James Dixon Black (September 24, 1849 – August 5, 1938) was an American attorney who was the
39th Governor of Kentucky
The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-el ...
, serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor
Augustus O. Stanley
Augustus Owsley Stanley I (May 21, 1867 – August 12, 1958) was an American politician from Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th governor of Kentucky and also represented the state in both the U.S. House of Represe ...
was elected to the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
.
Black graduated from
Tusculum College
Tusculum University is a private Presbyterian university with its main campus in Tusculum, Tennessee. It is Tennessee's first university and the 28th-oldest operating college in the United States.
In addition to its main campus, the institution ...
in 1872 and taught school while studying law. He was admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in 1874 and opened his legal practice in
Barbourville, Kentucky
Barbourville is a home rule-class city in Knox County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2010 census, down from 3,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city was formally established by ...
. Eventually, his son, Pitzer Dixon, and his son-in-law, Hiram H. Owens, became partners in his practice, called Black, Black and Owens. Deeply interested in education, he served as
superintendent of the
Knox County public schools for two years, and was instrumental in the founding of
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
in Barbourville. He served as president of the college from 1910 to 1912.
Black was chosen as the
Democratic nominee for
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in 1915, despite having only meager previous political experience. He was elected on a ticket with Augustus O. Stanley and was elevated to governor when Stanley resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. Much of his seven months as governor were spent on his re-election campaign. He was unable to satisfactorily answer charges of corruption made against the Stanley administration by his opponent,
Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin Porch Morrow (November 28, 1877June 15, 1935) was an American politician, who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Rep ...
. Morrow won the election by more than 40,000 votes. Black returned to his legal practice in Barbourville and served as president of a bank founded by his older brother. He was campaign manager for
Alben Barkley's senatorial campaign when he died of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
on August 5, 1938.
Early life and family
Black was born on September 24, 1849, nine miles from
Barbourville on Richland Creek in
Knox County, Kentucky.
[Hay, p. 149.] He was the youngest of twelve children born to John Craig and Clarissa "Cassie" (Jones) Black.
[Kerr, p. 3] Black's older brother, Isaac Jones Black (August 5, 1828 - October 22, 1866), was
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the
49th Kentucky Mounted Infantry in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
[Johnson, p. 1552]
Black was educated in the rural and subscription schools in and around Barbourville.
In 1872, he graduated from
Tusculum College
Tusculum University is a private Presbyterian university with its main campus in Tusculum, Tennessee. It is Tennessee's first university and the 28th-oldest operating college in the United States.
In addition to its main campus, the institution ...
near
Greeneville, Tennessee
Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town i ...
, with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
After college, Black returned to Knox County where he taught in the public schools for two years.
[Harrison in ''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'', p. 83] Concurrently, he studied law, and was admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in August 1874.
He opened his legal practice in Barbourville.
["Kentucky Governor James Dixon Black"]
Black married Mary Jeanette "Nettie" Pitzer on December 2, 1875, in Barbourville.
[Johnson, p. 1553] The couple had three children: Pitzer Dixon, Gertrude Dawn, and Georgia Clarice. All were members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
.
All three children graduated from what is now
Centre College in
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...
. Pitzer then went on to study law at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
.
[Kerr, p. 4] After being admitted to the bar, he became a partner in his father's law firm.
Georgia Black married Hiram Hercules Owens, who also became a partner in the Barbourville firm of Black, Black, and Owens.
Educational career
Black was elected to represent Knox and
Whitley counties in the
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
in 1876.
A
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
representing a district with a majority of
Republican voters, he served a single, one-year term.
In 1879, Black and other citizens of Barbourville purchased stock to fund the start up of a new college in Barbourville.
Black insisted that the college be named
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
, because he hoped the college would unify the community.
He continued to be involved in the development of the college, serving as its attorney and as a fund-raiser.
Deeply interested in education, he also served as
superintendent of the Knox County public schools in 1884 and 1885, but returned to his law practice thereafter.
A long-time
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, Black served as master of his local lodge on seven different occasions, was twice high priest of the Barbourville Chapter of the
Royal Arch Masons, and was chosen
Grand Master of Kentucky in 1888.
In 1893, he was chosen by Kentucky governor
John Y. Brown as a commissioner to the Chicago
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordi ...
, representing Kentucky's forestry and mineral departments.
On September 10, 1910, Black was named the eighth president of Union College. The following year, his alma mater awarded him an
honorary Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
degree.
He served as president of Union College until 1912.
Political career
Black returned to politics in 1912 when he became Kentucky's first assistant attorney general.
In 1915, he was chosen as the Democratic nominee for
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.
Black was pro-
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
, and was chosen to balance the ticket with
Augustus O. Stanley
Augustus Owsley Stanley I (May 21, 1867 – August 12, 1958) was an American politician from Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th governor of Kentucky and also represented the state in both the U.S. House of Represe ...
, who opposed
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
.
While Black defeated his opponent,
Lewis L. Walker, by more than 8,000 votes, Stanley bested Republican
Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin Porch Morrow (November 28, 1877June 15, 1935) was an American politician, who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Rep ...
by only 421 votes, the closest gubernatorial election in the state's history.
[Powell, p. 84][Harrison in ''A New History of Kentucky'', pp. 285–286]
![AOStanley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/AOStanley.jpg)
Though Stanley and Black won the election, they never became political allies.
[Klotter, p. 232] At the time of their election and service, the
Kentucky Constitution prescribed that the lieutenant governor would act as governor any time the governor left the state. Consequently, Stanley refused to travel out of state on vacation because he feared he would not approve of anyone Black would appoint to any unfilled governmental offices while he was gone.
Black ascended to the governorship on May 19, 1919, when Governor Stanley resigned to assume a seat in the U.S. Senate.
His pro-temperance stand cost him many of Stanley's supporters, while his association with Stanley, a prohibition opponent, caused his support to wane among prohibitionists.
[Hay, p. 150] There was no legislative session of the
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
during Black's term, so potential conflicts with the legislature were avoided.
Black immediately faced accusations of poor appointments by Stanley. The School Textbook Commission was singled out for particular criticism. The
Kentucky Court of Appeals had ruled that the Commission acted illegally in selecting textbooks submitted in dummy form. Black called on the commissioners to resign, but when they refused, he claimed he had no power to remove them except for fraud or corruption. The ''
Louisville Courier-Journal'' pointed out that Black could replace any Stanley appointees that had not yet been confirmed by the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, but Black refused to do so. Some believed that Black had agreed to retain Stanley's appointees in exchange for Stanley's support of Black's re-election campaign.
The settlement of state
inheritance tax
An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and property) of a person who has died.
International tax law distinguishes between an es ...
es on two estates also plagued Black. In the first case, Governor Stanley had made a compromise settlement of back taxes with L. V. Harkness before his death. The compromise was criticized, and although Black asked the
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
to investigate, the case was not decided during Black's tenure as governor. In the second case, Stanley had appointed three special attorneys to collect inheritance taxes from the estate of Mrs.
Robert Worth Bingham
Robert Worth Bingham (November 8, 1871 – December 18, 1937) was a politician, judge, newspaper publisher and the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1933 to 1937.
Background
Bingham attended the University of North Carolina an ...
. Black wanted the attorneys to resign and save the state their large fees, but refused to remove them outright. This action was made more damning because one of the attorneys was a member of Black's campaign staff.
In 1919, Black was chosen as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee over John D. Carroll, chief justice of the
Kentucky Court of Appeals, by more than 20,000 votes.
The Republicans again nominated Edwin P. Morrow, who implored voters to "Right the Wrong of 1915".
[Klotter, p. 233] Since Black had very little record as governor in his own right, Morrow campaigned against him by attacking Stanley's administration as corrupt.
Morrow cited as evidence the tax cases of Mr. Harkness and Mrs. Bingham and Black's inaction against the State Textbook Commission.
Black tried to remain positive in his race, and focused on national issues rather than defending Stanley's administration. He touted his support of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
and declared his support for the United States' admission into the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
.
His support of Wilson hurt him with
German American
German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...
voters, and Wilson's handling of recent coal strikes hurt Black with the traditionally Democratic
labor vote.
Days before the election, Morrow exposed a contract approved by the state Board of Control to purchase cloth from a man named A. S. J. Armstrong at twice its normal price. Black responded to the allegation by temporarily suspending his campaign and ordering an investigation. The investigation revealed that Armstrong was a plumber who was bidding on behalf of his brother-in-law, a former prison official in the Stanley administration. Despite this revelation, Black refused to remove members of the Board of Control. This issue finally sank Black's candidacy; Morrow won the election by more than 40,000 votes.
[Hay, p. 151.]
In his final days in office, Black considered many requests for executive
clemency. On December 1, 1919, he issued a pardon for
Henry Youtsey, a recent parolee who had served eighteen years for conspiracy in the assassination of Governor
William Goebel.
In 1918, while still serving as lieutenant governor, Black had assumed the presidency of the John A. Black National Bank of Barbourville, named for and founded by his older brother.
He became chief prohibition inspector for Kentucky in 1920.
Later, he served as director of the Barbourville Cemetery Company.
While working as
Ninth Congressional District campaign manager for Senator
Alben Barkley in 1938, Black developed
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
and died on August 5, 1938.
He is entombed in a
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
at Barbourville Cemetery.
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, James D.
1849 births
1938 deaths
People from Knox County, Kentucky
Methodists from Kentucky
Democratic Party governors of Kentucky
Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky
Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky lawyers
19th-century American politicians
20th-century American politicians
Tusculum University alumni
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Deaths from pneumonia in Kentucky