Interview with George Morgan Chinn, February 12, 1980

Partial Transcript: This is Professor Charles P. Roland from the University of Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn tells of Chandler's three distinct abilities: his terrific singing voice, his athletic ability, and his natural genius on the political scene.

Keywords: Admiration; Athletics; Baseball; Bing Crosby; Broken jaw; Centre College; Charisma; Charlie Moran; Commissioners of baseball; Connections; Danville (Ky.); Enemies; Entertaining; Football; Gambling; Infections; Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Lieutenant governors; Major League Baseball (MLB); Poker; Political refugees; Politics; Quarterbacks; Signing; Singling out; Student Army Training Corps; Supporters; Terrific voices; Tooth-loss; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; Umpires

Subjects: Athletics.; Baseball.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Politics & society.; Singing.

Partial Transcript: But he, uh, he would win over his enemies by, uh, talking them up that way.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn discusses how Chandler was the most unforgiving person he'd ever met, yet his ability to win over the opposition remained incredible.

Keywords: Disloyal; Loyalty; Opposition; Overlooking; Supporters; Unforgiving; Winning over

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Politics & society.

Partial Transcript: What, uh--he, he's, I would say, almost a, a folk character because of his color, and, uh, the color of his personality.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn discusses Chandler's sincerity and the policies that reflect that quality.

Keywords: Debts; Excise tax; Folk characters; Governments; Income tax; Kentucky government; Kentucky governors; Kentucky politics; Politics; Sales tax; Sincerity; Surpluses; Taxes

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Government agencies; Sales tax

Partial Transcript: Colonel, uh, I want to, uh--I'm just thinking of things as they come to me. I want to go back to the football just a minute now.

Segment Synopsis: Recounting a football game played between Centre College and Harvard University, Chinn tells of Chandler's support for their team.

Keywords: 1921; Bob Neyland; Centre College; Chaos; Charley Moran; Dressing rooms; Footballs; Harvard University; Law schools; McMillan; Red sweaters; Robert Neyland; Scouts; Singing; Talking; Tennessee; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; University of Tennessee

Subjects: Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- ); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Football.

Partial Transcript: Now there was another man, John Y. Brown--

Segment Synopsis: John Y. Brown also attended the Centre vs. Harvard football game and later became one of Chandler's chief political rivals. Chinn recounts Chandler's race against John Y. Brown, Jr. and the hostility between the two.

Keywords: Age; Debts; Disapproval; Elder statesman; Elections; Images; Irony; John Y. Brown; John Y. Brown, Jr.; Kentucky politics; Political enemies; Positions; Power; Predictions; War horses

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Governors--Election; Politics & society

Partial Transcript: Uh, I know this is a big question I'm about to ask you, uh, and I don't expect you to remember all the details, but what do you consider to be the greatest things that Happy has done for the state and the people of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Chinn speaks of Chandler's finesse and how it played into his political success.

Keywords: Bob Humpheys; Colorful personalities; Colorful politicians; Fancy Farm; Finesse; Huey Long; Kentucky; Kentucky politics; Louisiana; Robert Humphreys; Socializers; Unbelievable; Western Kentucky

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky--Politics and government--1865-1950; Personality.

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, how did Happy treat, uh--what if you were an employee in the state government, and you didn't support Happy? What happened to you?

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks about how it was standard for political opposition to be treated worse than supporters, and how supporters were generous toward the party they supported.

Keywords: Atmospheres; Attacking from within; Changes; Donations; Enemies; Expectations; Failures; Government employees; Louisville (Ky.); Loyalty; Merit systems; Methods; Non-supporters; Opposition; Payrolls; Perceptions; Political bosses; Politicians; Social Security; The Great Depression

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky--Administrative and political divisions; Leadership--Political aspects; Loyalty.; Political ethics

Partial Transcript: You've talked about Happy's great, uh, personality. Uh, it seems to me that, and you-you've quoted the statement--the saying that, uh--about, uh, about being a friend.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks about Chandler's affinity for personal loyalty and his reaction when he suspected something otherwise.

Keywords: Attitudes; Dangerous; Disagreements; Misunderstandings; Personal loyalty; Sensitivities; Sensitivity; Slight differences; Uncomfortable

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Governors--Kentucky; Loyalty.

Partial Transcript: Uh, I've noticed, uh, Colonel, that there were many instances of people who had been very close friends and strong supporters of Happy who eventually broke with him. Has that occurred to you that there were a lot of instances of that?

Segment Synopsis: Chinn reluctantly talks of previous supporters of Chandler's who have since broken with him and aligned themselves otherwise. He also speaks of how Chandler treats people and the criticisms Chandler received.

Keywords: Advancements; Attitudes; Ben Chandler; Ben Johnson; Bitter enemies; Bob Humphreys; Continuous loyalty; Criticisms; Dan Chandler; Dan Talbott; Dix Dam; Dr. James W. Martin; Editorials; Enemies; Forecastings; Friends; Funerals; Governors; Instabilities; Instability; Justifications; Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Lexington Herald; Loyalties; Marine Corps; Politics; Rewards; Roads; Second administrations; Sensitivities; Sensitivity; Supporters; Traffics; Versailles (Ky.); Watterson Expressway; Withholding

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Elections; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: What about girls, Colonel?

Segment Synopsis: Chinn says that any rumors of Chandler cheating on his wife were untrue. He also says that he is not aware of Mrs. Chandler having issues with alcohol. He discusses whether Chandler accepted favors from contractors, and discusses two scandals that plagued Chandler's political career: the swimming pool scandal and the liquor company scandal.

Keywords: 1955; Alcohol; Appearance; Balance; Cabins; Checks; Contractors; Delegating; Donations; Effects; Girls; Hearsay; Howard Chandler Christy; Kentucky; Larceny; Mildred Chandler; Owen Campbell; Political favors; Political spouses; Political wives; Popularity; Roads; Rumors; Scandals; Second administration; State employees; Stealing; Supporters; Swimming pools; Versailles (Ky.); Wholesale liquor companies; Wife; Wives; Women

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Elections; Elections--Corrupt practices; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Political corruption--Kentucky; Political ethics; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: Well, what, uh--have you ever--what, what has been your personal, uh, relationship with Chandler?

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks about his relationship with Chandler and how he was appointed as the Sergeant of Arms and bodyguard for Chandler after returning from the Marine Corps. He talks about the dangers of being a guard.

Keywords: Armed guards; Bodyguards; Centre College; Charlie Moran; Connections; Contacts; Dangerous; Football players; Guns; Jack Dempsey; Legislature; Marine Corps; Personal relationships; Pistols; Sales tax; Second administration; Sergeant of Arms; Shootings; State police

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: Always get back to the, to the color--colorfulness of Happy Chandler.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn discusses Happy Chandler's colorful personality. He tells a story of Chandler refereeing a wrestling match during his time as county attorney. He talks about Chandler's feelings about his nickname "Happy." He talks about Chandler's ability to win over crowds of people.

Keywords: Attitudes; Carnivals; Charlie Moran; Colorful personality; County attorney; Courthouses; Crowds; Demeanor; Exposure; Football; Great Depression; Happy; Harry Lee Waterfield; Money; Nicknames; Personalities; Referees; Sincere; Singing; Smiling; Speaking; Speeches; Training; Voices; Well-known; Woodford County (Ky.); Wrestling

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: Uh, you know Mrs. Marie Turner, I'm sure.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks more about how it was standard for political opposition to be treated worse than supporters. He talks more about Chandler's personality. He says that during his 1938 campaign, Chandler was surrounded by yes-men. He discusses the common practice in Kentucky politics of an incumbent governor giving jobs to people in order to secure their vote in the upcoming election. He discusses Charlie Fennel as "the greatest political mind that was ever in Kentucky."

Keywords: "Yes men"; 1938 campaign; Acceptance speeches; Accepted; Advice; Advisors; Alben Barkley; Ali Young; Ben Johnson; Charlie Fennel; Colorful personality; Counties; Dan Talbot; Enemies; Favors; Highway commissioners; Incumbent politicians; Jobs; Joe Leary; Kentuckians; Marie Turner; Media; Punishment; Remembering names; Road beautification; Road workers; Supporters; Unforgiving; Votes; Weakness; Weed cutters; Yes-men; Yes-people

Subjects: Barkley, Alben William, 1877-1956; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Elections; Elections--Corrupt practices; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Political corruption--Kentucky; Political ethics; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: The, the chain ballot was the, was the one thing that, uh, was the most vicious thing in Kentucky politics and it was done as election reform.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn describes how a chain ballot scandal works. He talks about how politician Ed Prichard's career was ruined over this type of scandal.

Keywords: Ballot box stuffing; Bribery; Chain ballots; Chain voting; Edward F. Prichard, Jr.; Election reform; Felix Frankfurter; Indictment; Injustice; Loopholes; Political careers; Votes; Voting

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Elections; Elections--Corrupt practices; Frankfurter, Felix, 1882-1965.; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Political corruption--Kentucky; Political ethics; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Prichard, E. F., (Edward Fretwell).; Relationships.; State governments

Partial Transcript: Uh, Chandler left politics or at least left public office.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks about Chandler's career as commissioner of baseball and his desegregation of Major League Baseball. He talks about Chandler's investigation of certain people in the league, which he says led to Chandler's dismissal as commissioner.

Keywords: Betrayed; Commissioner of baseball; Controversial; Desegregation; Investigations; Public office; Walter Mulberry; Walter Mulbry

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Major League Baseball (Organization); Politicians--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: But he came back to Kentucky and re-entered politics.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn talks about Chandler's long break from politics and discusses whether his leaving made his political career better when he eventually returned. He talks about other politicians who have also taken breaks from politics.

Keywords: 1960s; 1963; Bert Combs; Breaks; Campaign issues; Changes; Generations; Lapses; Louie Nunn; Ned Breathitt; Perpetuation; Political issues; Political ties; Popularity; Re-elected; Sales tax; Time

Subjects: Breathitt, Edward T., 1924-; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Combs, Bert T., 1911-1991; Elections; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Nunn, Louie B., 1924-2004; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; State governments

Partial Transcript: Well, let me try one other thing out on you.

Segment Synopsis: Chinn discusses Chandler's ability as a speaker in person, on radio, and on television. He says the television wasn't Chandler's downfall, it was that he was getting older and losing his "spark." He talks about Chandler's mistake of "bolting the party" (switching political parties by supporting Republican Louie Nunn in 1967).

Keywords: "Bolt the party"; Age; Crowds; Effectiveness; Face to face; Idolizing; In person; Louie Nunn; Political careers; Political parties; Radio; Support; Television

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991.; Elections; Governors--Election; Governors--Kentucky; Kentucky; Loyalty.; Nunn, Louie B., 1924-2004; Political campaigns--Kentucky; Politicians--Kentucky; Politics and government; Relationships.; State governments