Information On James D. Black

|birth_place Knox County, Kentucky |death_date |death_place Barbourville, Kentucky |party Democratic Party (United States) |spouse Mary Jeanett "Nettie" Pitzer |religion Methodist Episcopal Church |profession Lawyer |alma_materTusculum College |signatureJames Dixon Black Signature.svg }} James Dixon Black (September 24, 1849 – August 5,Hay, p. 151; some sources give August 4. 1938) was the List of Governors of Kentucky Governor of Kentucky serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor Augustus O. Stanley was elected to the United States Senate Black graduated from Tusculum College in 1872 and taught school while studying law. He was admitted to the Bar (law) in 1874 and opened his legal practice in Barbourville, Kentucky Eventually, his son and son-in-law became partners in his practice. Deeply interested in education, he served as Superintendent (education) of the Knox County, Kentucky public schools for two years, and was instrumental in the founding of Union College (Kentucky) in Barbourville. He served as president of the college from 1910 to 1912. Black was chosen as the Democratic Party (United States) nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky 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 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 on August 5, 1938.

Early life and family

James Dixon Black was born on September 24, 1849 nine miles from Barbourville, Kentucky on Richland Creek in Knox County, Kentucky Hay, p. 149. He was the youngest of twelve children born to John C. and Clarissa (Jones) Black.Kerr, p. 3 His paternal grandfather, Alexander Black, immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1800, while his maternal grandfather, Isaac Jones, was a France immigrant who served with Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette in the American Revolutionary War Johnson, p. 1552 Blacks brother, Isaac J. Black, was Captain (land) of the 49th Kentucky Regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War Black was educated in the rural and subscription schools in and around Barbourville. In 1872, he graduated from Tusculum College near Greeneville, Tennessee 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 (law) in August 1874. He opened his legal practice in Barbourville."Kentucky Governor James Dixon Black" Black married Mary Janette "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 Pitzer Black graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky then studied law at the University of Virginia Kerr, p. 4 After being admitted to the bar, he became a partner in his fathers law firm. Georgia Black married H. H. 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 County, Kentucky counties in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1876. A Democratic Party (United States) representing a district with a majority of Republican Party (United States) 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 (Kentucky) 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 (education) of the Knox County public schools in 1884 and 1885, but returned to his law practice thereafter. A long-time Freemasonry Black served as master of his local lodge on seven different occasions, was twice high priest of the Barbourville Chapter of the Royal Arch Masonry and was chosen Grand Master (Masonic) of Kentucky in 1888. In 1893, he was chosen by Kentucky governor John Y. Brown (1835–1904) as a commissioner to the Chicago, Illinois World's Columbian Exposition representing Kentuckys forestry and mineral departments.Johnson, pp. 1552–1553 On September 10, 1910, Black was named the fourth president of Union College.Johnson, pp. 1553–1554 The following year, his alma mater awarded him an Honorary degree Doctor of Laws degree. He served as president of Union College until 1912.

Political career

Black returned to politics in 1912 when he became Kentuckys first assistant attorney general. In 1915, he was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky Black was pro-temperance movement and was chosen to balance the ticket with Augustus O. Stanley who opposed Prohibition in the United States While Black defeated his opponent, Lewis L. Walker by more than 8,000 votes, Stanley bested Republican Edwin P. Morrow by only 421 votes, the closest gubernatorial election in the states history.Powell, p. 84Harrison in A New History of Kentucky pp. 285–286 File: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 Stanleys 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 Kentucky General Assembly during Blacks 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 Kentucky Senate but Black refused to do so. Some believed that Black had agreed to retain Stanleys appointees in exchange for Stanleys support of Blacks re-election campaign. The settlement of state inheritance tax s 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 Kentucky Attorney General to investigate, the case was not decided during Blacks 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 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 Blacks 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 Stanleys administration as corrupt. Morrow cited as evidence the tax cases of Mr. Harkness and Mrs. Bingham and Blacks inaction against the State Textbook Commission. Black tried to remain positive in his race, and focused on national issues rather than defending Stanleys administration. He touted his support of President of the United States Woodrow Wilson and declared his support for the United States admission into the League of Nations His support of Wilson hurt him with German American voters, and Wilsons handling of recent coal Strike action hurt Black with the traditionally Democratic Trade union 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 Blacks 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 parole 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 Kentucky's 9th congressional district campaign manager for Senator Alben Barkley in 1938, Black developed pneumonia and died on August 5, 1938. He is entombed in a mausoleum at Barbourville Cemetery.

See also

*History of Kentucky

Notes

References

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Further reading

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External links

* http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?pagegr&GRid7091067 Find-A-Grave profile for James D. Black] Category:1849 births Category:1938 deaths Category:American Methodists Category:American university and college presidents Category:Deaths from pneumonia Category:Governors of Kentucky Category:Infectious disease deaths in Kentucky Category:Kentucky Democrats Category:Kentucky lawyers Category:Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky Category:Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Category:People from Knox County, Kentucky Category:Tusculum College alumni de:James Black (Politiker) la:Iacobus Black (gubernator)

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