Yesterday, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the East Tennessee Historical Society, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Press and Knoxville’s weekly newspaper The Knox Focus, hosted the launch of Ray Hill’s new book, Senator Kenneth McKellar: “Fuedin’ Son of Tennessee.”

Watch Ray tell the story of McKellar and How We received Oak Ridge, here.

I first met Ray in the early 1990s when he was elected to the Knox County Commission, representing South Knoxville’s Ninth District. He later served South Knoxville and part of West Knoxville in the Tennessee House of Representatives until he was succeeded by a Democrat who worked as a criminal-defense attorney. After leaving the legislature, Ray became Executive Director of the Knox County Commission and, for the past twenty-two years, has serves as a deputy clerk in Knox County Circuit, Civil Sessions, and Juvenile Courts.

This new volume is the first full-length biography of Senator Kenneth McKellar, the powerful and colorful Tennessean who dominated state and national politics for much of the first half of the twentieth century. Ray has long had a passion for researching and writing about political figures; his popular historical columns have appeared weekly in The Knox Focus for years. Readers who enjoy Tennessee political history will not be disappointed—this book is thoroughly researched, engaging, and a genuine contribution to the state’s historical literature.

Ray is fortunate to have an outlet like The Knox Focus that encourages him to pursue his passion for uncovering and publishing the stories of our political past. In much the same way, I’m grateful to have an employer who respects my First Amendment rights and allows me to maintain this blog as a personal passion without interference.