Clarence Benton "Buddie" Newman (May 8, 1921 – October 13, 2002) was an American politician who served as Speaker of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

from 1976 to 1988. He was elected to one term in the

state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

before beginning his 36-year career in the House, representing his native

Issaquena County Issaquena County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 1,406, making it the least populous county in the United States east of the Mississippi River. Its county seat is Mayersville. Wi ...

. A

conservative Democrat In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with conservative political views, or with views that are conservative compared to the positions taken by other members of the Democratic Party. Traditionally, co ...

, Newman was a close ally of House Speaker

Walter Sillers Jr. Walter Sillers Jr. (April 13, 1888 – September 24, 1966) was an American lawyer, politician, landowner, and white supremacist. A legislative leader from Mississippi, he served as the 56th Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives. An ...

and Governor

Ross Barnett Ross Robert Barnett (January 22, 1898November 6, 1987) was the Governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. He was a Southern Democrat who supported racial segregation. Early life Background and learning Born in Standing Pine in Leake County ...

, supporting

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

throughout the

Civil Rights era The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United S ...

and afterward.

Early life and education

Newman was born on May 8, 1921, at the Railroad Section Foreman's House in

Valley Park, Mississippi Valley Park is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Issaquena County, Mississippi, United States. Its elevation is 95 feet (29 m). Although unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 39177. The Aden Archaeo ...

, the fifth child of Minnie Belle (Prine) and Josephus Clarence Newman Sr., a farmer and foreman for the

Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV) was incorporated in 1882 and was part of the Illinois Central Railroad system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi. The line was later expanded ...

. He was named after his father and Dr. J. B. Benton, the railroad physician who delivered him. In 1931, J. C. was elected to the

when incumbent R. E. Foster died in office, and he brought the young Buddie with him to

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

as a

legislative page A page is an occupation in some professional capacity. Unlike traditional pages, who are normally younger males, these pages tend to be older and can be either male or female. Workplace Pages are present in some modern workforces. American telev ...

in 1938.

Political career

A member of his local

Citizens' Council The Citizens' Councils (commonly referred to as the White Citizens' Councils) were an associated network of White supremacy, white supremacist, Racial segregation in the United States, segregationist organizations in the United States, concentra ...

, Newman was a proponent of

and

white supremacy White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White su ...

. He served as an advisor to Governor Barnett during the

Ole Miss riot of 1962 The Ole Miss riot of 1962 (September 30 – October 1, 1962), also known as the Battle of Oxford, was a violent disturbance that occurred at the University of Mississippi—commonly called Ole Miss—in Oxford, Mississippi. Segregationist r ...

and was reportedly one of the strongest voices urging defiance of federal authorities on the integration of state institutions. Speaker Sillers appointed him as chair of the powerful House ways and means committee in 1964.

Later life and death

Newman died at his home on October 13, 2002. After lying in state in the

state capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

rotunda, he was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

References

External links

* 1921 births 2002 deaths People from Issaquena County, Mississippi Military personnel from Mississippi Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives 20th-century American legislators United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army non-commissioned officers 20th-century Mississippi politicians {{Mississippi-politician-stub Citizens' Councils members