Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. , was the Democratic Governor of Arkansas from 1945-1949. Laney was born in Camden, where he attended Ouachita County public schools but never graduated from high school. He was, however, admitted in 1915 to Hendrix College, a liberal arts institution in Conway. His studies were interrupted by World War I. Laney entered the United States Navy in 1918 and served until the end of the war.

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  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. , was the Democratic Governor of Arkansas from 1945-1949. Laney was born in Camden, where he attended Ouachita County public schools but never graduated from high school. He was, however, admitted in 1915 to Hendrix College, a liberal arts institution in Conway. His studies were interrupted by World War I. Laney entered the United States Navy in 1918 and served until the end of the war. In 1924, Laney earned a degree from the University of Central Arkansas (then known as Arkansas Teacher's College), also in Conway. He also took graduate courses from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Laney owned a drugstore in Conway, dealt in real estate, and had interests in cotton gins, feed, and banking. Oil was discovered on Laney's farm near Camden. He was hence called "Business Ben" because of his varied business interests. Laney was elected mayor of Camden in 1935 and served until 1939. He successfully ran for Governor of Arkansas in 1944. Laney polled 70,965 votes (38.6 percent) in the Democratic primary, compareed to J. Bryan Sims' 63,454 (34.5 percent) and David L. Terry's 49,685 (27 percent). Sims declined to pursue a party runoff election, and Laney was declared the automoatic Democratic nominee. He then overwhelmed the token Republican nominee, H.C. Stump, 186,401 (86 percent) to 30,422 (14 percent). During his administration, the Public Utilities Commission was formed and funds were appropriated for a stadium to be built in Little Rock. Plans were also formed for the construction of an official Governor's Mansion. Laney successfully ran for reelection in 1946. He defeated J.M. Malone in the primary, having polled 125,444 votes, or 64.6 percent of the total. He then defeated Republican W.T. Mills, 128,029 (84.1 percent) to 24,133 (15.9 percent). Laney sat out a gubernatorial term and unsuccessfully attempted to regain office in 1950, but he failed to unseat the more liberal Democratic incumbent, Sidney Sanders McMath. McMath received 298,559 votes (64 percent) to Laney's 112,651 (34.4 percent). In 1948, Laney was a top choice to serve as the Dixiecrat presidential pick. At first, he balked and told reporters he would not attend the breakaway convention. However, he changed his mind and made the trip to Birmingham, Alabama. The he hesitated again and remained in his hotel room. He did not attend the convention and formally withdrew his name from consideration before the nomination was made. The nomination ultimately fell to Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Laney was a delegate to the 1969 Arkansas Constitutional Convention. Laney died of a heart attack in Magnolia, the seat of Columbia County south of Camden. He is interred at Camden Memorial Cemetery in Camden, alongside his wife, the former Lucille Kirtley (1906-1992). Son Benjamin Laney, III (1928-1995), is entombed at Desert View Memorial Park in Victorville, California, as explained in a marker at the Laney family plot in Camden. Another son, William David Laney (1931-1997), is interred in the family plot in Camden.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney war ein US-amerikanischer Politiker und zwischen 1945 und 1949 Gouverneur von Arkansas.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. oli yhdysvaltalainen demokraattisen puolueen poliitikko. Laney syntyi Camdenissa, Arkansas'ssa. Hän toimi synnyinkaupunkinsa pormestarina vuosina 1935–1939. Hän oli vuosina 1945–1949 Arkansas'n kuvernööri. Laney kuoli sydänkohtaukseen Magnoliassa ja tuli haudatuksi Camdeniin.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. , född 25 november 1896 i Ouachita County, Arkansas, död 21 januari 1977 i Columbia County, Arkansas, var en amerikansk demokratisk politiker. Han var den 33:e guvernören i Arkansas 1945-1949. Laney tjänstgjorde i i första världskriget. Han var en affärsman verksam inom flera olika branscher och blev därför känd som "Business Ben". Han gifte sig 19 januari 1926 med Lucile Kirtley. Paret fick tre söner. Laney var borgmästare i Camden, Arkansas 1935-1939. Laney vann knappt demokraternas primärval inför 1944 års guvernörsval. Själva guvernörsvalet vann han sedan med 86% av rösterna mot 14% för republikanen H.C. Stump. Han omvaldes lätt två år senare. Laney försvarade lynchningar men påstod att han inte gjorde det för att han var rasist. Så kallade dixiecrats, demokrater som ville bevara segregationen i sydstaterna, bestämde sig för att nominera en oberoende kandidat i presidentvalet i USA 1948. Laney var en av favoriterna men tvekade. Han bestämde sig till sist för att stanna i sitt hotellrum och meddelade att han inte ställer sitt namn till förfogande. Strom Thurmond nominerades i stället. Även om Laney stödde Thurmond i presidentvalet, hjälpte Sid McMath Harry S. Truman med en stark kampanj till seger i Arkansas. McMath efterträdde Laney som guvernör i januari 1949. Laney utmanade McMath i 1950 års guvernörsval utan framgång. Laneys grav finns på Memorial Park Cemetery i Camden, Arkansas.
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  • 1945-1949
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  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. , was the Democratic Governor of Arkansas from 1945-1949. Laney was born in Camden, where he attended Ouachita County public schools but never graduated from high school. He was, however, admitted in 1915 to Hendrix College, a liberal arts institution in Conway. His studies were interrupted by World War I. Laney entered the United States Navy in 1918 and served until the end of the war.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney war ein US-amerikanischer Politiker und zwischen 1945 und 1949 Gouverneur von Arkansas.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. oli yhdysvaltalainen demokraattisen puolueen poliitikko. Laney syntyi Camdenissa, Arkansas'ssa. Hän toimi synnyinkaupunkinsa pormestarina vuosina 1935–1939. Hän oli vuosina 1945–1949 Arkansas'n kuvernööri. Laney kuoli sydänkohtaukseen Magnoliassa ja tuli haudatuksi Camdeniin.
  • Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. , född 25 november 1896 i Ouachita County, Arkansas, död 21 januari 1977 i Columbia County, Arkansas, var en amerikansk demokratisk politiker. Han var den 33:e guvernören i Arkansas 1945-1949. Laney tjänstgjorde i i första världskriget. Han var en affärsman verksam inom flera olika branscher och blev därför känd som "Business Ben". Han gifte sig 19 januari 1926 med Lucile Kirtley. Paret fick tre söner. Laney var borgmästare i Camden, Arkansas 1935-1939.
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  • Benjamin Travis Laney
  • Benjamin Laney
  • Benjamin Travis Laney
  • Benjamin Travis Laney
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