E. H. Crump, a native of Holly Springs, Mississippi, was born in 1874.  His father died in 1878 of Yellow Fever and his widowed mother along with young Ed and two other children, moved in with her family at the Sam McCorkle house in Holly Springs.  It was not an easy life for the family and Ed dropped out of school at 14 and went to work.  He then took a course in bookkeeping and began working his way up to management.  From the beginning he was good at business.

Memphis Magazine

Crump's Death

1954 Funeral

When he was Commissioner of Fire and Police, Crump began a life-long interest in building the best Fire and Police Departments in the country.  He campaigned to upgrade both departments and to build inspiring public buildings for them.  After he became Mayor in 1910, he followed through on this.  Memphis Fire House #1 was built in 1910 and Crump continuously supported upgrading the fire department equipment and turning it into an all motorized department by 1919.

Fire Station #1

When the Great Depression hit, Crump was in firm control of Memphis.  Even if he weren't in an elected office at the time, one of his supporters would be.  Few politicians were elected to statewide office during this time without the support of the Crump political machine.  When Crump ran for County Trustee in 1916 and won, he developed a technique for registering voters that served him well over the next three decades.  Firemen and police officers who were now his friends, were taken off duty and used to transport people to register to vote.  25,000 voters were added to the polls in this election.  Crump's personal honesty was never questioned.  He wouldn't steal a nickel - just an election!

Crump

In partnership with U. S. Senator Kenneth McKellar, Crump continued his domination of Tennessee politics in 1932.  He was then a member of Congress but essentially had no power in Washington, so he picked his successor for Congress (Walter Chandler) and went back to Memphis where his authority was relatively unchallenged.   He assembled a coalition of old-time Democrats, local civic and social groups, and groups of African Americans to vote his way.  He arranged to pave streets in the black parts of town and to develop a new park for African Americans in order to get their support.  

Crump backed a city commission in Memphis to help fund temporary employment for out of work people and to give food and clothing to needy people.  After the 1937 flood of the Mississippi, Crump  pushed for a flood control project for the county.  He and other Tennessee lawmakers were influential in persuading the federal government to invest $9 million in the project.    For twenty years, Crump had kept a card index of every white voter.  He knew how everyone voted and because he controlled every public job, he could pressure city workers and their families to vote for whomever he chose. 

In 1939 Crump was elected a final time as mayor, although that term was actually served by Walter Chandler.  At the time Chandler was U.S. Representative and Crump thought that Chandler's time was better spent with congressional matters in Washington than in local campaigning for mayor.  So, without a platform, without a speech, and without opposition, Crump ran and was elected mayor of Memphis.  He resigned immediately and the next day, the City Commission met and unanimously elected Chandler as Mayor. 

By now, Crump had accomplished all his goals for Memphis, which were established when he first ran fro office.  He had gotten flood control, pushed private utility companies into public ones, and gotten the state legislature to allow counties to decide whether or not they wanted liquor sold there.  Crump usually preferred to work behind the scenes.  After his two terms as mayor at the beginning of his career, he essentially named the next several Mayors of Memphis.  And after years of working behind the scenes, he decided to run for U.S. Representative in 1930.  Crump was easily elected and served two terms.  In 1936 he was named to the Democratic National Committee, serving on that body until 1945. 

Crump-Holly Springs 1952

<....The faces of E. H. Crump - mostly at Sports Events.  He rarely missed one...>

Cotton Carnival 1947

Whenever the Cincinnati excursion vessel, “Island Queen” arrived in Memphis, Mr. Crump saw to it that she was not charged a fee for docking. In return orphans, shut-ins, disabled, military personnel, etc. were taken on a day excursion, called "Crump's Boat Rides", including all the refreshments, free of charge. Of course all of the food and drinks were furnished by many Memphis businesses. No one refused a request from Boss Crump.  No One!

Island Queen

In 1947 "Boss" Crump wouldn't allow the "Freedom Train" to stop in Memphis because he didn't want integrated crowds to view its precious original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  The joke was no longer funny. The racism of this decision was likened to the policies of Hitler by some black preachers, and progressive Memphians were finally ready for a change.

Freedom Train

Freedom Train

Crump's marks on Memphis can be still be seen today.  He was a strong supporter of fire service and for many years the Memphis Fire Department was considered one of the best in the country and is still quite well regarded.  He felt separate operations for each municipal utility were inefficient and today, the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water is one of the largest combined municipal utilities in the United States.  He believed that cities shouldn't be too noisy.  Memphis has strong noise ordinances that are more aggressively enforced than those of other cities.  He was an early supporter of automobile safety inspections.  All of  Memphis-registered vehicles are inspected annually.    

Crump Stadium was the Memphis Sports Stadium  built in 1934 with a capacity of 7,500. This WPA project was named for political boss E. H. Crump.  In 1939 the stadium was enlarged to hold 25,000. All high school football games were played here as well as intercollegiate football games.   E. H. Crump was a frequent visitor for most games .

Memorial to Edward Hull Crump located near the Brooks Museum in Overton Park.  "Erected by the people of the city of Memphis in memory of Edward Hull Crump (1874-1954). His was a life of dedicated public service, wise counsel, human understanding, designed to make Memphis the city of good abode. This memorial sponsored by The Friends of Edward Hull Crump."

Crump Memorial

Named after Mayor E .H. Crump. this was the Memphis Fire Department’s first horse-driven steam fire engine.  In the 40s and 50s it was on display in a glass enclosed pavilion in Overton park.  It is now on display in the Memphis Fire Museum.

Memphis Fire Museum

Built in 1901, this was the North Memphis Savings Bank. But in 1920 it became the home of the E. H. Crump Insurance Company and it was here that "Boss" Crump controlled the city and state through his political machine. The building is now home to the Chamber of Commerce and the Center City Commission.

Major Memphis highway named after E. H. Crump.

Crump Station

A new police station on Crump Boulevard which provides services to the most densely populated areas of Memphis.  This is the area to many of Memphis' oldest neighborhoods.

Crump Station

The Georgia Tann association...

Crump's association with Georgia Tann is a less flattering view of his legacy.  Georgia Tann enjoyed his powerful protection in Memphis  as she illegally placed babies in adoptive homes.  Often these babies were stolen.  Ironically, Crump's association with Georgia Tann  lives on:  32 states still have sealed birth certificates for adoptees.

Georgia Tann

Judge C. Kelly

By 1924 Georgia Tann was working for the Tennessee Children's Home Society Orphanage, and specialized in adoptions.  Judge Camille Kelly has spent two years in medical school before marrying a prominent attorney.  She became the first female Juvenile Court judge in the south.  At some point Judge Kelly and Georgia Tann apparently reached a business agreement.  As a child custody case was brought before the court, the judge would award guardianship to the orphanage.  From that point, the child could, and would be adopted  - all quite legal.   The orphanage  received $7  for each child adopted

E. H. Crump died on October 16, 1954 and is buried in Memphis Elmwood Cemetery.  He had his headstone installed before his death and the legend is he would bring a picnic blanket and eat lunch admiring it.