born Nov. 24, 1877, Graves county, Ky., U.S.
died April 30, 1956, Lexington, Va.
U.S. politician.
After graduating from college, he studied law and was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1901. He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives (1913–27) and the Senate (1927–49), where he served as majority leader (1937–47). He was a prominent spokesman for the domestic and international policies of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt . He served as vice president under Pres. Harry S. Truman (1949–53). He later returned to the Senate (1954–56).