by Ray Hill | Apr 2, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Reed Smoot is a name long since forgotten by most, save for those few who remember the Smoot – Hawley tariff legislation. Yet, Reed Smoot was the first Mormon ever to be elected to the United States Senate, setting off a firestorm that consumed much of...
by Ray Hill | Mar 26, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Most Knoxvillians have heard of the Webb School, but few remember William Robert Webb, the founder and headmaster of the first Webb School. R. Webb was a formidable character by any standard; he was a professional educator throughout his life, as well as a...
by Ray Hill | Mar 18, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Perhaps the best lesson for aspiring politicians is that fame and success are fleeting; despite whatever heights one might attain, once out of office, one usually receives little attention and it is not long before one is forgotten. How many Tennesseans...
by Ray Hill | Mar 11, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill While now an apparently Republican “red” state, Texas was once solidly Democratic. Like Tennessee, Texas has produced some interesting political personalities; Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, Senator Tom Connally, Governor John Connally (no relation to...
by Ray Hill | Mar 4, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill New Mexico entered the union on January 6, 1912 and it became fertile ground for rough and tumble politics that swung from the outrageous to the brutal. Elections routinely were influenced by money and there were frequent charges of voter fraud. One...
by Ray Hill | Feb 25, 2018 | Columnist, Hill, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Every state in the nation has seen the rise of a particular politician who comes from nowhere to capture the imagination and votes of citizens; some are demagogues, others are reformers and many are just plain showmen. Wilbert Lee O’Daniel of Texas...
