Interview with J. Lindsay Almond, Jr., June 1, 1977

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with--(interference)--Lindsay Almond--(interference)--governor of Virginia. The interview was conducted by Bill Cooper for the Earle C. Clements Oral History Project at Mr. Almond's home...

Segment Synopsis: Almond talks about his early acquaintance with Earle Clements on the Post Office and Civil Service Committee in the House of Representatives. He says he knew Clements well enough to vote as his proxy while Clements was absent from Congress while running for governor in 1947. He talks about Clements' political skills and moderate views. He talks about the 80th Congress which President Truman characterized as the "Do Nothing Congress."

Keywords: Committees; Congress; Conservatives; Fair Deal; Governors; Harry S Truman; House of Representatives; Jack May; Liberals; Military Affairs Committee; Moderates; Post Office and Civil Service Committee; Proxy voting; Public speaking; Robert Taft

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985; United States. Congress--Committees; United States. Congress--History--20th century; United States. Congress. House

Partial Transcript: Would you say that you and Clements were in agreement on most measures that came before the House? Uh, were you in agreement most of the time, uh, half of the time, uh, what would you say?

Segment Synopsis: Almond discusses the introduction of the Case Labor Bill and how it transitioned into the Taft Hartley Act. He talks about Clements' opposition to those bills and his support for labor. He says Clements was relatively more liberal that he was.

Keywords: C&O Railway; Case Labor Bill; Clifford Case; Conservatives; Fred Hartley; Harry S Truman; House of Representatives; Labor unions; Liberals; Norfolk and Western Railway; Robert Taft; Southern Railway; Taft Hartley Act; Vetoes

Subjects: Legislative politics & policy making; United States. Congress. House

Partial Transcript: Now you mention that you served on the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee with Clements. Uh, when Clements did attend committee meetings was he effective in committee meetings?

Segment Synopsis: Almond states that Clements was more effective working on the House floor rather than in committee, and does not recall any legislation he sponsored. He talks about Clements' absence from Washington while campaigning for governor. He says he does not know about the personal or political relationship between Clements and Thruston Morton, who defeated Clements in his 1956 campaign for Senate re-election. He talks about Clements' sociable style of working with political relationships.

Keywords: Beverly Vincent; Committees; Congress; Governors; House of Representatives; Labor; Political campaigns; Thruston Morton

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985; United States. Congress

Partial Transcript: Do you know what his, his general attitude toward foreign affairs in the post-World War II era was? Was he, uh, a supporter of things like the Marshall Plan for instance, uh, aid to Greece and Turkey?

Segment Synopsis: Almond recalls that Clements supported foreign aid programs after World War II, but does not recall any specific speech he might have made on the subject.

Keywords: European Recovery Plan; Foreign aid; Foreign policy; Greece; House of Representatives; Liberals; Marshall Plan; Sam Rayburn; Speakers of the House; Turkey

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985; Foreign relations; United States. Congress. House

Partial Transcript: Now after he was elected governor of Kentucky in 1948, or he was elected in '47, uh, but in 1948 he pushed for an amendment to what was called the Day Law in Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Almond states he never talked with Clements about his personal views on race relations. He talks about the external pressures on political figures to serve in positions that benefit their respective party. He says that he does not know about Clements' role at the 1952 Democratic Convention because he was not there.

Keywords: African-Americans; Alben Barkley; Day Law; Governors; Harry F. Byrd; Pressure; Race relations; Sam Rayburn; State government; William M. Tuck

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985; Legislative politics & policy making; Politicians--United States; Segregation in education

Partial Transcript: Now in 1959 Clements began actively boosting Lyndon Johnson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960.

Segment Synopsis: Almond does not recall details about Clements' support for Lyndon Johnson as candidate for Democratic nominee for president. He says he does not remember details of Clements' problems with the IRS in 1959. He talks about Johnson's inclusion on the Democratic ticket at the Los Angeles convention. He talks about Kennedy's challenges in the presidential race, including his religion.

[Segment ends at 31:02. Silence from 31:02-31:18.]

Keywords: Democratic Convention; Harry F. Byrd; Internal Revenue Service (IRS); John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson; Political campaigns; Religion

Subjects: Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973

Partial Transcript: --went back to Kentucky in 1959 and 1960 and served as Highway Commissioner in the administration of Governor Bert Combs.

Segment Synopsis: Almond says that he did not know Clements well enough to comment on an editorial that described him as cold and calculating. He talks about defending Clements' absence from attending meetings of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee while he was campaigning for governor.

Keywords: Bert Combs; Ed Rees; Governors; Highway commissioners; Lyndon Johnson

Subjects: Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985