The Political Graveyard: Clergy Politicians in Alabama

PoliticalGraveyard.com

Clergy Politicians in Alabama

Ira Flax (born c.1961) — of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Ala. Born about 1961. Republican. Rabbi; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 2008 (speaker). Jewish. Still living as of 2008.

Harold Guy Hunt (b. 1933) — also known as Guy Hunt — of Holly Pond, Cullman County, Ala. Born in Holly Pond, Cullman County, Ala., June 17, 1933. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict; Baptist minister; candidate for Alabama state senate, 1962; probate judge in Alabama, 1964-76; Governor of Alabama, 1987-93; defeated in primary, 1978. Baptist. Convicted in 1993 of misusing campaign and inaugural funds to pay personal debts, and removed from office as Governor. Still living as of 1997.

Samuel Johnson (1804-1882) — of Blount County, Ala.; Tuscaloosa County, Ala.; Blanco County, Tex. Born in Knox County, Tenn., June 15, 1804. Methodist minister; member of Alabama state house of representatives, 1832-33; member of Alabama state senate, 1834, 1836. Methodist. Died in Blanco County, Tex., December 17, 1882 (age 78 years, 185 days). Interment at Old Johnson Cemetery, Near Blanco, Blanco County, Tex.

Relatives: Married to Hannah D. Harrison (sister of Greenbury Horras Harrison and Joseph Carroll Harrison); grandfather of Leonidas Johnson Rountree. See Harrison-Rountree family of Texas.

Joseph Echols Lowery (b. 1921) — also known as Joseph E. Lowery — of Atlanta, Fulton County, Ga. Born in Huntsville, Madison County, Ala., October 6, 1921. Democrat. Pastor; leader in the civil rights movement; co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; escaped death in 1963 when his hotel room in Birmingham, Ala., was bombed, and in 1979 when Klansmen in Decatur, Ala., opened fire on Lowery and other protesters; arrested while demonstrating in support of a garbage workers' strike in Atlanta, 1968; arrested during protests in Cullman, Ala., 1978; arrested while protesting apartheid at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C., 1984; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 2008; speaker, 1988; delivered eulogies at the funerals of Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King. Methodist. African ancestry. Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in Atlanta is named for him. Still living as of 2008.

		Relatives: Married 1950 to Evelyn Gibson.
		See also Wikipedia article

John Gardner Murray (1857-1929) — of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Ala.; Baltimore, Md.; Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Md., August 31, 1857. Son of James Murray (1830-1878) and Ann (Kirkwood) Murray (1830-1888). Democrat. Episcopal priest; Bishop of Maryland, 1911-29; Presiding Bishop of the United States, 1926-29; speaker, Democratic National Convention, 1912. Methodist; later Episcopalian. Scottish ancestry. Died, of a stroke, during a session of the House of Bishops, in St. James Church, Atlantic City, Atlantic County, N.J., October 3, 1929 (age 72 years, 33 days). Interment at Druid Ridge Cemetery, Pikesville, Md.

Relatives: Son of James Murray (1830-1878) and Ann (Kirkwood) Murray (1830-1888); married, October 13, 1881, to Harriet May 'Hattie' Sprague (1860-1884; drowned in steamboat accident); married, December 4, 1889, to Clara Alice Hunsicker (1864-1937).

Lacey Kirk Williams — also known as Lacey K. Williams — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Eufaula, Barbour County, Ala. Son of Levi Williams and Elizabeth Williams. Republican. Ordained minister; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1924, 1928, 1936. African ancestry. Burial location unknown.

Relatives: Married, August 16, 1894, to Georgia Lewis.

Robert Lee Williams (1868-1948) — also known as Robert L. Williams — of Durant, Bryan County, Okla. Born near Brundidge, Pike County, Ala., December 20, 1868. Son of Jonathan Williams and Sarah Julia (Paul) Williams. Democrat. Methodist minister; lawyer; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indian Territory, 1900; member of Democratic National Committee from Indian Territory, 1904-07; delegate to Oklahoma state constitutional convention, 1906; justice of Oklahoma state supreme court, 1907-14; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1912 (member, Platform and Resolutions Committee; speaker); Governor of Oklahoma, 1915-19; U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1919-37; Judge of U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, 1937-39. Methodist. Member, American Bar Association. The Durant public library is named for him. Died, of pneumonia, at Wilson N. Jones Hospital, Sherman, Grayson County, Tex., April 10, 1948 (age 79 years, 112 days). Interment at Highland Cemetery, Durant, Okla.

"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."
Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872

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