Kent Syler

Contributed

MTSU's Albert Gore Research Center holds the official papers of Sen. Albert Gore Sr. These letters and documents detail how John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism and a fictitious Knights of Columbus Oath put Gore and other Tennessee Democrats on the defensive and played a key role in Richard Nixon's victory in the largely Protestant state.

After two near misses by a combined total of only 8,218 votes in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections, Tennessee's Democratic leadership was excited about Kennedy’s chances.

However, his campaign committee, “composed of three Baptists, a Presbyterian and a Methodist,” understood Kennedy’s religion posed a liability.

From his 17th floor law office in Nashville's Life and Casualty Tower, Tennessee Campaign Committee member and “eighth generation” Baptist, Harry Phillips wrote a letter to Kennedy titled "Should I Vote for a Catholic for President of United States?"

Phillips had no problem with Kennedy’s religion, but told the senator he was “being asked questions concerning your position on the issues of separation of church and state.” History shows Phillips was wise to anticipate questions.

Pastor Clyde Martin of Columbia’s First Baptist Church wrote Gore at the request of a church member who had received what was purported to be the "Oath of The Knights of Columbus":

"I do promise and declare that I will, when opportunity presents, make and wage relentless war, secretly and openly, against all heretics, Protestants and Masons, as I am directed to do, to extirpate them from the face of the whole earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex, nor condition, and that I will hang, burn, waste, boil, flay, strangle, and bury alive those infamous heretics; rip up the stomachs and wombs of their women, and crush their infants' heads against the walls in order to annihilate their execrable race...."

The pastor also wanted to know if it was true the oath was published in the Congressional Record.

Gore responded: “This question arises quite often and the Library of Congress has prepared a fact sheet on it, a copy of which is enclosed.

"The oath does appear in the Congressional Record, but as an exhibit in connection with an investigation which condemned the oath as 'false,' 'libelous' and 'spurious.' In much the same way, we find the words of Satan quoted in the Scriptures."

The oath was false, but the letters kept coming and Gore had to keep defending his support for Kennedy. Evangelist O.D. Johns of the Main Street Church of Christ in Milan wrote:

“A very powerful force has influenced you to turn on your church leaders and many of your fateful supporters.

"What could you gain in Memphis Wednesday by saying that anyone who speaks or writes against the Roman Catholics is inspired by communism? What has Kennedy offered you that you can afford to make such a false statement about so many true Americans in the state of Tennessee and in your Baptist Church?”

Gore responded quickly:

“I cannot imagine how you understood that I said that 'anyone who speaks or writes against the Roman Catholics is inspired by communism.' I made no such statement as this. I have had no such thoughts as this. I will appreciate it if you will let me know by what means you obtained such an impression.”

Not all Tennesseans had a problem with Kennedy’s religion. W.D. Smith of Memphis wrote Gore: "I prefer a Catholic Democrat to a pacifist Quaker Republican during critical times such as these."

But, in the end, Kennedy’s Catholicism forced the campaign to spend too much time playing defense, and Nixon won Tennessee by 75,000 votes. Nixon ran up large margins in traditionally Republican East Tennessee, while Kennedy underperformed in traditionally Democratic rural areas in the middle and western parts of the state.

Harry Phillips wrote Robert Kennedy telling him “There's no question that the religious issue cut down the normal Democratic majority in the state.”

Gore was even stronger in his analysis: "The religious factor surely dealt us a death blow as far as the state is concerned.”

Kent Syler is the Special Projects Coordinator for MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center and an Instructor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. He served as the Tennessee Chief of Staff for former Democratic Congressman Bart Gordon. Email: kent.syler@mtsu.edu