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Benjamin Travis Laney Jr. is notable for his tenure as the governor of Arkansas from 1945 to 1949, during which he implemented the significant 1945 Revenue Stabilization Law, effectively prohibiting deficit spending in the state. As a prominent Dixiecrat and segregationist, he vocally opposed federal civil rights initiatives and worked to maintain segregation, which marked his political stance. Laney's role in the 1948 States' Rights Democratic Party convention, where he protested against Harry Truman's civil rights platform, further highlighted his influence. Additionally, he was instrumental in promoting economic development in post-World War II Arkansas, advocating for industrial growth and investment in the state.[1][2]
Benjamin Travis Laney Jr. was born on November 25, 1896, on a small farm in the Jones Chapel community, commonly called Cooterneck, in Ouachita County, Arkansas. His parents were Benjamin Travis Laney Sr.and Martha Ella Phenix Saxon.[3][4] By 1900,[5] and again in 1910, he lived in Washington Township, Ouachita County, Arkansas. At age 13, he worked as a farm laborer on the family farm.[6]
Although Laney did not complete high school, his capabilities earned him a teaching position and admission to Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, in 1915. Despite his limited formal education, he excelled as an honor student. He left Hendrix College in 1916, taught briefly,[3][7], and returned to live in Louann, Ouachita County, Arkansas, working as a farmer.[8]
By 1920, Laney was back in Washington Township, laboring on the family farm,[9] which saw the discovery of oil in 1922. He then returned to Conway and graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College (now University of Central Arkansas) in 1924. Following graduation, he gained business experience by working in a drugstore his brother had purchased.[3]
On January 19, 1926, Laney married Ethel Lucille Kirtley in Ouachita County, Arkansas.[10] By 1930, he was living in Camden, Ouachita County, managing a credit and savings loan.[11] Laney then diversified into the oil business, acquiring cotton gins, oil mills, and stores selling feed, groceries, and hardware.[3]
Laney was a dedicated teacher for many years of the Ben Laney Men's Bible Class at Camden First United Methodist Church, and was active in the Camden Softball League in the 1930s, where he pitched in games at Hirsch Field. In 1935, he was elected mayor of Camden, a position he was reelected to in 1937. By 1940, he continued farming in Camden.[12][13][14]
In 1941, former Governor Homer M. Adkins appointed Laney to the State Penitentiary Commission. He served as governor of Arkansas from 1945 to 1949, during which his most notable achievement was the 1945 Revenue Stabilization Law, which prohibited deficit spending. As a Dixiecrat and segregationist, Laney opposed changes to race relations and efforts to end segregation. He spoke against federal initiatives to outlaw lynching and the poll tax, and worked discreetly to prevent desegregation in state education programs, citing constitutional principles and states' rights.[3][12][13][15][16]
Laney drew national attention in 1948 as a presidential candidate for the States' Rights Democratic Party, opposing Harry Truman's civil rights platform. He withdrew before being nominated at the Philadelphia convention, refusing to support the Democratic Party platform, leading to a walkout by delegations from several southern states, including Arkansas.[3][12][13][17]
Post-World War II, Laney promoted economic development for a "New South" and sought to attract industry to Arkansas. Despite his progressive economic views, he maintained a paternalistic racial stance. The Ouachita River Bridge on Highway 79B north of Camden was later named the Ben T. Laney Bridge in recognition of his efforts.[3][17]
By 1950, Laney lived in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, where he owned and operated a real estate company.[18] He died of an apparent heart attack on January 21, 1977, in Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas,[12][13][19] and was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Camden, Ouachita County, Arkansas.[20]
Laney was a Rotarian, a Mason, a Shriner, and a member of the American Legion. He was also active in the Boy Scouts and served as a trustee of the First United Methodist Church throughout his life.[12][13]
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