Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn (born July 1, 1927) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 43rd

governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

from 1971 to 1975. He was the state's first Republican governor in fifty years.Phillip Langsdon, ''Tennessee: A Political History'' (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 370-381, 396-397. Dunn was an unsuccessful candidate for a second term in 1986, losing to Democrat

Ned McWherter Ned Ray McWherter (October 15, 1930April 4, 2011) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee, from 1987 to 1995. Prior to that, he served as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 19 ...

. He has remained active in the Republican Party and the medical field since the end of his term as governor.Michael Rogers,
Winfield Dunn
" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2009. Retrieved: 30 December 2012.

Early life

Dunn was born in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Merid ...

, the son of Aubert C. Dunn, an attorney and politician, and Dorothy (Crum) Dunn. In 1944, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, he enlisted in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

, and served as a pharmacists' mate in the Asia-Pacific Theatre. He subsequently served as a reserve

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the U.S. Air Force. Dunn graduated with a B.B.A. from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...

in 1950. That same year, he married Betty Prichard, the daughter of a Memphis dentist. After working in the insurance industry for several years, he obtained his D.D.S. from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...

Medical Units in Memphis in 1955. He initially practiced with his father-in-law before opening his own practice in Memphis. Inspired by

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for president ...

's views on

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

, Dunn ran unsuccessfully for the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consi ...

in 1962. He was elected Chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, and as such campaigned for Goldwater in the 1964 presidential race. He was a delegate to the

1968 Republican National Convention The 1968 Republican National Convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida, from August 5 to August 8, 1968, to select the party's nominee in the general election. It nominated former Vice Preside ...

, and campaigned for the eventual nominee,

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

Governor

In 1970, Dunn sought the Republican nomination for governor. His opponents for the nomination included

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the Tennessee House William L. Jenkins, Nashville industrialist Maxey Jarman, former chair of the state party Claude K. Robertson, and the 1962 nominee, Hubert Patty. Boosted in part by a large turnout in his populous home county of Shelby, Dunn won the nomination, edging his nearest opponent, Jarman, by ten thousand votes. His opponent in the general election was

John Jay Hooker John Jay Hooker, Jr. (August 24, 1930 – January 24, 2016) was an American attorney, entrepreneur, political gadfly and perennial candidate from Nashville, Tennessee, who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee in 1970 and 1998 ...

, the Democratic nominee. Gerald-ford-and-winfield-dunn-1974

Prior to the 1970 election, Democrats had controlled the governor's office for 50 years, and had largely dominated state politics since the end of

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology * Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. The GOP had last put up a candidate for governor in 1952. The social policies of the presidential administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, however, had alienated many Southern Democrats. Republicans began showing signs of life in the 1966 Senate race, when Republican Howard Baker, Jr., defeated charismatic governor

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 younges ...

. In 1968, Nixon carried the state, Republicans won control of the state House of Representatives, and Republican

Dan Kuykendall Dan Heflin Kuykendall (July 9, 1924 – June 12, 2008) was an American politician and businessman who served as a United States Representative from Tennessee's 8th and 9th congressional districts from 1967 until 1975. A member of the Repub ...

was elected to the Memphis-based 9th district congressional seat. With future federal judge Harry W. Wellford and future governor

Lamar Alexander Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from ...

steering his campaign, Dunn defeated Hooker, 557,024 votes to 498,757, on election day.Bill Dries,
Dunn's Book Details GOP Comeback in Tennessee
" ''Memphis Daily News''. Retrieved: 30 December 2012. Upon taking office, Dunn sought to unify the state, and offered state appointments to both Republicans and Democrats. Democrats, who controlled the state senate and had regained control of the state house, were initially uncooperative, with Speaker of the House James McKinney and Lieutenant-governor John S. Wilder (who was in the first term of what would become a 36-year tenure) trying at times to thwart his legislative agenda. In 1972, Ned McWherter was elected house speaker, and proved more open to cooperation with the Republican governor. In spite of frequent Democratic opposition, Dunn managed to obtain a 0.6% increase in the state sales tax, allowing him to boost highway construction and give pay raises to state employees. He also created the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of General Services (to administer state purchases), and reorganized the Department of Personnel in an attempt to enhance efficiency in the hiring of state workers. Dunn supported the state's ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18, in 1971. In November 1973, Dunn hosted the Republican Governors Conference in Memphis, where President Nixon, beleaguered by the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

, privately assured the governors present that no more surprises would arise from the scandal that would hurt the party. In his 2007 book, ''From a Standing Start'', Dunn recalled being "shocked" and "disappointed" when a news broadcast on the following evening revealed there was an 18-and-half minute gap in the White House tapes.

Later life

Dunn's term ended in 1975; at the time, the Constitution of Tennessee barred governors from serving consecutive terms. He returned to the private sector, working for several years as the vice president of public relations for the Nashville-based

Hospital Corporation of America HCA Healthcare is an American for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owns and operates 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including sur ...

. In 1986, Dunn once again ran for governor. He easily defeated Hubert Patty and Charles Vick in the Republican primary, but questions over party unity dogged his campaign. During his first term, Dunn had vetoed a bill calling for the establishment of a medical school at

East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...

, reasoning that the state's three existing medical schools were adequate. Though the legislature overrode his veto, he nevertheless drew the enmity of powerful 1st district congressman

Jimmy Quillen James Henry Quillen (January 11, 1916Selective Service System and U.S. Navy official records both list Quillen's date of birth as January 11, 1915. – November 2, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Unite ...

, in whose district the school was to be located. Quillen was still smarting over the veto more than a decade later, and withheld his endorsement in 1986. Without Quillen's endorsement, Dunn struggled in East Tennessee (normally a Republican stronghold), and was defeated in the general election by the Democratic nominee, Ned McWherter, 656,602 votes to 553,448. After the 1986 campaign, Dunn focused on business and charitable interests. He worked as chairman of Memphis-based Medshares, and has been a member of the boards of healthcare companies Phycor and Behavioral Healthcare Corporation. He has also been active in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, as well as with various charities, including the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

, the Nashville Heart Association, and the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

. Dunn remains an "elder statesman" in the state Republican Party. He was chair of the state steering committee of the presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush in 1988, and was an elector for George W. Bush in 2004 and

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

in 2008. In December 2011, he endorsed the eventual 2012 Republican presidential nominee,

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

. Romney said of Dunn: "No one is more highly regarded for his love of country and his public service."

Family and legacy

Dunn and his wife, Betty, have three children: Charles (Chuck), Gayle, and Julie.Finding Aid for the Winfield Dunn Autobiography Manuscripts
University of Tennessee Special Collections. Retrieved: 30 December 2012. Dunn's father, Aubert, served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1935–1937. The Winfield Dunn Center, built during Dunn's tenure as governor, is home to the indoor athletic teams of

Austin Peay State University Austin Peay State University () is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee. Standing on a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845, the precursor of the university was established in 1927 and named for then-sit ...

.Winfield Dunn Center
Austin Peay State University website. Retrieved: 30 December 2012. Two state routes in Tennessee are named for him: Winfield Dunn Parkway, a section of State Highway 66, connects

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

with

U.S. Route 441 U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...

Sevierville Sevierville ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee, located in eastern Tennessee. The population was 17,889 at the 2020 United States Census. History Native Americans of the Woodland period were among the first hum ...

, and a portion of

Interstate 269 Interstate 269 (I-269) is a beltway around the city of Memphis, Tennessee, and its adjacent suburban areas in southwestern Tennessee and northern Mississippi, completed in October 2018. I-269 was planned and built to serve as an outer bypas ...

Tennessee State Route 385 State Route 385 (SR 385) is the designation for two separate segments of state highway in the Memphis Metropolitan Area in Shelby County in West Tennessee, which with Interstate 269 (I-269) forms a semicircle around and through the Me ...

in Fayette and Shelby Counties is named for him between US 70 and US 72. Buildings at

Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University, commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech, is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie ...

and the

University of Memphis } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering, the Center for Ea ...

have been named for Dunn. The Dunn Dental Building, housing the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, is also named after Governor Dunn. The golf course at Pickwick Landing State Park in Counce, Tennessee is named for the former governor. A bust honoring the governor is in the clinic lobby of the Dunn Building.

References

External links

Governor Winfield Dunn
– entry at the

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...

Governor Winfield Dunn Papers (finding aid)
– Tennessee State Library and Archives

– Tennessee Portrait Project
Portrait photograph of Governor Dunn
– Tennessee State Library and Archives , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Winfield 1927 births American dentists American United Methodists Republican Party governors of Tennessee Living people Military personnel from Mississippi Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee Politicians from Meridian, Mississippi Southern Methodists 2004 United States presidential electors 2008 United States presidential electors University of Mississippi alumni University of Tennessee alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy corpsmen United States Air Force officers United States Air Force reservists 20th-century American politicians