The coonskin brotherhood! Upon arriving in Erie, PA in 1956, Kefauver meets a young boy in a Davy Crockett outfit. In the first photo, the boy is blowing into his powder horn, which is part of the outfit. In the second one, Kefauver admires the boy's coonskin cap. #polisky #history #skystorians

Two proud liberals, sitting together! Kefauver and Michigan Governor Soapy Williams take a quiet moment to relax at Democratic campaign headquarters in Detroit in the fall of 1956. #polisky #history #skystorians

"Each man is an uncrowned king in a democracy at work. The collective influence of our individual citizens molds public opinion, and public opinion is what rules this democratic government of ours." - Estes Kefauver, 1948 #skystorians #history #polisky #election2026 #ivoted

Kefauver’s stance on civil rights changed over time. But a 1950 speech showed the direction he was already heading. #skystorians #history #polisky #civilrights estes-kefauver.com/2026/11/02/t...

The Road to Equality

Kefauver’s stance on civil rights changed over time. But a 1950 speech showed the direction he was already heading.

estes-kefauver.com

Boo! 👻 If you're a crooked politician, a mob boss, or a corporate monopolist, there's nothing spookier than a Kefauver Senate committee at your door with a subpoena. Happy Halloween, everybody! #skystorians #history #polisky #halloween

This 1948 cartoon from the Memphis Press-Scimitar summed up Kefauver's first Senate race. The machine tried to fling mud at him, calling a dangerous leftist and Communist sympathizer. But voters saw his record and realized the charges were false, and elected him. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver, working hard for the working man's vote! Here, the Democratic VP candidate is shaking hands with a factory worker in the fall of 1956, while standing next to a rep from the UAW local. #skystorians #history #polisky

When Kefauver spoke on the steps of Davidson County Courthouse in Nashville in August 1948 during his initial Senate run, the crowd was so big that it spilled out into the middle of the street; cops had to direct traffic around them. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver’s high-profile Senate hearings demonstrated his theory about how the legislature could remain relevant and serve the public. His colleagues didn’t understand the theory – so they didn’t understand him either. #skystorians #history #polisky estes-kefauver.com/2026/10/26/g...

Government In the Spotlight

Kefauver’s high-profile Senate hearings demonstrated his theory about how the legislature could remain relevant and serve the public. His colleagues didn’t understand the theory –…

estes-kefauver.com

Safety first! Kefauver shakes hands with a group of school safety patrols in Harrisburg, PA in 1952. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver kneels to watch his running mate, Adlai Stevenson, speak on TV in 1956. Kefauver is preparing to give a speech of his own in another city. #skystorians #history #polisky

Lots of fun signs at the 1952 Democratic convention! The guy in the Oregon delegation holding the Schlitz sign pulls focus here, but look behind it at the Michigan delegation holding up polka-dotted bow tie signs, as a tribute to their governor, Soapy Williams. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver: friend of the working man! Here, he's paying a visit to United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Local 982 in Detroit while campaign as Stevenson's running mater in the fall of 1956. The local's neon sign is pretty fantastic. #skystorians #history #polisky

Kefauver spent twenty years trying to pass his signature political reform proposal. It was a good idea that convinced a lot of people – just not the ones he needed. #polisky #history #skystorians estes-kefauver.com/2026/10/19/n...

Never A Question

Kefauver spent twenty years trying to pass his signature political reform proposal. It was a good idea that convinced a lot of people – just not the ones he needed.

estes-kefauver.com

This is a rather remarkable ad from the Memphis Press-Scimitar in 1948, urging Tennessee Democrats to support Gordon Browning and Estes Kefauver, the Democratic nominees for Governor and Senator, respectively. #skystorians #history #polisky

Can't stop for lunch - gotta keep campaigning! Kefauver shakes hands at a lunch counter in Washington, DC ahead of the primary in June 1952. #skystorians #history #polisky

You never know what you'll see on the trail! While campaigning at a house party in 1956, Kefauver meets a woman who's wearing a tiara that spells out "KEFAUVER." An interesting style choice! #skystorians #history #polisky

A political legend is born! In June 1948, Boss Crump of Memphis took out an ad calling Kefauver - running for Senate for the first time - sneaky like a "pet coon." Kefauver showed up in Crump's backyard and put on a coonskin cap. "I may be a pet coon," he said, "but I ain't Mr. Crump's pet coon!"

Kefauver loves kids, and they love him back! A young boy says hello to Kefauver during a dinner event in Harrisburg, PA in June 1952. The gentleman on the left is Guy Bard, who was the Democratic nominee for the Senate that year. (He lost to incumbent Ed Martin.) #skystorians #history #polisky

Estes Kefauver took women seriously – as voters and as campaign workers. In his time, that was rarer that it seemed. Today, we're talking about Kefauver's (political) relationship with the ladies: #politics #history #skystorians estes-kefauver.com/2026/10/12/a...

A Real Ladies’ Man

Estes Kefauver took women seriously – as voters and as campaign workers. In his time, that was rarer that it seemed.

estes-kefauver.com

Estes Kefauver: the working man's friend! Here, he talks to a forklift driver while on the campaign trail in Iowa in 1956. Kefauver was a strong supporter of organized labor throughout his career, and blue-collar workers were a key part of his political base. #skystorians #polisky #history

Look out, Senator, Estes is stealing your girl - and your job! This 1948 cartoon from the Chattanooga Daily Times shows a key factor in Kefauver's upset win over Senator Tom Stewart: the Tennessee Valley Authority. #skystorians #history #polisky

Time to get cranking! Kefauver in front of an old Model T Ford with a class of teenage boys in Massachusetts in April 1952. I presume he's handing over his hat so he can show the boys how to start the car up. #skystorians #history #polisky

Estes Kefauver, friend to farmers! Kefauver test-drives a tractor while visiting an agricultural fair in Iowa in 1956. He looks comfortable behind the wheel! #skystorians #history #polisky

A winner's handshake! Gordon Browning and Estes Kefauver congratulate each other on their wins in the 1948 Tennessee Democratic primary. Browning defeated incumbent Jim McCord to win the nomination for Governor, while Kefauver captured the nomination for Senator. #skystorians #history #polisky

When Eisenhower's administration tried to kill a public power project, Kefauver fought back with hearings exposing a giveaway to private industry. He couldn’t save the dam, but won a different victory. The Hells Canyon Dam fight: estes-kefauver.com/2026/10/05/w... #skystorians #history #polisky

When the Dam Breaks

When the Eisenhower administration tried to kill a public power project, Kefauver fought back with hearings that exposed a giveaway to private industry. He couldn’t save the dam, but won a di…

estes-kefauver.com

That's what I call a winning smile! Kefauver posing for one of a series of pictures for Life magazine in May 1952, during his first Presidential campaign. Not sure why they had him pose with the radio. #skystorians #history #polisky

Have you driven a Ford lately? Kefauver getting a tour of the Ford assembly plant in St. Paul ahead of the 1956 Minnesota primary. He appears to be checking out the engine of a newly assembled ride. #polisky #skystorians #history

The family that campaigns together stays together! Estes and Nancy Kefauver with daughter Eleanor (later Lynda) and son David at a campaign rally in Nashville on the eve of the 1948 Democratic Senate primary. #skystorians #history #polsiky

On his way to a dinner speech in Harrisburg, PA in June 1952, Kefauver stops to comb his hair using a drugstore window as a mirror. When you're on the road, sometimes you need to make do with what you have! #skystorians #history #polisky