October 8, 1884

When Chauncey Sparks began his four-year term as governor in 1943, he was considered fundamentally conservative. But it turned out that he was progressive on various issues, improving funding for education and agricultural research.

Sparks was born on Oct. 8, 1884, in Barbour County, Alabama, but was raised and attended school in Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Arts in 1907 and a law degree in 1910 from Mercer University in Macon. He returned to Barbour County, where he passed the Alabama Bar Exam and opened a law office in Eufaula.

During his second term in the Alabama Legislature, Sparks earned the title “the Barbour Bourbon” for his leadership in a group that became known as the “Economy Block.” This group of representatives fought income and state sales tax proposals. He sponsored a constitutional amendment to limit salaries of state officials to $6,000 a year and spoke out for a balanced budget.

Sparks ran for governor three times, but succeeded in winning only one term. As governor from 1943-47, Sparks launched a series of initiatives that helped improve the quality of life for all Alabamians. The state appropriation for education was doubled, the school term was lengthened from seven to eight months, appropriations for medical education were doubled, and the University Medical College was moved to Birmingham and expanded to a four-year program. Sparks died in Eufaula on Nov. 6, 1968.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Newly elected Gov. Chauncey Sparks greets supporters during his inauguration in Montgomery on Jan. 19, 1943. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Portrait of Chauncey Sparks, governor of Alabama, 1943. (Auburn University, Glomerata, Wikipedia)

Chauncey Sparks failed in his bid for a second term as Alabama governor in 1950, and closed out his career practicing law in Eufaula, Barbour County. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Barbour County native Chauncey Sparks (1884-1968) was Alabama’s governor from 1943-47, taking office during World War II. Labor issues following the war led Sparks to re-establish the Labor Department, and the state’s education system improved during his term. Prior to his governorship, Sparks was a judge in his home county and served in the state Legislature. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.