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Gil Carmichael

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Gil Carmichael, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202523 sources
Gilbert Carmichael
Born (1927-06-27) 27 June 1927 (age 99)
Columbia, Mississippi, U.S.
Died31 January 2016(2016-01-31) (aged 88)
Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, politician
Years active1950s–2000s
Known forRepublican political candidate in Mississippi; founder of the Transportation Institute at the University of Denver; chairman of Amtrak Reform Council

Gilbert Ellzey Carmichael (June 27, 1927 – January 31, 2016) was a notable American entrepreneur and political figure. Born in Columbia, Mississippi, he pursued higher education at Texas A&M University and served in the United States Coast Guard during the Korean War. His valor during the rescue of sailors from a sinking tanker earned him the Silver Lifesaving Medal. In mid-1950, Carmichael began his career with Dow Jones & Company as a sales representative for The Wall Street Journal. After eight years, he partnered with an associate to distribute automobiles in Shreveport, Louisiana. Subsequently, he became a co-owner of an auto dealership in Meridian, Mississippi, eventually acquiring full ownership. Affiliated with the Republican Party, Carmichael entered politics in the 1960s with two unsuccessful campaigns for the Mississippi State Legislature. He pursued a U.S. Senate seat in 1972 and was the first serious Republican candidate for Governor of Mississippi in decades during his 1975 campaign, narrowly losing. He ran again unsuccessfully for governor in 1979 and made an independent bid for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 1983. Between the 1970s and 1990s, he contributed to several national transportation advisory boards. He passed away in 2016.

Early life and business career

Gilbert Ellzey Carmichael entered the world on June 27, 1927, in Columbia, Mississippi, born to Calvin Ellzey Carmichael and Clyde Myrna Smith Carmichael. After his father's untimely death during his youth, his mother became the primary provider for their family. He completed his secondary education at Columbia High School in 1944 and served in the United States Military from 1945 until 1946. Following his military service, he enrolled at Texas A&M University, earning a business degree with a petroleum engineering minor by 1950. Carmichael married and had one son. During the Korean War, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Coast Guard. In 1952, holding the rank of ensign, he played a crucial role in rescuing crew members from the tanker SS Fort Mercer, which broke apart amid a storm near Cape Cod. Commanding a rescue boat, he saved two men from the ship’s bow section and was honored with a Silver Lifesaving Medal for his courageous actions.

In June 1950, Carmichael embarked on a sales career with Dow Jones & Company, promoting The Wall Street Journal. His territory covered southern Mississippi, southern Louisiana, and New Orleans, where he personally approached office buildings to market subscriptions and educate clients on reading the publication effectively. After eight years in this role, he partnered with a friend to distribute Fiat automobiles in Shreveport, Louisiana. Later, he became part-owner of an automobile dealership located in Meridian, Mississippi, eventually purchasing full control of the enterprise. In 1961, he established a dealership specializing in Volkswagen vehicles and later expanded to include sales of Audi and Mercedes cars. His business interests extended to dealerships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Upon his appointment to the Federal Railroad Administration, Carmichael divested from his Meridian dealerships but retained ownership of their properties, which he later utilized as part of his involvement with Missouth Properties, his son's commercial real estate firm.

1972 U.S. Senate election

Incumbent Democratic Senator James Eastland, who opposed Carmichael in the 1972 Senate race

Carmichael was affiliated with the Republican Party.[1] His political involvement began during the 1960s, when he unsuccessfully sought election to the Mississippi State Legislature twice,[2] and he also managed Rubel Phillips's 1963 gubernatorial campaign efforts in Lauderdale County.[3] Although he contemplated a run for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 1971, party leaders dissuaded him, concerned that his candidacy might link the Republicans to black independent gubernatorial candidate Charles Evers.[4] In 1972, civil rights activist James Meredith sought the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic incumbent James Eastland for the U.S. Senate seat. However, some Mississippi Republicans doubted Meredith's viability and preferred not to associate with another black candidate, prompting them to encourage Carmichael to enter the race instead.[1][5] Carmichael secured the Republican primary nomination but encountered resistance from national party figures. President Richard Nixon, aiming to maintain favorable relations with Eastland to support his federal agenda, had a campaign official approach Carmichael with an offer: if he withdrew, Nixon would appoint him as an ambassador. Carmichael declined this proposal.[1] Additionally, when Vice President Spiro Agnew visited Mississippi for a rally, he was directed not to invite Carmichael. This exclusion attracted media attention, portraying Carmichael as a political underdog. Ultimately, Carmichael was defeated by Eastland in the general election, receiving just 39 percent of the vote.[6]

Gubernatorial campaigns

In 1975, Carmichael announced his candidacy for Governor of Mississippi, marking him as the first credible Republican contender for that office in many years.[7][8] In the general election, he competed against Democrat Cliff Finch.[7] An independent candidate, black politician Henry J. Kirksey, was also in the race.[8] While Finch largely avoided engaging directly with his opponents and relied on broad rhetoric, Carmichael presented detailed policy proposals and clear positions.[9] His platform included advocating for a new Constitution of Mississippi, supporting ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, endorsing federal aid to New York City, promoting gun registration laws,[10] reducing penalties for marijuana possession, and mandating school attendance for children.[11] He envisioned the Republican Party as inclusive of all races, emphasizing it as "the party of emancipation, the party of homeownership, the party of individual responsibility [...] the natural party for black people to be involved in."[12] To attract black voters, he appointed black politician Robert G. Clark Jr. to his campaign strategy team and visited predominantly black communities such as Mound Bayou,[11] though these efforts yielded limited results.[13] Although Carmichael was defeated, he garnered 47 percent of the vote—a notably strong showing for a Republican statewide candidate at that time.[14] His strongest support came from urban and suburban voters. Some Republicans believed his relatively liberal positions alienated conservative Mississippians and cost him victory.[10] He served as a delegate at the 1976 Republican National Convention, where he supported President Gerald Ford's nomination.[15] The convention exposed sharp divides between conservatives and moderates within the party and disagreements concerning race; Carmichael expressed his determination to prevent the party from becoming "lily white and hard right".[16]

Carmichael pursued the governorship again in the 1979 Mississippi gubernatorial election. Finch's tenure had been marred by corruption allegations, motivating Carmichael to present himself as a moderate and competent alternative appealing to voters statewide.[17] However, more conservative Republicans blamed him for losing in 1975 and encouraged another candidate, Leon Bramlett, to challenge him in the primary as a "conservative alternative." Despite this opposition, Carmichael's greater name recognition helped him win the primary by receiving 17,216 votes compared to Bramlett's 15,236.[18] Longtime politician William F. Winter emerged victorious in the Democratic primary—much to Carmichael's disappointment—as both candidates projected similar moderate images but Winter possessed more governmental experience. Burdened by a divisive primary contest, Carmichael lagged behind Winter in polls and ultimately lost in the general election, carrying only three counties with majority support.[19] Following this defeat, the moderate faction within the Mississippi Republican Party diminished alongside efforts to engage black voters.[20] In 1983, Carmichael ran as an independent candidate for lieutenant governor.[21] Centering his campaign on advocating for constitutional revision,[22] he obtained only 35.7 percent of votes and was defeated by Brad Dye.[23] Later in life, during 1998, he delivered speeches urging Mississippi to undertake constitutional reform.[23] He also supported altering the design of the Mississippi state flag.[2]

Later life and death

In 1973, Carmichael received an appointment to the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee, serving as a form of compensation for the Nixon administration's limited backing during his 1972 Senate campaign. He eventually assumed the role of chairman before being named the federal commissioner for the National Transportation Policy Study Commission in 1976, a position he held until 1979. Between 1989 and 1993, Carmichael contributed to the Federal Railroad Administration, where he was a strong advocate for intermodal freight transportation. In 1996, he founded the Transportation Institute at the University of Denver. Two years later, in 1998, he joined the Amtrak Reform Council and was elevated to chairman in 1999, remaining until mid-2002. This council was responsible for providing recommendations to the U.S. Congress aimed at enhancing Amtrak’s financial sustainability. From 1993 through 2002, Carmichael authored a column for Progressive Railroading.

Carmichael passed away due to a heart attack on January 31, 2016, at Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, Mississippi. His funeral service took place on February 5 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Meridian.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nash & Taggart 2009, p. 51.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bonney
  3. ↑ Hathorn 1985, p. 249.
  4. ↑ Danielson 2011, pp. 83–84.
  5. ↑ Danielson 2011, p. 84.
  6. ↑ Nash & Taggart 2009, pp. 51–52.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nash & Taggart 2009, p. 53.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Foster 1983, p. 190.
  9. ↑ Danielson 2019, pp. 124–125.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nash & Taggart 2009, pp. 53–54.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Danielson 2019, p. 125.
  12. ↑ Danielson 2011, pp. 85, 91.
  13. ↑ Danielson 2019, pp. 125–126.
  14. ↑ Bass 1995, pp. 215–216.
  15. ↑ Danielson 2011, p. 126.
  16. ↑ Danielson 2011, p. 128.
  17. ↑ Nash & Taggart 2009, p. 88.
  18. ↑ Nash & Taggart 2009, pp. 88–89.
  19. ↑ Nash & Taggart 2009, p. 91.
  20. ↑ Danielson 2011, pp. 134, 176.
  21. ↑ "Carmichael, Gandy decline to run". The Greenwood Commonwealth. June 3, 1987. p. 4.
  22. ↑ "Carmichael, Gandy decline to run". The Greenwood Commonwealth. June 3, 1987. p. 4.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named obit

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