About Frank G. Clement
Frank Goad Clement (June 2, 1920 – November 4, 1969) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1967. Inaugurated for the first time at age 32, he was the state's youngest and longest-serving governor in the 20th century with 10 years of service, having been elected to the governorship in 1952 and re-elected in 1954 and again in 1962. 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. He attempted to enter national politics, and although his aggressive speeches at the 1956 Democratic national convention impressed some members of his own party, they disgusted many other politicians and brought an end to his federal political career. His final years, including his last term as governor, were marked by severe alcohol abuse which deeply affected his personal and professional life. His wife, tired of his alcoholism, filed for divorce in 1969. He died in a car accident soon after announcing his intention to run for another term. Clement was only 32 years old when he won the election and took office. Upon inauguration, he became the youngest governor in the nation.
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