EDWARD CRUMP

He was never the governor, but during his lifetime E.W. Crump was considered the most powerful man in Tennessee. A native of Holly Springs, Mississippi, Crump came to Memphis in 1892 and became a successful businessman. He held numerous political offices, including Commissioner of Fire and Police, Shelby County treasurer, Memphis mayor, and U. S. Congressman. But Crump was much more than the titles he held; during his lifetime he controlled Memphis politics and, at times, state politics. He was so adept and controlling Memphis, Shelby County, and the state of Tennessee, that he became known as "Boss." In the 1920s and 1930s it was practically impossible to get elected governor or U.S. Senator in Tennessee without Crump's blessing.

To this day, the name "Boss" Crump evokes very negative emotions with many Middle Tennesseans. But many West Tennesseans, especially African Americans, consider Crump a hero. "When I was a child, my parents told me that Boss Crump was the man who gave us the vote," one black newspaper editor in Memphis says today.