The University of Tennessee Press announces the publication of ‘Senator Kenneth McKellar: Feudin’ Son of Tennessee’ by Ray Hill

The University of Tennessee Press is thrilled to announce the publication of “Senator Kenneth McKellar: Feudin’ Son of Tennessee” by Ray Hill, is now available in paperback and ebook formats.

Kenneth McKellar was a Democratic politician from Memphis, Tennessee who represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. Though not a Tennessean by birth, this Alabama-born and -educated lawyer remains Tennessee’s longest-serving congressman at 42 years of service, one of a short list of congresspeople in American history who has served as long.

“Senator Kenneth McKellar: Feudin’ Son of Tennessee” by Ray Hill is the first full-length biography on McKellar to date. In it, Hill chronicles McKellar’s life and legacy in Tennessee and beyond, touching on his relationships to both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson as well as his unwavering support for the Tennessee Valley Authority when it was first introduced in 1933.

This meticulously researched title closes a gap in the scholarship written on one of Tennessee’s most prominent political figures in its history, tracing his career through historic milestones while painting a colorful, nuanced portrait of the senator’s character and convictions. Hill, who is well known for his long-running history column in The Knoxville Focus Newspaper, has been involved in state politics as a deputy clerk for over 22 years.

Hill pored over scores of newspaper articles both on McKellar’s political career and politics in Tennessee, making this book an exceptional choice for both students of political science or those who wish to learn more about Tennessee’s place in U.S. politics in the early twentieth century.

“Senator Kenneth McKellar: Feudin’ Son of Tennessee” is available for purchase at utpress.org and wherever books are sold.