The Also-Rans
Mark A. Lempke explores what losing presidential candidates can tell us about United States history. There's a lot more than elections here; we'll explore U.S. culture, religion, politics, and society along the way. Intended for politics nerds, history buffs, and all those who have suffered some kind of humiliating defeat.
The Also-Rans
Episode 9: Jim Crow's Gentleman Lawyer (w/ Leland Ware)
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Mark A. Lempke
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Season 1
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Episode 9
In 1924, a divided Democratic Party met in Madison Square Garden to pick their presidential nominee. It took 103 ballots to arrive at John W. Davis, a talented but obscure Wall Street lawyer who had served in the Wilson administration. With the Roaring Twenties roaring, he didn't have a prayer of upsetting Calvin Coolidge. Thirty years later, he returns to the public eye to work on the legal cases that became Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. On the side favoring segregating public schools. To help us understand this dynamic, we are honored to have Prof. Leland Ware of the University of Delaware with us.