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Albert "Happy" Chandler
<html> <head> <title>Albert "Happy" Chandler</title> <meta name="googlebot" content="noodp"> <meta name="robots" content="noodp"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/silly-nndb-icon.png" /><style type="text/css"> <!-- .fotmbar { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none} .fotmbar:hover { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: underline} .newslink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .newslink:hover { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink:hover { color: blue; text-decoration: underline} .b1f, .b2f, .b3f, .b4f {font-size:1px; overflow:hidden; display:block;} .b1f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 5px;} .b2f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 3px;} .b3f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 2px;} .b4f {height:2px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 1px;} .contentf {background: #e6e6e6; padding: 2px; } .contentf div {margin-left: 5px;} --> </style></head> <body bgcolor=#ffffff> <center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td valign=top><table width=550 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td bgcolor=white><table width="100%" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" background="/nndb.gif"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.nndb.com/"><img src="/title.gif" width="260" height="50" border=0 alt="NNDB"></a></td> <td><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6"> <tr align="center"> <td width="25%" nowrap><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a beta version of NNDB</font></b></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" valign="middle"><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <form action="http://search.nndb.com/search/nndb.cgi" method="get"> <input type="hidden" name="nndb" value="1"></input> <nobr>Search: <select name="omenu"> <option value="unspecified" selected>All Names</option> <option value="living">Living people</option> <option value="dead">Dead people</option> <option value="bands">Band Names</option> <option value="books">Book Titles</option> <option value="movies">Movie Titles</option> <option value="fulltext">Full Text</option> </select> for <input name="query" value="" size=24 maxlength=96> <input type=submit value="Search"> </font></b></nobr></form></td> </tr> </table> <!-- COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --> <!-- NO PART OF THIS WEBSITE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION --> <!-- OF SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS (ON THE WEB, IN PRINT, OR OTHERWISE) --> <!-- --> <!-- SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- PO BOX 4436, MOUNTAIN VIEW CA 94040 USA --> </td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=red height=2></td></tr><map name=fool><area coords="102,0,240,14" href="/people/143/000259363/bibliography/" alt="bibliography"></map><tr bgcolor=F0F0F0><td bgcolor=F0F0F0 style="padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px;"><img src="/red-profile-2.gif" align="right" height=15 width=240 border=0 usemap=#fool><br clear="all"><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=100%><tr><td bgcolor=F0F0F0><font size=+3 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Albert "Happy" Chandler</b></font><p><b>AKA</b> Albert Benjamin Chandler<p><b>Born:</b> <a href="/lists/713/000106395/" class=proflink>14-Jul</a>-<a href="/lists/897/000105582/" class=proflink>1898</a><br><b>Birthplace:</b> <a href="/geo/887/000149440/" class=proflink>Corydon, KY</a><br><b>Died:</b> <a href="/lists/053/000106732/" class=proflink>15-Jun</a>-<a href="/lists/501/000106183/" class=proflink>1991</a><br><b>Location of death:</b> <a href="/geo/215/000080972/" class=proflink>Versailles, KY</a><br><b>Cause of death:</b> Heart Failure<br><b>Remains:</b> Buried, Pisgah Presbyterian Cemetery, Versailles, KY<br><p><b>Gender:</b> Male<br><b>Religion:</b> <a href="/lists/873/000071660/" class=proflink>Presbyterian</a><br><b>Race or Ethnicity:</b> White<br><b>Sexual orientation:</b> Straight<br><b>Occupation:</b> Politician, Baseball<br><b>Party Affiliation:</b> Democratic<p><b>Nationality:</b> United States<br><b>Executive summary:</b> Kentucky Governor, Baseball Commissioner<p><b>Military service:</b> US Army (1918-19)<p>Nicknamed for his jovial disposition, Albert "Happy" Chandler was a Kentucky attorney, Commissioner of Baseball, and twice Governor of the bluegrass state (serving one term in the 1930s and a second term twenty years later). He was appointed to the US Senate in 1939, serving until 1945. A generally conservative Democrat, he was vigorously opposed to President <a href="/people/115/000024043/">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>'s "New Deal", and was defeated for re-election in the 1938 Democratic primary by Roosevelt's ally, Senator <a href="/people/172/000057998/">Alben W. Barkley</a>, who lost in the general election. In his second stint as governor, he called out the National Guard to enforce racial integration in two public schools in 1957.<p> Chandler was named Commissioner of Baseball in 1945, succeeding <a href="/people/156/000167652/">Kenesaw Mountain Landis</a>. Overseeing the sport, he approved <a href="/sports/759/000085504/">Brooklyn Dodgers</a> General Manager <a href="/people/243/000166742/">Branch Rickey</a>'s contract with <a href="/people/469/000023400/">Jackie Robinson</a>, ending the racial barrier that blocked African-Americans from playing the major leagues. Now revered as a great and defining moment in the history of the game and of the nation, Chandler's decision was <i>extremely</i> controversial at the time, angering team owners, radio sponsors, and many ticket-holders. Along with his 1947 year-long suspension of Dodgers manager <a href="/people/069/000085811/">Leo Durocher</a> for associating with known gamblers, the Robinson contract was undoubtedly a factor in MLB owners' decision not to renew Chandler's contract in 1951.<p> He briefly played semi-pro baseball as a teenager. His grandson is US Congressman <a href="/people/112/000036004/">Ben Chandler</a> (D-Kentucky).<p><b>Father:</b> Joseph Sephus Chandler<br><b>Mother:</b> Callie Saunders Chandler Fortune Chamberlin<br><b>Brother:</b> Robert Chandler (d. 1912 fall)<br><b>Wife:</b> Mildred Watkins Chandler (m. 12-Nov-1925, four children)<br><b>Daughter:</b> Marcella Watkins Chandler Miller (stepdaughter)<br><b>Son:</b> Albert Benjamin Chandler Jr.<br><b>Son:</b> Joseph Daniel Chandler ("Dan", b. 17-Oct-1933, d. 27-Apr-2003)<br><b>Daughter:</b> Mimi Chandler Lewis (b. 15-Oct-1926)<br><p> High School: Corydon High School, Corydon, KY (1917)<br> University: <a href="/edu/588/000111255/">BA, Transylvania University (1921)</a><br> Law School: <a href="/edu/404/000127023/">Harvard Law School (attended, 1921-22)</a><br> Law School: <a href="/edu/824/000068620/">LLB, University of Kentucky (1924)</a><br> Administrator: <a href="/edu/588/000111255/">Trustee, Transylvania University</a><br> Administrator: <a href="/edu/824/000068620/">Trustee, University of Kentucky</a><br><p> <a href="/gov/940/000051787/">Governor of Kentucky</a> (1955-59)<br> <a href="/org/352/000059175/">Major League Baseball</a> Commissioner (1945-1951)<br> <a href="/gov/261/000052105/">US Senator, Kentucky</a> (1939-45)<br> <a href="/gov/940/000051787/">Governor of Kentucky</a> (1935-39)<br> <a href="/gov/245/000121879/">Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky</a> (1931-35)<br> <a href="/gov/111/000121745/">Kentucky State Senate</a> (1930-31)<br> <u>Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame</u> 1957<br> <a href="/honors/351/000044219/">Baseball Hall of Fame</a> 1982<br> <a href="/org/918/000055753/">Democratic National Committee</a> <br> <a href="/org/499/000117148/">Kentucky Bar Association</a> <br> <a href="/event/787/000366686/">Declared Martial Law</a> Louisville, KY (Jan-1937)<br> <a href="/event/170/000087906/">Heart Attack</a> 15-Jun-1991 (fatal)<br><p> <font size=-2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR</font><br> <a href="/films/357/000088093/">Baseball (18-Sep-1994)</a> · Himself<br><p> <b>Author of books:</b><br> <i>Heroes, Plain Folks, and Skunks</i> (<tt>1989</tt>)<br><p> <br> <p> <table> <tr> <td align=right valign=middle style="padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: italic; color: #ff3333;">New!</span><br> <a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/" class="fotmlink" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: #dd0000;">NNDB MAPPER</a></td> <td valign=middle align=right style="border-left: 1px solid #bbb; padding-left: 5px;">Create a map starting with</td> <td valign=middle align=right><a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=259363"><img src="/man.gif" border=0 style="padding: 2px;"></a></td> <td align=left valign=middle> <a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=259363">Albert "Happy" Chandler</a></td> </tr> </table> <font face="Trebuchet MS, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2">Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.</font> <br><br><p> <font size=-1>Do you know something we don't?</font><br> <font size=-1><a href="http://commentary.nndb.com/submit/feedback/?id=259363" rel="nofollow">Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile</a></font><br> <p> <br><br><p><font size=-1>Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications</font><p> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </td> <td width=180 align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 0px 0px 8px 25px;"></td></tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>