimous consent to have printed in the record an editorial published in the lexington leader, on august 26, 1964, which pays a deserved tribute to our late colleague, senator estes kefauver. Included are letters received and carbons of letters sent, memoranda, drafts of speeches and articles, naval orders, newspaper clippings, books, pamphlets, reports, war diaries, campaign narratives, logs, journals, and souvenirs.
Brian inglis admired the work of the kefauver subcommittee, and his book was in part a push for a similar investigation in the united kingdom. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. Sep 15, 2016 the committees chairman, tennessee senator estes kefauver, posed an aggressive line of questions about dalitzs earnings from his bootlegging days during prohibition. It was one of the most influential such works ever published, including for instance the standard version of cinderella.
Inside the federal witness protection program by pete. His crusade against organized crime earned him guest appearances in hollywood movies, and he has a fictional high school named after him, c. Title welcome kefauver summary photograph shows senator estes kefauver with employees of the bayonne times while campaigning in new jersey. Earth in the balance, his 1992 book on the environment, clearly echoes the. The advent of comic books in the late 1930s almost immediately prompted an outcry over what many critics found to be their vulgar content. After leading a muchpublicized investigation into organized crime in the early 1950s, he twice sought his partys nomination for president of the united states. Estes kefauver said that the drug is bad, it was bad. The clamour surrounding the comics peaked in 1954,when a senate subcommittee,led by senators robert hendrickson and estes kefauver,was charged to.
Includes photographs of kefauver campaigning in new hampshire. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. On april 21, 1954 the hearings would begin in washington, d. David hajdus history of the comicbook panic the village voice. In august 1957, senator estes kefauver, chair of the senate subcommittee on antitrust and monopoly established in 1951, grilled u. He graduated from the university of tennessee in 1924. A member of the democratic party, he served in the u. He was on the cover of time magazine and cowrote a book, crime in amer. Modern tennessee a history of tennessee student edition. Richard clendenen staff director of senate subcommittee on juvenile delinquency. The wisdom he learned from his first large experience of this search 195051 was then expressed in his dedication of a book to the people of america, who, i hope, will be sufficiently aroused to help us, through public opinion and legislative action, to strangle crime in. He was known nationally for serving as chairman of a committee that investigated organized crime. In the 1950s and early 1960s, estes kefauver was everywhere in politics and government. Dec 01, 2018 crime in america, by estes kefauver, chairman of the senate crime investigating committee may 10, 1950may 1, 1951 edited and with an introd.
In 1950, there wasnt a clear public consensus that a national organized crime syndicate was. National lampoon 1964 high school yearbook parody wikipedia. Exposing the syndicate the kefauver committee, as it became commonly known, interviewed hundreds of witnesses in fourteen cities over the course of fifteen months, in the first governmental attempt to expose the extent of the breadth of organized crime in america. The hearings became tv sensations and kefauver became the democratic vicepresidential nominee in 1956.
Kefauver served 10 years in the house of representatives, from 193949, before serving in the senate from 1949 until his death. And as felban said, just looking at this book quickly. The book, as it was originally published, appeared to be a genuine 1964 yearbook from c. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on corners and edges.
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