DEMOCRATS' KEYNOTER

Chosen to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 13: Tennessee's Governor Frank Goad Clement.

Early Life & Education: Born June 2, 1920, Dickson, Tenn., son of a druggist-turned-lawyer. Voluntarily tromped off at the age of eight to join the Methodist Church, preached his first sermon at 15. Specially tutored in public speaking by his aunt, Mrs. Dockie Shipp Weems, director of Shipp School of Expression. Married Lucille Christianson at 19, passed state bar examinations (with highest grade out of 276) a year before graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1942.

Career & Record: The FBI waived its minimum age requirement (23) to make him an agent at 22, a year later he resigned to join the Army as a private, drew only stateside training duty, was discharged a first lieutenant in 1946. Appointed chief counsel, Tennessee Railroad and Public Utilities Commission at 26, successfully fought attempts to raise cost of phone service in Tennessee and later in Georgia. Recalled to the Army in 1950, went off promising that he would run for governor in 1952. He did, became the youngest governor in the U.S. by defeating Gordon W. Browning by 57,000 votes. (His favorite campaign pitch: "I can outgrow my youth, but my opponents can't outgrow their faults.") Re-elected for a four-year term in 1954 (defeating Browning again in 94 of 95 counties), despite campaign charges--never disproved--that his father was involved in shadowy influence-peddling and kickbacks. Works hard to impress Tennesseans with the fact that his administration is based on clean living, honesty, dawn-to-dusk hard work, Christian fellowship, prayer. Principal accomplishments: mental health program, higher teachers' salaries.

Credentials: Big (6 ft., 195 Ibs.), warm and friendly ("Just call me Frank"), a corn-shucking orator whose words cascade like bursts of fireworks, he adds a rich helping of religion to every speech ("If a man's religion and politics don't mix, there is something wrong with his politics"). Close friend of Evangelist Billy Graham, likes to preach sermons in churches as well as halls. For the Eisenhower Administration his lines are something less than religious. e.g., the Administration is "a fantastic political Disneyland . . . half-informed, with a half-thought-out program, half-carried-out, half in the hands of a halftime, half-hearted President." He would be pleased if keynoting should put him in the limelight as a vice-presidential possibility. Unquestionable aid in any projected campaign: his pretty blonde wife ("I want you to know 'Cile; once you know her, you'll like me"), three good-looking children--Robert. 12; Frank Jr., 6; James. 3.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.