Oral history interview with Claude Pepper, February 1, 1974
Subtitle: interview A-056, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: De Vries, Walter, interviewer; Bass, Jack, interviewer; Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2006
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; Legislators; Politics and government; Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ); Democratic Party (U.S.)
Other titles: Interview A-056, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with Claude Pepper, February 1, 1974; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: This relatively brief interview offers a snapshot of the South in the 1970s, when conservatism had solidified its hold on the region. Legendary Florida Democratic politician Claude Pepper describes his political career and assesses Florida's political leanings. Pepper grew more liberal as he grew older, a trend he admits is unusual. He supported the New Deal and a number of liberal policies throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate, which lasted from 1934 to 1950 (he joined the House of Representatives in 1963 and served there until 1989). Pepper's career suffered because of his support for civil rights, and his political opponents exploited racism to discourage white Floridians from voting for him. Pepper believes that civil rights and the success of the New Deal -- which removed the need for an active federal government -- explain the political conservatism in Florida.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on March 13, 2008).

Interview participants: Claude Pepper,interviewee; Jack Bass,interviewer; Walter De Vries,interviewer.

Duration: 00:47:32.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-CH digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Mike Millner.  Sound recordings digitized by Steve Weiss and Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 73.4 kilobytes, 87 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series A, Southern politics, interview A-056, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Transcribed by Joe Jaros. Original transcript: 20 p.

Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements:  Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.