Steve Flowers: The Shorty Price story
Alabama has had its share of what I call “run for the fun of it” candidates. The most colorful of all these perennial “also ran” candidates was Ralph “Shorty” Price. He ran for governor every time. His slogan was “Smoke Tampa Nugget cigars, drink Budweiser beer, and vote for Shorty Price.” In one of Shorty’s campaigns for governor, his campaign speech contained this line, “If elected governor, I will reduce the governor’s tenure from four to two years. If you can’t steal enough to last you the rest of your life in two years, you ain’t got enough sense to have the office in the first place.” He would use recycled campaign signs to save money, but he rarely garnered 2% of the votes in any campaign. Most people remember Shorty as one of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s most ardent cheerleaders. Like a lot of old-time Alabama fans, Shorty hated Tennessee, which is why I am highlighting Shorty this week since Alabama hosts Tennessee in Bryant Denny Stadium this Saturday. Shorty loved Alabama football. Following the Crimson Tide was Shorty’s prime passion in life. You could spot Shorty, even though he was only 5 feet tall, at every Crimson Tide football game, always sporting a black suit and a black hat with a round top, plus his Alabama tie and flag. I do not know if Shorty actually had a seat because he would parade around Denny Stadium or Legion Field posing as Alabama’s head cheerleader. In fact, he would intersperse himself among the real Alabama cheerleaders and help them with their cheers. There was no question that Shorty was totally inebriated. In fact, I never saw Shorty when he was not drunk. Shorty worshiped Paul “Bear” Bryant. Indeed, Bryant and Shorty were of the same era. Like Bryant, Shorty hated Tennessee. Speaking of the Tennessee rivalry, I will share with you a personal Shorty story. I had become acquainted with Shorty early in life. Therefore, on a clear, beautiful, third Saturday, fall afternoon in October, Alabama was playing Tennessee in Legion Field. As always, Shorty was prancing up and down the field. I was a freshman at the University on that fall Saturday. Shorty, even in his drunken daze, recognized me. I had a beautiful date that I was trying to impress, and meeting Shorty did not impress her. Shorty pranced up the aisle and proceeded to sit by me. His daily black suit had not been changed in probably over a year. He reeked of alcohol and body odor, and my date had to hold her nose. After about 20 minutes of offending my date, Shorty then proceeded to try to impress the crowd by doing somersaults off the six-foot walls of Legion Field. He did at least three, smashing his head straight down on the pavement on each dive. I thought Shorty had killed himself with his somersaults. His face and his head were bleeding profusely, and he was developing a black eye. Fortunately, Shorty left my domain and proceeded to dance with the Alabama cheerleaders that day, as bloody as he may have been. Shorty was beloved by the fans, and I guess that is why the police in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa seemed to ignore Shorty’s antics. However, that was not the case in a classic Alabama game four years later. By this time, I was a senior at the University, and we were facing Notre Dame in an epic championship battle in the old New Orleans Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve. It was for the 1973 national championship. Bear Bryant and Ara Parseghian were pitted against each other. We were ranked #1 and #2. One of the largest television audiences in history was focused on the 7:30 p.m. kickoff. It was electrifying. Those of us in the stands were awaiting the entrance of the football teams, as were the ABC cameras. Somehow, Shorty had journeyed to New Orleans, had gotten on the field, and was poised to lead the Alabama team out on the field. As was customary, Shorty was as drunk as Cooter Brown. He started off by beating an Irish puppet with a club, and the next thing I knew, two burly New Orleans policemen, two of the biggest I had ever seen, picked up Shorty by his arms and escorted him off the field. They did not know who Shorty was and did not appreciate him. Sadly, Shorty, one of Alabama’s greatest fans, missed one of Alabama’s classic games sitting in a New Orleans jail. I have always believed that Shorty’s removal from the field was a bad omen for us that night. We lost 24-23, and Notre Dame won the National Championship. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Rep. Terri Sewell celebrates Judge U.W. Clemons on his 80th birthday
On Tuesday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell celebrated the birthday of the Honorable Judge U.W. Clemon with a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Clemon was Alabama’s first Black federal judge. He was also a former State Senator. He celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday, April 9th. “I rise today to honor the extraordinary career of a legal giant and Civil Rights activist, Alabama’s first Black federal judge, the Honorable U.W. Clemon, who celebrated his 80th birthday on April 9th,” Sewell said on the floor of the House. “A native of Alabama, Judge Clemon was born in 1943. Despite much of his childhood in the segregated school system of Jefferson County, Clemon broke down barriers, graduating as a two-time valedictorian, first at Westfield High School in 1961 and then at Miles College in 1965. As a college student, Judge Clemon was a leading voice for civil rights. He marched in countless student demonstrations under the direction of Dr. (Martin Luther) King and played a pivotal role in the Selective Buying Campaign to boycott segregated stores in downtown Birmingham.” “Before graduating from Columbia Law School in 1968, Clemon clerked at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, forming a life-long association serving as local counsel on numerous civil rights lawsuits throughout Alabama,” said Sewell. “Judge Clemon always understood the importance of the law in the fight for justice and equality. He quickly gained a reputation as an effective and fearless lawyer, taking on Coach “Bear” Bryant to desegregate the all-white University of Alabama football team, and he took on the U.S. Steel Corporation, which led to the desegregation of the American steel industry.” “By 1974, Judge Clemon took his advocacy to the Alabama State Legislature, making history as one of the first two African Americans elected to the Alabama Senate since Reconstruction,” Sewell said. “His tenure as a pioneering lawmaker and skilled attorney caught the attention of President Jimmy Carter, who appointed then-(Alabama State) Senator Clemon to serve as Alabama’s first Black federal judge in 1980. He went on to serve on the federal bench for 30 years until 2009.” “Judge Clemon was a highly respected jurist inside and outside the courtroom,” Sewell continued. “He was known as fair but tough. He demanded that lawyers before him represent their clients competently and effectively. Judge Clemon served as Chief Justice for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama from 1999 to 2006.” “Despite retiring from the bench in 2009, Judge Clemon has remained a vibrant member of the Birmingham legal community where he continues to practice law, serving the underrepresented, vulnerable, and underserved,” said Sewell. “He has received numerous awards, holds three honorary degrees, two street namings, and most recently, an elementary school was named in his honor. On a personal note, Judge Clemon is a trusted advisor, counselor, and a loving father figure to me. My most formative legal experience was serving as a law clerk for Judge Clemon after graduating from law school in 1992.” “I learned so much serving as his law clerk,” said Sewell. “I learned more about the practice of law and saw firsthand what justice looks like by witnessing him in his courtroom. Sitting with him in his chamber was always an educational experience. The Judge tested my knowledge, stretched my legal acumen, challenged my views, and inspired me to be a better lawyer and person. I know that I now serve as Alabama’s first Black Congresswoman because I was blessed by a transformative experience clerking for Alabama’s first Black federal judge. I want to thank his loving family, his wife of 50 years, Ms. Barbra, and his two children, Michelle and Isaac, for sharing him with so many of us.” “I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 80th birthday and the extraordinary career of an exceptional jurist, lawmaker, and public servant, and wonderful counselor, Judge U.W. Clemon, whose life’s work stands as a testament to the power of one person to change the world,” said Sewell. “May the seeds Judge Clemon has sowed continue to bear fruit for generations to come. Happy birthday, Judge.” During U.W. Clemon’s tenure in the Alabama Senate, he chaired the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Terri Sewell is the first Black Woman to represent Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is serving in her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Steve Flowers: Young Boozer, State Treasurer
Young Boozer is state treasurer, again, and deservedly so. Boozer was first elected as Alabama’s State Treasurer in 2010. He did an excellent job during his first four years and was reelected in 2014 without opposition. Thus, he served eight consecutive years as state treasurer. He could have been elected to a third four-year stint. However, constitutionally he was term-limited to two successive terms. John McMillan was elected treasurer in 2018 after serving eight successful years as Agriculture Commissioner. Mr. Boozer was not ready to leave public service, so he agreed to become Assistant Superintendent of Banking with Superintendent Mike Hill. During last year’s regular legislative session, the legislature passed a medical cannabis bill along with the legislation to allow for medical marijuana. They created an agency to oversee the prescription and regulatory process. The commission asked John McMillan to be Executive Director of the Cannabis Commission. Governor Kay Ivey subsequently appointed Young Boozer to McMillan’s remaining 15-month term ending in 2022. Boozer is running for reelection this year. He easily will be elected for another full four-year term through 2026. That will make him the longest-serving treasurer in state history. The legendary Agnes Baggett currently holds the record. Young Boozer is perfectly scripted to be state treasurer. He grew up in Tuscaloosa and went to college at Stanford University. The elite California college is known for producing national entrepreneurs and bank presidents. Young graduated with honors and then went to Wharton Business School for a master’s in business. He went on to have a successful career as a national and international banker. He came home to be Executive Vice President of Colonial Bank in Montgomery. Young served on the Stanford University Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2008. Therefore, you would have to say that he is probably the most qualified person to have ever served as Alabama’s State Treasurer because, essentially, the state treasurer is the state’s banker. He is uniquely qualified and is doing the job for the right reasons. Young Boozer is one of the best political names I have ever seen. It is a name you remember. However, this Young Boozer is Young Boozer III. His father, Young Boozer II, was a legendary football hero and businessman. The original Young Boozer was in the timber business in Geneva County and was Mayor of Samson. He died at age 33 of flu during the Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919. His widow moved the family to Dothan, where Young Boozer II went to high school. Young Boozer II was a superstar high school baseball and football player and student. He was brought to play both sports at the University of Alabama. In his class was the great Dixie Howell, who was also from the wiregrass, and also in that class was a lanky kid from Fordyce, Arkansas named Paul “Bear” Bryant. This trio of Dixie Howell, Bear Bryant, and Young Boozer went out on a train to Pasadena, California, and beat Stanford in the 1935 Rose Bowl and established the south and especially the University of Alabama as a football power to be reckoned with forever. Young Boozer II was a hero of that Rose Bowl game. He intercepted a pass in the waning moments of that game and clinched the victory. Young Boozer II went on to be an ultra-successful businessman in Tuscaloosa. He was involved with Coach Bryant in several successful business ventures. Young Boozer II started and built Cotton States Life Insurance Company which he ultimately sold to Alfa Insurance, and it made him very wealthy. He was a gregarious, unassuming man who was always smiling and joyous. Our current state treasurer, Young Boozer III, has a son who is appropriately named Young Boozer IV. What if this Young Boozer has a son, and he names him Young Boozer? He will be named Young Boozer the fifth. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
