15 Facts About Carl Elliott

Carl Atwood Elliott was a US representative from the US state of Alabama.

Carl Elliott was elected to eight consecutive terms, having served from 1949 to 1965.

Carl Elliott graduated at the age of sixteen from Vina High School in Vina in Franklin County.

In 1936, Carl Elliott completed his term as SGA president and graduated with his law degree.

Carl Elliott then began his law practice in Russellville near his hometown but soon moved to the community that he would call home for the remainder of his life: Jasper in Walker County, Alabama.

Carl Elliott served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944.

Carl Elliott was twice elected a local judge in Jasper before he ran for Congress in 1948.

Carl Elliott served on the House Veterans Committee, the Education and Labor Committee, and the Rules Committee.

In 1956, Carl Elliott authored the Library Services Act, which brought mobile libraries and continuing library service to millions of rural Americans.

Carl Elliott's defeat was attributed to his policy conflicts with then Governor George C Wallace.

Some Carl Elliott backers threatened to withhold votes from Hawkins or even to vote for Martin on the theory that Carl Elliott might be able to reclaim the House seat in 1966 if he were pitted against a Republican in the historically Democratic district.

In 1966, Carl Elliott did not run for Congress against Martin; nor did Martin seek reelection to the US House.

Carl Elliott resumed practicing law, writing books about local history, producing columns and book reviews for area newspapers, and publishing books by local authors.

Carl Elliott's books include five volumes of Annals of Northwest Alabama, a history of Red Bay, Alabama, and seven volumes on the history of area coal miners.

In 1990, Elliott received new recognition of his achievements when he became the first recipient of the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award; the second in 1991 was US Representative Charles Weltner, another civil rights advocate from Georgia.