Cotton Ed Smith

Description:

Photograph of Senator Ellison DuRant "Cotton Ed" Smith sitting on a porch in the middle of a group of male supporters. He is in the forefront facing the photographer. Smith reportedly got his nickname from a statement he would say often "Cotton is king and white is supreme."

Ellison D. Smith was a Democratic Party politician serving in the United States Senate from 1908 to his death in 1944. He was widely known for his racist and segregationist views, his advocacy of white supremacy, and his opposition to the women's suffrage movement.

• Title: Cotton Ed Smith
• Date: c. 1940

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• Collection: Photograph Collection
• Object Name: Political Campaigns & Elections
• Object Id: MK 2875

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  • Politicians
  • Senators
  • White supremacy movements