William David Upshaw
William David Upshaw, c. 1919
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's5th district
In office March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1927
Preceded by	William S. Howard
Succeeded by	Leslie J. Steele
Personal details
Born	(1866-10-15)October 15, 1866 Newnan,Georgia
Died	November 21, 1952(1952-11-21) (aged 86) Glendale,California
Political party	Democratic Party Prohibition Party
Alma mater	Mercer University

William David Upshaw (October 15, 1866 – November 21, 1952) served eight years in Congress (1919–1927), where he was such a strong proponent of thetemperance movement that he became known as the "driest of the drys." In Congress, Upshaw was a staunch defender of theKu Klux Klan, which was founded in his congressional district, and lost reelection because of major KKK scandals in the mid-1920s. In 1932, he ran forPresident of the United States on theProhibition Party ticket, finishing the race in fifth place.

Upshaw was born on October 15, 1866, in Georgia. He attended public schools inAtlanta, Georgia as a child, and graduated fromMercer University. Leaving college, he worked in agriculture and as a merchant in his father's business until being incapacitated by an accident in 1895 when he fell from a wagon and injured his back.^[1] Upshaw used a wheelchair for seven years, but gradually regained the ability to walk with crutches. His condition eventually improved enough that he told newspaper reporters that he was able to walk several steps unaided.^[2] Despite his improved ability to walk, Upshaw continued to regularly rely on his crutches. In Congress, some opponents accused him of using the crutches as "part of a costume" to elicit sympathy and support from voters after they caught him running at theUnited States Capitol without relying on any crutches.^[3]

Upshaw's political career began when he became involved with theprohibition movement. He served as vice president of the GeorgiaAnti-Saloon League in 1906 and played a major role in passage of statewide prohibition in that state in 1907, making it the first dry state in theSouthern United States. The defense of prohibition was a major factor in the establishment of the secondKu Klux Klan ("Klan of the 1920s") in 1915. The KKK coordinated its activities with the Anti-Saloon League to enforce prohibition.^[4]

Upshaw was elected to the United States Congress as aDemocrat representingGeorgia's 5th District in 1919. Incumbent DemocratWilliam S. Howard retired to run for theUnited States Senate, and Upshaw ran unopposed in the general election. He served four terms, until 1927.^[1] In Congress, Upshaw was an important supporter of the KKK and prohibition. Upshaw vocally defended the Klan during a congressional probe into their activities saying: "that he felt a sort of wounded pride in hearing the many criticisms hurled at the Klan, which was organized in my district and whose imperial wizard is one of the Knightliest, most patriotic men I have ever known."^[5][6] He suggested investigating all secret societies such as the Masons, etc. which may have contributed to the early conclusion of the probe. Upshaw was accused of being a secret member of the KKK, but he always denied the allegations. Internal Klan newsletters claimed that he was a member.^[7] According to the Georgia Historical Society, Upshaw was never proven to be a KKK member, but there was "little doubt" that he was a member. He was in frequent contact with leaders of the KKK in Georgia.^[8]

In 1922, Upshaw came out strongly against a federal anti-lynching bill. He made several strong speeches against the bill, making racial remarks and arguing in favor of states' rights. He was a key political leader opposing federal laws intending to crack down on the KKK. His public support of the KKK undermined his reelection efforts in 1926 as his primary election opponentLeslie Jasper Steele connected him to the major scandals occurring within the KKK at that time. Upshaw was also exposed for taking payments from the Anti-Saloon League, which his opponent used to claim he was only supporting prohibition for financial reasons. Upshaw lost theprimary election and failed to secure the Democratic nomination to run for Congress for a fifth term.^[8]

In Congress, Upshaw supported the creation of aUnited States Department of Education and was focused on eliminating what he considered alien doctrines from public education, such asBolshevism. Known as the "Billy Sunday of Congress" and for his "colorful, bizarre antics" as a congressman, Upshaw was supported politically by the most powerful names in Southern Protestantism, including evangelistBob Jones, Sr., the founder of what eventually becameBob Jones University. Upshaw served as a member of the Board of Trustees from the founding of Bob Jones College inLynn Haven,Florida in 1927, until he was dropped from the board in 1932 for failing to attend its annual meetings or file his voting proxies.

Leaving Congress in 1927, Upshaw was elected as a vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention where he served two terms and made repeated attempts to restart his political career. In1932, he was theProhibition Party candidate for thePresident of the United States withFrank S. Regan of Illinois as his running mate. The ticket came in fifth, losing toFranklin D. Roosevelt (who favoredrepeal of prohibition), incumbentRepublican PresidentHerbert Hoover,Socialist candidateNorman Thomas, andCommunist candidateWilliam Z. Foster. In 1942 Upshaw was a candidate in theDemocratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, but again lost the election and failed to secure his party's nomination.^[1]

Upshaw moved toCalifornia and turned to lecturing, writing, and ministering as a Christian evangelist in the later years of his life. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1938, at age 72. He served as vice president and teacher at the Linda Vista Baptist Bible College and Seminary inSan Diego.^[1] While in California, he became involved withRoy Davis, a leading member of the KKK, to found an orphanage inSan Bernardino County. The charity ended in scandal when it was revealed that Davis had swindled donors out of their money.^[9][10]

At age 85, a few months before Upshaw's death, he claimed to have been miraculously healed and had regained the ability to walk in aWilliam Branham revival meeting.^[11] Upshaw sent a letter describing his healing claim to each member of Congress.^[12][11] Among the widespread media reports was a story carried in theLos Angeles Times where Upshaw admitted to reporters that he had been able to walk without crutches prior to the Branham meeting. He claimed that his strength was improved and he could now walk farther than before the healing without the aid of crutches.^[12][2]

Upshaw died on November 21, 1952, aged 86, in Glendale, California, and was buried atForest Lawn Memorial-Park.^[1]

Source (popular vote):Leip, David."1932 Presidential Election Results".Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. RetrievedJuly 31, 2005.Source (electoral vote):"Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996".National Archives and Records Administration. RetrievedJuly 31, 2005.

• "Annual of Southern Baptist Convention 1927"(PDF).The Baptist Home Library. 27 Jun 1928. Retrieved24 August 2019.
• Harrell, David (1978).All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America. Indiana University Press.ISBN 0-525-24136-1.
• Weaver, C. Douglas (2000).The Healer-Prophet: William Marrion Branham (A study of the Prophetic in American Pentecostalism). Mercer University Press.ISBN 978-0-865-54710-0.

Not a credible source

• Upshaw, William D (1893).Earnest Willie, Or Echoes From A Recluse. Franklin Printing And Publishing Co.

• United States Congress."William D. Upshaw (id: U000026)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Media related toWilliam David Upshaw at Wikimedia Commons
• William D. Upshaw
• Described (in French) as "the driest man in the United States;" along with photograph. Le Petit Journal, Montreal, 10 June 1934^{[dead link]}

• 1866 births
• 1952 deaths
• People from Newnan, Georgia
• American Protestants
• Prohibition Party (United States) presidential nominees
• Candidates in the 1932 United States presidential election
• American politicians with disabilities
• Georgia (U.S. state) Prohibitionists
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
• American Ku Klux Klan members
• Temperance activists from Georgia (U.S. state)
• 20th-century American far-right politicians
• 20th-century United States representatives

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