32 Facts About Ray Blanton

Leonard Ray Blanton was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979.

Ray Blanton served three terms in the US House of Representatives, from 1967 to 1973.

Ray Blanton was born near Adamsville, Tennessee, in the community of New Hope, the son of Leonard and Ova Ray Blanton.

Ray Blanton was raised in an impoverished sharecropping family with road-building interests.

Ray Blanton graduated from Shiloh High School in 1948, and obtained a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Tennessee in 1951.

In 1964, Ray Blanton was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing McNairy County.

Ray Blanton often sat in the back of the House chamber wearing sunglasses during House proceedings.

In 1966, Blanton ran for Congress, challenging 12-term incumbent and former Crump machine ally Tom J Murray in the Democratic primary for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, which was based in Jackson and included Adamsville.

Ray Blanton went on to win the general election, and was twice reelected.

Ray Blanton instead focused on his constituents, namely by trying to acquire funding for projects in Tennessee, including the state's first Head Start Program.

Ray Blanton spent a great deal of time at his district office responding to voter concerns, and frequently spoke to groups of students.

Ray Blanton criticized the anti-war movement, voted against extending the Voting Rights Act, and opposed lowering the voting age to 18.

Rather than run against Jones in 1972, Ray Blanton decided to run for the US Senate.

Ray Blanton easily won the Democratic primary, and faced the Republican incumbent, Howard Baker, in the general election.

Unlike Ray Blanton, Baker had supported the Voting Rights Act and the lowering of the voting age, helping him make inroads among two key constituencies, black voters and young voters.

In 1974, Ray Blanton won a twelve-person Democratic primary for governor.

On election day, Ray Blanton defeated Alexander, 576,833 votes to 455,467.

Ray Blanton overhauled the state's excise and franchise tax laws, and revised the state's Hall income tax to provide relief for the state's elderly residents.

Ray Blanton elevated the state's Office of Tourism to a cabinet-level department, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to do so, and upgraded the state's retirement system.

Ray Blanton's administration was noted for extensive recruiting of foreign industrial and trade opportunities.

Ray Blanton made several trips to Africa, the Middle East, Japan, and Europe, in an effort to form economic partnerships with foreign investors.

Ray Blanton was criticized for the costs of these trips, but was instrumental in bringing British, West German, and Japanese investment to the state.

Ray Blanton accepted a controversial $20,000 pay raise, and often took friends on trips at state expense.

Ray Blanton was criticized for setting up a large network of county patronage officials, stating they were his political advisers.

In 1977, Ray Blanton fired Marie Ragghianti, chairwoman of the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles, when she refused to release prisoners who, as was later determined, had bribed state officials in exchange for obtaining pardons.

On January 15,1979, near the end of his term, Ray Blanton issued pardons to 52 state prisoners, including 20 convicted murderers.

Ray Blanton spent the last decade of his life trying unsuccessfully to clear his name.

Ray Blanton then became privately employed at a Ford dealership in Henderson.

Ray Blanton died on November 22,1996, at the Jackson-Madison County Hospital in Jackson while awaiting a liver transplant.

Ray Blanton is buried in the churchyard of Shiloh Church, within Shiloh National Military Park.

Ray Blanton is descended from Lewis Wicker, the original owner of the famous cabin before its relocation to replace the George Manse cabin at Shiloh National Military Park.

Ray Blanton married Karen Flint in 1988, during his comeback bid for Congress.