Buford Ellington

Ellington was born in Holmes County, Mississippi, the son of Abner and Cora (Grantham) Ellington. He studied religion at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, but had to drop out due to financial difficulties. Having joined the Democratic Party, in 1944, Ellington worked in the campaign of successful gubernatorial candidate, Jim Nance McCord. Two years later, he was the Marshall County manager for the campaign of US Congressman Joe L. Evins. In 1948, Ellington ran and was elected to Marshall County's seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. In 1952, Ellington managed the successful campaign of Frank Clement, who defeated incumbent Gordon Browning in the Democratic primary for governor, and went on to win the general election. Clement's campaign had the support of Memphis political boss E. H. Crump, who was seeking to regain the influence he had lost after Browning defeated his candidate, McCord, four years earlier. Clement appointed Ellington as Commissioner of Agriculture, where he served until the late 1950s under more than one administration. ==Governor of Tennessee==

at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1958 In 1953, the Tennessee State Constitution was amended, extending the gubernatorial term from two years to four years. The new amendments prevented governors from serving consecutive terms, but a temporary exception was made for Clement. He was elected to a full four-year term in 1954 after his initial two-year term. In 1958, with Clement term-limited, Ellington sought the Democratic Party's nomination for governor. His opponents were Memphis mayor Edmund Orgill, Nashville attorney Clifford Allen, and Judge Andrew "Tip" Taylor. Since Crump's death in 1954, the Clement-Ellington alliance had become the state's leading political organization. Ellington won the nomination with 213,415 votes to 204,629 for Taylor, 204,382 for Orgill, and 56,854 for Allen. In response, dozens of protesters picketed the state capitol and demanded a meeting with Ellington, but he refused. At the 1960 Democratic National Convention, a rift had begun to form in the relationship between Clement and Ellington. The former endorsed John F. Kennedy for president, and the latter endorsed Lyndon B. Johnson. In September, Ellington helped organize federal relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Betsy. Ellington again sought the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 1966. His opponent, John Jay Hooker, was a friend of former Governor Browning, and had been endorsed by the Nashville Tennessean. Ellington was endorsed by President Johnson, Clement, and the Nashville Banner. He defeated Hooker for the nomination, 413,950 votes to 360,105. The divide between Clement and Ellington continued to grow, as Ellington refused to endorse Clement in his US Senate primary campaign against Ross Bass. Governor Clement attempted to spend the state's budget surplus to ensure the Ellington administration did not inherit it. Ellington won the general gubernatorial election in 1966. By this time, he had shifted his position on segregation, and openly supported an end to the long-standing practice. In 1967, he appointed African American Hosea T. Lockard to his cabinet as administrative assistant; he was the first black cabinet member in state history. On April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis led Ellington to immediately mobilize the National Guard, to prevent rioting in the city. In September 1967, Ellington signed a bill repealing the Butler Act, the 1925 law that had outlawed the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in state schools. ==Later life==

Ellington did not seek another office after his second term as governor ended. In the 1970 gubernatorial campaign, he refused to endorse the Democratic nominee, John Jay Hooker, and quietly supported the Republican nominee (and eventual winner), Winfield Dunn. and President Richard Nixon issued a statement of condolence. ==Family and legacy==

Ellington married Catherine Ann Cheek in 1929. and Ann, who became an artist. Ellington began a friendship with Elvis Presley, who was honored by the Tennessee General Assembly with the title of "Honorary Colonel" on March 8, 1961. During his meeting with the Governor, Elvis met Ellington's teenage daughter Ann Ellington (now Ann Ellington Wagner). The two developed a friendship and Elvis would frequently visit with Ann while in Nashville to record. While the exact beginnings of Elvis' friendship with Governor Ellington and his daughter are difficult to determine, Ann has stated that she believes Elvis and her father first connected through Elvis' charitable work. Elvis was recognized by the city of Memphis in February 1961 for his work supporting local charities, and according to Ellington Wagner, he would write a check to Governor Ellington every Christmas for donations to orphanages and to provide gifts to children. Ann has speculated that Elvis and her father's friendship continued to grow due to their shared Mississippi heritage and similar upbringings. • A golf course at Henry Horton State Park and buildings on the campuses of Tennessee Technological University, the University of Memphis, and the University of Tennessee at Martin were also named in his honor. • The Financial Aid and Registrar building on the campus of Austin Peay State University is named in Ellington's honor. ==See also==