When Dem party bosses denied Estes Kefauver the Presidential nomination at the 1952 convention, he reacted with grace, His dad... did not. During a press conference in the wake of the nomination, 82-year-old Cooke Kefauver shouted that the Democrats could "take the nomination and to hell with it."

Ripped from the headlines! Oh, wait... it is the headlines! An ad for a theater showing Kefauver's Senate hearings on organized crime. I love the fact that the "companion feature" is.... an actual movie. But who cares about that when you can watch a Senate hearing?! #skystorians #history #polisky

This 1956 button is 100% accurate. Adlai and Estes were indeed best for you. Integrity, maturity, experience, stability… check, check, check, check! And “right” did indeed prevail… if by “right” you mean the right-of-center party. Ah, well. #skystorians #history #polisky

Another Herblock cartoon, this one from 1962. Sen. James Eastland of Mississippi was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he colluded with drug industry executives to try to gut Kefauver's pharmaceutical reform bill. #skystorians #history #polisky

This is a program from the Stevenson-Kefauver campaign dinner at the Statler Hotel in DC in October 1956. For a mere $100 a plate (a little under $1200 today), you’d not only get to see the “Seventeen Days to Victory” telecast I wrote about yesterday. #skystorians #history #polisky

A couple weeks before their landslide loss, the Stevenson-Kefauver campaign held a star-studded coast-to-coast gala event. Was it a waste of money… or a preview of future campaigns? The story of "Seventeen Days to Victory": #skystorians #history #polisky estes-kefauver.com/2025/10/06/s...

It's a subpoena you can't refuse! (No, literally, you can't). When Kefauver brought his organized crime hearings to Kansas City in November 1950, cartoonist Daniel Fitzpatrick of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch welcomed the committee to town with this masterpiece. #skystorians #history #polisky

Two heroes who stood up to Big Pharma! Kefauver talking to Dr. Frances Kelsey. Dr. Kelsey was a reviewer for the USDA who refused to authorize thalidomide in the US. #skystorians #history #polisky

This is a brochure from Kefauver's last campaign for the 1960. There's a lot to like in here. The picture on the cover is probably the oldest I've ever seen Kefauver look in one of his brochures. His drinking was starting to catch up with him here. #skystorians #history #polisky

Say hello to America's sweethearts! Estes and Nancy Kefauver wave as they prepare to board the campaign plane after a visit to Iowa in July 1952. Note the logo on the plane: a flying donkey with a coonskin cap. #skystorians #history #polisky

Help me, I'm drowning! In 1952, the Kefauver campaign rolled through the primaries like a mighty river, leaving Democratic leaders floundering in his wake. (Sadly, Kefauver ran into a great big dam at the convention.) #skystorians #history #polisky

After getting his Presidential hopes crushed at the 1952 convention, Kefauver tried for a Constitution amendment mandating national primaries. Was he the biggest obstacle to his amendment’s success? #skystorians #history #polisky #constitution estes-kefauver.com/2025/09/29/p...

Light 'em up, Keef! Kefauver sets off a special fireworks display to celebrate the centennial of Cedar Falls, Iowa. In case it's not clear, the display reads "WELCOME 1852 -1952." #skystorians #history #polisky #fireworks

Everyone remembers the integration of Little Rock Central, but outside of Tennessee, the integration of Clinton High the year before is mostly forgotten. Rest in peace, Mr. Cain. #skystorians #history #polisky www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...

This 1956 button isn’t too fancy, but it gets the point across. Sometimes, that’s all you need. Not in 1956, though. #skystorians #history #polisky

A well-deserved honor! JFK hands Kefauver the pen used to sign the 1962 Kefauver-Harris Amendment. The landmark bill required proof of the safety and efficacy of new drugs, disclosure of side effects in ads, and formalized rules for drug manufacturing practice. #skystorians #history #polisky

A nomination celebration! Kefauver and Adlai Stevenson congratulate NYC Mayor Robert Wagner Jr. after he receives the Dem nomination for Senate. Sadly, they went 0-for-3 in '56: Stevenson and Kefauver lost to Ike and Nixon, while Wagner lost to Jacob Javits. #polisky #skystorians #history

In honor of the fact that it's almost time for the baseball playoffs, here are two cartoons commenting on the 1952 New Hampshire primary. You'll notice that they have... very similar themes. #skystorians #history #polisky #baseball

Kefauver had a lot of challenges in his runs for President, but he had the most powerful political columnist in America on his side. How far did the columnist go to help Kefauver win, and why couldn’t he ultimately get it done? #skystorians #polisky #histoty estes-kefauver.com/2025/09/22/p...

Here’s a fun political artifact from 1956: an election record book. As the returns came in, you could jot them down in your book, giving you a picture of Election Night as it unfolded. #polisky #history #skystorians

Estes Kefauver: He's OK! In 1960, when Kefauver was running his final Senate re-election campaign, a Memphis Press-Scimitar reader submitted this proposed logo for his campaign. Kefauver did not adopt the logo. #skystorians #history #polisky

America's favorite coonskin couple! Nancy Kefauver places the chapeau atop her husband's head during his 1952 campaign for President. The Kefauvers campaigned together frequently in '52, and Nancy was arguably even more popular than her husband. #skystorians #history #polisky

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee... in Tennessee! This 1954 cartoon celebrates Kefauver's blowout victory in his Senate re-election primary against Rep. Pat Sutton. #skystorians #history #polisky

Hooray for Hollywood! Kefauver attends a gala dinner in LA while running for VP in October 1956. He's here with (from left) Henry Fonds, Lauren Bacall, and Myrna Loy. If you're wondering what's up with Fonda's face, he was growing out his beard for a role. #skystorians #history #polisky #ilmsky

At the height of his fame from the organized crime hearings, Kefauver gave a speech laying out a rigorous vision of active citizenship. Was America up to the challenge? Are we still? #skystorians #history #polisky estes-kefauver.com/2025/09/15/w...

A pair of photos featuring Kefauver and John F. Kennedy. First, Kefauver and fellow Tennessee Senator Albert Gore Sr. approach Kennedy at a Democratic banquet in February 1959 to thank him for his support of TVA. #skystorians #history #polisky

Here’s another Stevenson-Kefauver campaign button from 1956. In the collecting game, a button with pictures of two candidates is known as a “jugate.” #skystorians #history #polisky

This might look like just another brochure... but it's not! It's much stranger than that. As you can see, this is from Kefauver's 1952 Presidential campaign. The use of capitalization and underlining here is a bit idiosyncratic. #skystorians #history #polisky

The first televised Presidential debate... maybe? In May 1952, the League of Women Voters held a forum in Cincinnati for candidates from both parties, including Kefauver, Averell Harriman, Robert Kerr, Harold Stassen, and Earl Warren. It was nationally televised. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver is off and running! This cartoon, from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Daniel Fitzpatrick, depicts Kefauver's cross-country campaigning during the 1952 Democratic primary. #skystorians #polisky #history #fitzpatrick

Espionage trials, loyalty oaths, and textbook investigations were common during the early years of the Cold War. Supporters claimed they were needed to combat the Red menace… but what about our Constitutional rights? #polisky #history #skystorians #billofrights estes-kefauver.com/2025/09/08/r...

The way to a dad's heart is through his stomach! In 1951, Kefauver was named "Father of the Year" in honor of his work on the organized crime hearings. Here, he's receiving a "DAD" cake from a Girl Scout as part of the ceremony. #skystorians #history #polisky

It's been a long week.. you deserve a rest! Kefauver catches a few winks between campaign events while on the trail in 1956. His campaign days were long and grueling, so he'd sneak in a nap wherever he could: on the plane, on the bus, or just dozing off in his chair. #skystorians #history #polisky

This brochure, from Kefauver's final Senate campaign in 1960, is one of my favorite political brochures of all time. Kefauver loved campaigning on "the people vs. the powerful"-type messaging, but he was rarely this explicit about it. #skystorians #history #polisky

No lies detected here! This newspaper ad, from Kefauver's final Senate campaign in 1960, is simple but effective. (Voters agreed, as Kefauver cruised to victory over Tip Taylor in the primary.) #skystorians #history #polisky

Wise words when Kefauver originally uttered them. If anything, they've only become more relevant with time. #skystgorians #history #polisky #quote

Despite what you may have seen in the movies, teenagers in the Fifties cared about more than hot rods and school dances. In 1956, teens started to find their political voice… and campaigns started enlisting their help. #skystorians #history #polisky #teenagers estes-kefauver.com/2025/09/01/s...

Happy Labor Day, everybody! Rare for a Southern Senator, Kefauver was a friend to organized labor and working people. For that story, read here: #skystorians #history #polisky #laborday estes-kefauver.com/2024/01/17/l...

Come on and join the cool kids club! When Kefauver ran for President in 1952, his supporters set up "Kefauver for President Club" chapters around the country. Those who signed up received this certificate to prove their membership. #skystorians #history #polisky #jointheclub

This is a wonderful piece of Kefauver memorabilia: a miniature cast-iron skillet! (In case you can’t read the words inside, it says “Best Wishes from the Kefauvers.”) #skystorians #history #polisky #castiron

Kefauver: the working man's candidate! Kefauver (over on the far right) speaks to a group of Steelworkers for Kefauver ahead of the Pennsylvania primary in 1952. #skystorians #history #polisky

Happy birthday, LBJ! The former Senate Majority Leader and 36th President was born on this date in 1908. He's shown here with Tennessee Senators Albert Gore, Sr. and Estes Kefauver. Johnson and Kefauver had a legendarily difficult relationship. #skystorians #history #polisky

I think this one's just my size! This Herblock cartoon from the spring of 1952 suggests that he, too, was catching Kefauver fever. Sadly, the Democratic party leaders proved immune. #skystorians #history #polisky #herblock

Here's the final installment of my 3-part series on the Korean War hearings! The hearings into the Korean ammo shortage were a mass of conflicting testimony. The majority tried to pretend otherwise. But Kefauver wouldn’t let them. #skystorians #history #polisky estes-kefauver.com/2025/08/25/k...

Three men fighting for the common man! This is a rare button from the '56 campaign. I believe "George" is Rep. George Rhodes, who represented a district in east-central PA. Unlike the Stevenson-Kefauver ticket, Rhodes won his election, and served until 1969. #skystorians #history #polisky

Fire schmire, we're watching Kefauver! A group of New York City firemen gather around the firehouse TV to watch the Kefauver Committee's organized crime hearings in March 1951. #skystorians #history #polisky #newyork

In late 1955, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley held a Democratic rally to drum up excitement for the 1956 election. He's here with (from left) Averell Harriman, Adlai Stevenson, and Kefauver, the three likeliest Presidential candidates at the time. #skystorians #history #polisky

Hey, who let that clown in here? (No, I'm not talking about Kefauver.) There's a lot going on in this picture (which is from one of Kefauver's campaign visits to California in 1956). Let me just say that I'm never seen a clown wearing a fur coat before. #skystorians #history #polisky #clown

When the GOP Congress began investigating the alleged Korea ammo shortage, the story was more complicated than they hoped. But their toughest adversary may have been their own President. Part 2 of my three-part series: #sktstorians #history #polisky #koreanwar estes-kefauver.com/2025/08/18/k...

Coochie coochie coo! Fresh off being nominated as Adlai Stevenson's running mate in 1956, Kefauver pays a visit to his home state in Knoxville. Here, he's admiring newborn Rosa Wilson while paying a visit to her parents, who were active Democratic volunteers. #skystorians #history #polisky