July 26, 1952

On this day, U.S. Sen. John Sparkman of Alabama was named the Democratic vice presidential running mate of Adlai Stevenson. The Democratic Convention ratified the choice of Sparkman, even though he had supported Georgia U.S. Sen. Richard Russell for president. Stevenson and Sparkman lost the election that fall to Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. Sparkman, born on a farm in Hartselle in Morgan County, graduated from the University of Alabama and its law school. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1936, serving until 1946 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1979. During his 42 years in Congress, he became known as one of the nation’s most skilled legislators.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama. 

John Sparkman received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama from 1917-1923. During this time, he also edited the university newspaper and was a leader in student government. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama Libraries)

Portrait of John Sparkman, U.S. senator from Alabama, c. 1946-1950. (Harris & Ewing, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

In February 1970, U.S. Sen. John Sparkman spoke on Wernher von Braun’s career in Alabama prior to his move from Huntsville to Washington, D.C., to take a position at NASA headquarters. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Courtesy of NASA)

John Sparkman (1899-1985) was a Huntsville lawyer who became the protege of famed Alabama politician Lister Hill after entering politics. He represented Alabama for more than 40 years in the U.S. Congress. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

John Sparkman and his running mate, Adlai Stevenson, meet with President Harry Truman during Stevenson’s presidential campaign in August 1952. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Courtesy of National Archives)

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