Claude Pepper Study Guide

Introduction

Who was Claude Pepper?

Claude Pepper was a politician and a statesman who believed that the government had a responsibility to help those in need. Pepper served in the United States Senate from 1937 to 1951 and was a member of the House of Representatives from 1963 to 1989. Among his many accomplishments, he drafted the first bill to establish a minimum wage and maximum hours, introduced the first equal pay for equal work to women legislation, introduced legislation providing military aid known as Lend-Lease to Great Britain in World War II, held the first hearings on drugs in the schools, helped create the Juvenile Justice Agency, sponsored the Older Americans Act, ended mandatory retirement, and championed legislation to create the National Institutes of Health.

What did he stand for

A lifelong liberal, Pepper devoted his life to the belief that government must assure its citizens opportunity, health care and personal security. He championed the needs of the elderly, the poor, the disenfranchised and the sick.

Biography

Pepper was born to a poor, farming family in rural Alabama in 1900. At 17 he began teaching and was accepted into the University of Alabama. World War I was just ending and Pepper enrolled in the Student Army Training Corps. A disability he incurred during this army stint qualified Pepper for government sponsored education. He chose Harvard Law School. After graduating from Harvard in 1924, Pepper became a teacher in the Law School at the University of Arkansas. A year later he moved to Florida where he joined a law firm and, in 1928, began a political career as Taylor Countys representative to the Florida House. Two unsuccessful campaigns followed, but Pepper campaigned for and won a Senate seat in 1936. That same year he married Mildred Webster. During his 42 year political career Pepper won 3 Senate elections and 14 elections to the House of Representatives.

Significant Dates

1900
Born on September 8th on a farm near Dudleyville, Alabama
1921
Graduates from the University of Alabama at Tuscualoosa
1924
Graduates from Harvard Law School, moves to Arkansas to teach law at the University of Arkansas
1925
Moves to Perry, Florida to open a law practice
1928
Elected to the Florida House of Representatives representing Taylor County
1930
Moves to Tallahassee, Florida to join a law practice
1934
Loses first race for a U.S. Senate seat against Park Trammell
1936
Wins mid–term election to the U.S. Senate
1930
Marries Mildred Irene Webster on December 29th
1937
Introduced bill to establish the first of the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Institute
1938
Wins reelection to the U.S. Senate. Serves on Subcommittees for Wartime Health and Education and Foreign Relations
1940
Drafts the first "lend–lease" legislation to lend war planes to Great Britain; enacted in 1941
1944
Wins reelection to the U.S. Senate
1950
Campaigns for third reelection to the U.S. Senate; defeated in the Democratic Primary by George Smathers
1951
Opens law practice in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Tallahassee, Florida
1958
Campaigns for U.S. Senate race; defeated by Spessard Holland
1962
Wins election to the House of Representatives. Re–elected every two years until his death
1964
Appointed to the Committee on Rules
1969
Elected Chairman of the Select Committee on Crime
1975
Elected Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Long–Term Care
1977
Elected Chairman of the Select Committee on Aging
1979
Mildred Pepper dies on March 31
1983
Becomes Chairman of the Committee on Rules
1989
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush
1989
Claude Pepper dies in Washington D.C., on May 30

Social and Political Legacy

Senator Pepper was truly a great and a good man, and his legacy might best be summed up with the epitaph he wrote for himself. It reads simply: "He loved God and his fellow man and sought to serve both." Thats how Senator Pepper wanted to be remembered, and thats how I think we can best remember him.

Claude Pepper accomplished so many things. When I think about his social legacy I think about the relationships he developed with literally thousands of people. Its remarkable, to have begun in the humble way that he did and, yet, to have done so much for so many people.

When you take stock of all that he was able to accomplish, I think his true political legacy was the significant and enduring quality of his liberal philosophy. From his earliest days in office he committed himself to serve the American people. He strove to legislate policies to serve and protect people who were not able to protect themselves. As he himself said, "Only government is big enough and powerful enough and rich enough to do the things for people that they are not able to do for themselves." And the policies he helped create continue to benefit all of us today for example, the great medical research achieved through the National Institutes of Health, and the hot meals that are served every day to frail elderly and to disabled persons in their own homes, Medicare, Medicaid, and better treatment for workers. The list goes on and on.

Of course, I hope visitors to this Center will walk away with an appreciation for Senator Peppers accomplishments, but equally important is the knowledge that integrity, honesty, and commitment to others is important in public life, and in life in general. Senator Peppers legacy is proof that achieving high goals is not limited to those who come from privileged backgrounds, and that it is possible for anyone who makes it his or her life purpose to achieve great things.

Comments from Thomas J. Spulak, former Staff Director and General Counsel of the House Rules Committee under Senator Pepper

Claude Pepper had an uncanny way of understanding what the goal was, and not getting disappointed when obstacles confronted him. He often would say to me that he was not a tinkerer, that he saw the big picture and was not afraid to move forward. So in spite of the caution that he heard from those around him, he moved forward and was able to achieve great good and great legislative accomplishments.

The Senator was a model public servant. He believed in government as an instrument of good for the people; he believed that government is what was good about America; that government could and should help people, that it should lift their burdens, and that it should give everyone equal opportunities and at the same time keep no one down.

Selected Highlights in Senator Peppers Legislative Career

1937
Co-author of bill to establish the National Cancer Institute, the first of 13 NIH Institutes that Pepper helped establish.
1939
Proposed a bill to provide health care to the elderly 26 years before Medicare was enacted in 1965
1940
Proposed the first lend-lease initiative to provide aid to Great Britain during World War II
mid-1940s
Sponsored bills to raise the minimum wage
1945
Sponsored a bill to provide equal pay for equal work for women
1946
Introduced a bill calling for universal health care for all Americans
1949
Introduced a bill to establish a Federal Commission on Services for the Physically Handicapped
1949
Sponsored a bill to amend the Constitution to provide equal rights for men and women
1949
Introduced a bill to make the imposition of a poll tax as a condition for voting unlawful
1977
Proposed a bill to abolish mandatory retirement at any age for federal government workers and raised from 65 to 70 the age at which nonfederal employees could be forced to retire
1986
Sponsored a bill to abolish age discrimination in employment
1987
Sponsored legislation to provide long-term care benefits under Medicare to chronically ill and disabled persons of all ages
1987
Introduced a bill to provide for the establishment of ten regional centers for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
1987
Introduced a bill to establish a National Center for Biotechnology
1987
Introduced a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish breast cancer screening centers
1987
Introduced a bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide comprehensive catastrophic and preventive health care
1988
Cosponsored a bill to require cigarette labeling that stated the addictive quality of cigarettes
1989
Introduced a bill to protect the rights of persons to due process of law and equal protection of the laws in guardianship proceedings

State and U.S. Congressional Committees Served On

Florida House of Representatives Committees

1929-1930
  • Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments
  • Committee on Banks and Banking
  • Committee on Finance and Taxation
  • Committee on Game
  • Committee on Administrative Reports
  • Committee on Radio
  • Judiciary "C" Committee
  • Committee on Lumber and Naval Stores
  • Committee on Public Amusements

U.S. Senate Committees

1937-1946
  • Committee on Military Affairs
  • Committee on Commerce
  • Committee on Education and Labor
  • Committee on Interoceanic Canals
  • Committee on Printing
1938-1950
  • Committee on Foreign Relations
1939-1946
  • Committee on Patents (chairman, 1945-1946)
1942
  • Special Committee to Investigate the Old Age Pension System
1943
  • Special Committees: Study and Survey Problems of Small Business Enterprises
  • Post-War Economic Policy and Planning
1943-1945
  • Education and Labor Subcommittee: Wartime Health and Education
1945
  • Committee on Foreign Trade for Small Business
1946
  • Special Committee: Organization of Congress
1947-1948
  • Special Committee: Investigate the National Defense Program
  • Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
1947-1950
  • Committee on Labor and Public Welfare
1950
  • Committee on the District of Columbia

U.S. House of Representatives Committees

1963-1964
  • Committee on Banking and Currency
1965
  • Unofficial Steering Committee of House Democrats to Oppose an Increase in Interest Rates on Long-Term Government Bonds
1965-1989
  • Committee on Rules (Chairman, 1983-1989)
1969
  • Select Committee on Adam Clayton Powell
1969-1974
  • Committee on Internal Security
1970-1972
  • Select Committee on Crime (Chairman)
1975-1989
  • Select Committee on Aging (Chairman, 1977-1982)
  • Chairman, Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care
1982
  • Democratic Party appointee to the National Commission on Social Security
1983-1986
  • Committee on Democratic Steering and Policy
1983-1989
  • Chairman, Committee on Rules
1987-1989
  • Rules Subcommittee: Rules of the House
  • Rules Subcommittee: The Legislative Process
  • Select Committee on Aging: Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care

A Political Primer

Checks and Balances: The Three Branches of Government

How it works: State Government

Each state has its own legislative, executive branches. The legislative branch convenes at the State House, located in each states capitol, where Senators and Representatives draft bills and pass laws that are in effect for that state only. At the state level, Senators and Representatives may represent a small area sometimes as small as a neighborhood. A States Executive branch includes its Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The judicial branch is made up of judges serving in hundreds of circuit and other regional courts.

How it works: Federal Government

The Federal Government of the United States has its own legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative branch includes the House of Representatives and the Senate, together called Congress. It convenes at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., where Senators and Representatives draft bills and pass laws that are in effect for the entire country. The executive branch includes the President, Vice President, and Cabinet. The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and a system of Federal Courts.

Inside Capitol Hill: The United State Congress

The powers of Congress

Article I of the Constitution of the United States establishes the powers granted to Congress. These include the power to make all laws, declare war, regulate commerce, and support and regulate an army and navy.

How bills become laws

A bill can originate in either Congressional body except for spending bills which must originate in the House. After a bill is proposed, it is reviewed by a committee or committees that must approve it before it is taken to the entire house for a vote. There are 19 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, each focused on a special topic such as International Relations or Energy and Natural Resources.

When a bill successfully wins a majority of votes in both houses it is sent to the President for signature. A bill approved by the President becomes a law. Vetoed bills are resubmitted to Congress, which can overturn the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in each house.

How to become a member of Congress

Voters in each state elect two senators and one representative for every 500,000 residents to represent their constitutional interests as members of Congress.

Originally, anyone wishing to run for office could stand on a street corner, attract a crowd, and argue their point of view in the hopes of getting elected. Over time, campaigning has evolved into an expensive and sophisticated activity. Various interest groups, political action committees, political parties, individuals, and others contribute to fund vast media campaigns intended to influence voters. Campaign financing reform is often discussed but rarely enacted.

A candidates first step is to win a party run;off or "primary" if there is more than one candidate from that party running for a certain office. Next, candidates from different political parties meet in the final election. Senators and Representatives are elected by direct, popular vote: the candidate who wins the most votes wins the race.

Terms of office

Ready to run for office? Representatives must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years, and a resident of the state which elects them. Representatives serve two-year terms. Senators must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and a resident of the state which elects them. Senators serve six-year terms.

Discussion Questions

Can politicians help people?

Claude Pepper believed that politics was a way to improve peoples lives. For example, he fought to protect the social security of senior citizens. He introduced bills to provide health care to everyone. Do you think that politics can be used this way? Has it been?

What is a liberal?

Senator Pepper was associated with the liberal philosophy his entire life. What does it mean to be a liberal? Why has this philosophy been challenged by its critics? Does the distinction between a liberal and a conservative politician continue to be relevant in todays political climate?

If Claude Pepper were alive today, what issues would he be involved with?

Senator Pepper fought many battles and was involved in many causes. What issues today require that same dedication? What would you fight for?

Can one person have an important impact on the world?

Claude Pepper was not the most famous person of his time, yet his energy and creativity led to important accomplishments. He helped save Great Britain from the Nazis in World War II, for example, by his Lend-Lease legislation. Can you think of other people, perhaps from your own life who made a major impact but arent really famous?

What is political courage?

Claude Pepper never wavered in his beliefs, even if they weren’t popular. Have you ever held a belief that you knew was right but was unpopular? How did it feel? Were you right to stand up for your beliefs?

Resources: Where Can I Learn More?

Autobiography and Books

Pepper, Claude. Ask Claude Pepper. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1984.

Pepper, Claude Denson, with Hays Gorey. Pepper: Eyewitness to a Century. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987.

Recommended Speeches

1932
The Democratic Party, Marianna, Florida
1937
First Senate speech, Relief Appropriations
1937-1938
Anti-Lynching Bill
1940
A Seven-Point Program for National Defense
1941
"Lest We Forget, Lest We Forget," Jewish National Home in Palestine
1942
A Plea for Democracy – The Anti-Poll Tax Bill
1943
Equal Rights for Men and Women
1943
World Peace
1945
Research for Health
1946
American Policy for Peace and a New World
1947
The Marshall Plan
1947
"Where is the Republican Party’s Foreign Policy Taking the United States?"
1950
"The War in Korea"
1982
FDR Centennial
1987
Bicentennial of the Constitution
1988
Medicare Long-Term Health Care Catastrophic Protection Act

Internet Sites

Pepper Foundation – http://www.pepperfoundation.org

Pepper Library – http://pepper.cpb.fsu.edu/library/

U.S. Congress Biographical Directory Entry for Claude Pepper – http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000218

Media

"Claude Denson Pepper: An American Original." Peter S. Rosen Producer/Director. Presented by American Savings of Florida. 1989. Available in the Claude Pepper Library (AV Number 239).

"Claude Pepper: Eyewitness to a Century." Produced by the Claude Pepper Foundation. Hosted by Ed Asner. 1998. Available in the Claude Pepper Library (AV Number 465).

"The Pepper Legacy." Florida Crossroads Series #205. Produced by Florida Public Television. 1989. Available in the Claude Pepper Library (AV Number 234).

Theses and Papers

Hutto, Richard D. "Political Feud in the Palmettos: A Chronology and Analysis of the 1950 Florida Senatorial Campaign." 1968. 98p. (Research Paper).

Malafronte, Anthony F. "Claude Pepper: Florida Maverick, the 1950 Florida Senatorial Primary." Master's Thesis. Coral Gables: University of Miami, 1964. 140p.

Moore, John Lovell, Jr. "Good Reason, Bad Reason, No Reason at All, A Study of Florida Politics, with Special Reference to the Pepper-Smathers Primary." Senior Honors Thesis, Class of 1951. Awarded the James Gordon Bennett Prize, June 5, 1951.

Patterson, Joseph A. "War" and "Peace." Claude Pepper's Foreign Policy. Paper submitted to the Department of History, Hobart College, May 25, 1947.

Rhodes, Robert Lee, Jr. "Claude Denson Pepper, His Role in Foreign Policy." Honors Paper submitted to the Department of History, Emory University, 1969.

Russell, Dayton L. "The Claude Pepper Story." Final paper for the New College-External Degree Program, University of Alabama, 1990.

Stoesen, Alexander Rudolph. "The Senatorial Career of Claude D. Pepper." Thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill, 1964.

Stoesen, Alexander Rudolph. "Spokesman or Seer, Claude Pepper and New Deal Foreign Policy." Read at the Southern Historical Association Meeting, Richmond, Virginia. 1965.

Archives and Collected Papers

Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, AL. Correspondence in Virginia Foster Durr papers 1904-1983; and Clifford J. Durr papers, 1899-1976.

Columbia University, Oral History Project, New York, NY. Oral History: 61 pages. In Social Security.

Florida Bureau of Archives and Records Management Tallahassee, FL. Correspondence in D. Robert Graham papers 1963-1968. Finding aid.

Florida State University, Claude Pepper Library, Tallahassee, FL. Papers: 1915-1993. Includes the official and personal papers, photographs, recordings, books, and memorabilia from Senate and House careers, and the personal papers, photographs, paintings, and recordings of his wife Mildred.

University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections. Fayetteville, AR Papers: Correspondence in Hattie Caraway papers, cat 1884-1950. Finding aid.

University of Florida, P.K. Yonge Library, Gainesville, FL. Papers: 1948-1958. 1 foot. Scrapbooks of clippings relating to Pepper in the period 1948-1952, and to his unsuccessful 1958 primary campaign against Spessard L. Holland. Also correspondence in Florida Bandmaster's Association records, 1921-1974. Finding aid.

University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, IA. Correspondence in Calvin Benham Baldwin papers, 1933-1975. Finding aid.

University of Maryland McKeldin Library, College Park, MD. Correspondence in Cigar Makers International Union of America records, 1864-1974. Finding aid.

University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Ann Arbor, MI. Papers: Correspondence in Frank Murphy papers, 1908-1949. Finding aid.

University of Virginia. Alderman Library, Charlottesville, VA. Correspondence in Francis Pickens Miller papers, 1885-1971. Finding aid.