The following items are items that I wrote in a book and thought it would be interesting tidbits to share with you.
Ross Barnett and the Propeller
The administration of one of Mississippi’s most colorful and controversial governors almost ended before it began. Ross Barnett barely escaped tragedy at the airport in the north Mississippi town of Coldwater in April of 1959.
Dark was approaching when candidate Barnett stepped off the plane to greet the cheering crowd. He moved too close to the plane’s propeller, which was still whirling. The propeller cut a deep gash in to his left shoulder and left arm. Barnett was rushed to the Baptist Hospital in Memphis. The accident threw the Barnett campaign into chaos.
As Barnett missed speaking engagements while recovering from the accident, fill-in speakers would have to speak in his place. With temporary campaign headquarters set up in Memphis near the hospital, volunteers worked double time to keep the campaign on track. Except or Barnett’s wellbeing, the main issue was the bad publicity Barnett’s accident could cause. Even Barnett’s bitterest of enemies were sympathetic about the politician’s misfortune.
Politics being what it is, it didn’t take long for politics to trump sympathy. Barnett’s political enemies were soon using the incident against him. They said anybody who aspires to be Governor of Mississippi should have “better sense” than to walk into a whirling airplane propeller.
Earl Johnston, who served as Barnett’s spokesman and chief spear catcher, realized that the propeller incident had to be explained as some sort of freak accident, and not Barnett’s fault. He also realized that it had to be explained as soon as possible. Johnston turned to Barnett’s campaign manager, John Gregg.
Gregg came up with the theory that an airplane engine could backfire after the engine was turned off, causing the propeller to turn unexpectedly. He talked to a number of pilots and finally found one who confirmed that such an incident could happen. The pilot insisted that he remain anonymous for fear that other pilots would ridicule him.
Armed with the information from his anonymous pilot, John Gregg released a statement to the press claiming the airplane’s engine had been cut off and the propeller had stopped turning. When Barnett moved around to the front of the plane, and as he passed the prop, the engine backlashed similar to that of a car backfiring. This restarted the propeller just long enough to cut into Mr. Barnett’s arm and shoulder.
The press ran the story with some “raised eyebrows,” and enough of the public bought it to save Barnett the embarrassment of having just walked into a whirling airplane propeller. Barnett won his race for Governor. During that time, Mississippi governors could not succeed themselves in office. He ran for governor again in 1967, but finished with a distant fourth place.
Ronald Reagan at the Neshoba Fair
The largest crowd ever to witness a single event in Neshoba County occurred during the 1980 presidential election when some 33,000 people gathered at the county fairgrounds to hear Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. The former California Governor and movie star carried the state over his Democrat rival Jimmy Carter. Four years later, Reagan annihilated this opponent in Mississippi. He was responsible for the Republican revolution in Mississippi. The state has not voted for a Democrat presidential candidate since the election of Reagan. Currently, both Mississippi U.S. Senators are Republican and three of four Mississippi U.S. Representatives are Republican. Ralph Gordon is a Past President Mississippi Writers Guild and a recipient of the William Faulkner Literary Award.You may contact Ralph Gordon at rgordon512@hotmail.com.
