24 Facts About Cliff Finch

Charles Clifton Finch was an American politician who served as the 57th governor of Mississippi from 1976 to 1980.

Cliff Finch was born on April 4,1927 in the village of Pope in Panola County, Mississippi.

Cliff Finch was the eldest of five children of Christine and Carl Finch.

Cliff Finch was educated in Panola County schools and at the age of 18 he enlisted in the US Army.

Cliff Finch purchased a truck and hauled logs until an economic downturn occurred.

Cliff Finch then got a job operating heavy machinery for a construction company in Guam, while working part-time as a barber.

Cliff Finch passed General Educational Development tests and then enrolled at the University of Mississippi at Oxford in 1953.

Cliff Finch married Zelma Smith, a schoolteacher, on December 14,1953.

Cliff Finch opened a law practice in Batesville after earning his law degree.

Cliff Finch specialized in damage suits, and in time became very financially successful.

Cliff Finch cast himself as "the workingman's candidate"; to do this, he used a lunch pail bearing his name as his campaign symbol and spent one day a week performing a blue collar job, including installing a car engine, pumping fuel, pricing groceries, and driving a bulldozer.

Cliff Finch shied away from journalists, not holding press conferences and avoiding television interviews.

Cliff Finch repeated his blue collar message in anticipation of the runoff, though Winter attacked him for lacking a substantive program.

In office, Cliff Finch held monthly "work days", whereby he would perform menial jobs to keep in contact with constituents.

Cliff Finch appointed the first black woman to the State College Board, selected a black man to lead the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, and expanded the Minority Affairs Council to include Chinese people, Choctaw Native Americans, and more African Americans.

Cliff Finch was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, though some of his aides and appointees were indicted.

Cliff Finch eventually moved out, and Finch told the press that she was mentally ill.

Many of Cliff Finch's proposals, including a repeal of the state sales tax on food and drugs, were rebuffed by the legislature.

Cliff Finch pushed for an amendment to the state constitution to allow for gubernatorial succession, provoking the ire of leading businessmen and legislators.

Cliff Finch convinced the Senate to approve such an amendment but the measure was defeated in the House of Representatives.

Cliff Finch signed the act which abolished the State Sovereignty Commission.

At the time Cliff Finch took office, the Mississippi Democratic Party was split into two factions: the Regulars and the Loyalists.

Cliff Finch died on April 22,1986, at his law office in Batesville, Mississippi after a massive heart attack.

Cliff Finch was buried at the Magnolia Cemetery in Batesville.