Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn (July 1, 1927 – September 28, 2024) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 43rd

governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Tennessee Military Department, military forces. The governor is the only official in the Government of Tenne ...

from 1971 to 1975. He was the state's first Republican governor in fifty years.Phillip Langsdon, ''Tennessee: A Political History'' (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 370-381, 396-397. Dunn was an unsuccessful candidate for a second term in 1986, losing to Democrat Ned McWherter. He remained active in the Republican Party and the medical field from the end of his term as governor until his death.Michael Rogers,
Winfield Dunn
" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2009. Retrieved: December 30, 2012.

Early life

Dunn was born in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, ...

, the son of Aubert C. Dunn, an attorney and politician, and Dorothy (Crum) Dunn. Aubert served one term in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

, 1935–1937. In 1944, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he enlisted in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, and served as a pharmacists' mate in the Asia-Pacific Theatre. He subsequently served as a reserve

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

. Dunn graduated with a B.B.A. from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

in 1950. That same year, he married Betty Prichard, the daughter of a Memphis dentist. The couple had three children: Charles (Chuck), Gayle, and Julie.Finding Aid for the Winfield Dunn Autobiography Manuscripts
University of Tennessee Special Collections. Retrieved: December 30, 2012. After working in the insurance industry for several years, he obtained his

D.D.S. A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world. Degrees Dental degrees may include: Bachelor's degree * Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) * Bachelor's degree of Dentistry (BDS ...

from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

Medical Units in Memphis in 1955. He initially practiced with his father-in-law before opening his own practice in Memphis. Inspired by

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

's views on

conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...

, Dunn ran unsuccessfully for the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

in 1962. He was elected Chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, and as such campaigned for Goldwater in the 1964 presidential race. He was a delegate to the

1968 Republican National Convention The 1968 Republican National Convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida, USA, from August 5 to August 8, 1968, to select the party's nominee in the general election. It nominated former Vice P ...

, and campaigned for the eventual nominee,

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

Governor

In 1970, Dunn sought the Republican nomination for governor. His opponents for the nomination included Speaker of the Tennessee House William L. Jenkins, Nashville industrialist Maxey Jarman, former chair of the state party Claude K. Robertson, and the 1962 nominee, Hubert Patty. Boosted in part by a large turnout in his populous home county of Shelby, Dunn won the nomination, edging his nearest opponent, Jarman, by ten thousand votes. His opponent in the general election was

John Jay Hooker John Jay Hooker, Jr. (August 24, 1930 – January 24, 2016) was an American Lawyer, attorney, entrepreneur, political Social gadfly, gadfly and perennial candidate from Nashville, Tennessee, who was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...

, the Democratic nominee. Gerald-ford-and-winfield-dunn-1974

Prior to the 1970 election, Democrats had controlled the governor's office for 50 years, and had largely dominated state politics since the end of

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

. The GOP had last put up a candidate for governor in 1962. The social policies of the presidential administrations of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

, however, had alienated many Southern Democrats. Republicans began showing signs of life in the 1966 Senate race, when Republican Howard Baker Jr., defeated charismatic governor Frank G. Clement. In 1968, Nixon carried the state, Republicans won control of the state House of Representatives, and Republican Dan Kuykendall was elected to the Memphis-based 9th district congressional seat. With future federal judge Harry W. Wellford and future governor

Lamar Alexander Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who served as a United States senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from 1 ...

steering his campaign, Dunn defeated Hooker, 557,024 votes to 498,757, on election day.Bill Dries,
Dunn's Book Details GOP Comeback in Tennessee
" ''Memphis Daily News''. Retrieved: December 30, 2012. Upon taking office, Dunn sought to unify the state, and offered state appointments to both Republicans and Democrats. Democrats, who controlled the

state senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

and had regained control of the state house, were initially uncooperative, with Speaker of the House James McKinney and Lieutenant-governor John S. Wilder (who was in the first term of what would become a 36-year tenure) trying at times to thwart his legislative agenda. In 1972, Ned McWherter was elected house speaker, and proved more open to cooperation with the Republican governor. In spite of frequent Democratic opposition, Dunn managed to obtain a 0.6% increase in the state sales tax, allowing him to boost highway construction and give pay raises to state employees. He also created the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of General Services (to administer state purchases), and reorganized the Department of Personnel in an attempt to enhance efficiency in the hiring of state workers. Dunn supported the state's ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18, in 1971. In November 1973, Dunn hosted the Republican Governors Conference in Memphis, where President Nixon, beleaguered by the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...

, privately assured the governors present that no more surprises would arise from the scandal that would hurt the party. In his 2007 book, ''From a Standing Start'', Dunn recalled being "shocked" and "disappointed" when a news broadcast on the following evening revealed there was an 18-and-half minute gap in the White House tapes.

Later life and death

Dunn's term ended in 1975; at the time, the

Constitution of Tennessee The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules (and means for changing them) of the U.S. State of Tennessee. The original constitution of Tennessee came into effect on June 1, ...

barred governors from serving consecutive terms. He returned to the private sector, working for several years as the vice president of public relations for the Nashville-based

Hospital Corporation of America HCA Healthcare, Inc. (historically known as Hospital Corporation of America) is an American for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 ...

. In 1986, Dunn once again ran for governor. He easily defeated Hubert Patty and Charles Vick in the Republican primary, but questions over party unity dogged his campaign. During his first term, Dunn had vetoed a bill calling for the establishment of a medical school at

East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. It was historically part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee under the Tennessee Board of Regents, but since 2016, ...

, reasoning that the state's three existing medical schools were adequate. Though the legislature overrode his veto, he nevertheless drew the enmity of powerful 1st district congressman Jimmy Quillen, in whose district the school was to be located. Quillen was still smarting over the veto more than a decade later, and withheld his endorsement in 1986. Without Quillen's endorsement, Dunn struggled in East Tennessee (normally a Republican stronghold), and was defeated in the general election by the Democratic nominee, Ned McWherter, 656,602 votes to 553,448. After the 1986 campaign, Dunn focused on business and charitable interests. He worked as chairman of Memphis-based Medshares, and was a member of the boards of healthcare companies Phycor and Behavioral Healthcare Corporation. He was also active in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, as well as with various charities, including the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. The ACS publishes the journals ''Cancer'', '' CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians'' and '' Cancer Cytopathology''. History The society w ...

, the Nashville Heart Association, and the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...

. During his post-governorship, Dunn remained an "elder statesman" in the state Republican Party. He was chair of the state steering committee of the presidential campaign of

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

in 1988, and was an elector for

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

in 2004 and

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

in 2008. In December 2011, he endorsed the eventual 2012 Republican presidential nominee,

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

. Romney said of Dunn: "No one is more highly regarded for his love of country and his public service." Dunn died on September 28, 2024 from natural causes at his home in Nashville at the age of 97.

Legacy

The Winfield Dunn Center, built during Dunn's tenure as governor, is home to the indoor athletic teams of

Austin Peay State University Austin Peay State University (APSU) () is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee, United States. Standing on a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845, the precursor of the university was established in 1927 ...

.Winfield Dunn Center
Austin Peay State University website. Retrieved: December 30, 2012. Buildings at

Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University (commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech) is a Public university, public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of D ...

and the

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

have been named for Dunn. The Dunn Dental Building, housing the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, is also named after Governor Dunn. The golf course at Pickwick Landing State Park in Counce, Tennessee is named for the former governor. A bust honoring the governor is in the clinic lobby of the Dunn Building. Two state routes in Tennessee are named for him: Winfield Dunn Parkway, a section of State Highway 66, connects

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

with U.S. Route 441 in Sevierville, and a portion of Interstate 269/ Tennessee State Route 385 in Fayette and Shelby Counties is named for him between US 70 and US 72.

References

External links

Governor Winfield Dunn
– entry at the

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American Politics of the United States, political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 U.S. state, states, Territories of the United States, territories ...

*
Governor Winfield Dunn Papers (finding aid)
– Tennessee State Library and Archives

– Tennessee Portrait Project
Portrait photograph of Governor Dunn
– Tennessee State Library and Archives , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Winfield 1927 births 2024 deaths American dentists American United Methodists Republican Party governors of Tennessee Military personnel from Mississippi Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee Politicians from Meridian, Mississippi Southern Methodists 2004 United States presidential electors 2008 United States presidential electors University of Mississippi alumni University of Tennessee alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy corpsmen United States Air Force officers United States Air Force reservists 20th-century Tennessee politicians