Ben Walter Hooper, was an American politician who served two terms as the 31st governor of Tennessee from 1911 to 1915. Elected as a Fusionist candidate, he was one of just three Republicans to hold the office from the end of Reconstruction to the last quarter of the 20th century. His success was due to divisions in the state Democratic Party over prohibition; he received support from some of the party. During his two terms, Hooper signed several prohibition laws, enacted a measure requiring mandatory school attendance, and signed a law requiring direct pay for women workers.
Ben W. Hooper
Portrait of Governor Hooper by Willie Betty Newman.
Hooper at his Railroad Labor Board office in 1922
Elm Hill, Hooper's home in Newport, Tennessee
Newport is a city in and the county seat of Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,945 at the 2010 census, down from 7,242 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2018 was 6,801. Newport is located along the Pigeon River.
Downtown Newport
Historical marker along US-321 in Newport, recalling the site of War Ford
The French Broad River in the vicinity of Fine's Ferry at Newport's northern border
The Pigeon River in Newport