Reflecting On Cordell Hull’s Impact 67 Years After His Passing

Saturday marks the 67th anniversary of Cordell Hull’s passing.

UCDD Public Historian Mark Dudney said while Hull might be best known as the longest-serving Secretary of State or the Father of the United Nations, he has many ties to the Upper Cumberland, including Pickett, Clay, and Jackson Counties.

“He is considered one of the favorite sons of the Upper Cumberland,” Dudney said. “The Gores in Carthage, Albert Gore Sr. really modeled his career after Hull. Hull mentored Al Gore Sr. and then his son, obviously, they all actually held the same seat in Congress.”

Dudney said that Hull really set the standard for a lot of the top political figures that came from the Upper Cumberland. He said Hull has been compared to Abraham Lincoln for his work ethic and commitment to duty.

Dudney said that there are enormous lessons we can learn from the way Hull conducted himself today in modern politics. He said while there are fair criticisms of the United Nations in modern times, its creation after the cataclysm of World War II was integral in having hope for the future.

“Striving to maintain order and having alliances to maintain stability are extremely relevant in our day and time,” Dudney said. “And Hull recognized that and always used history to try and understand our present and our future. So to me, that’s one of the big takeaways in addition to how he conducted himself personally.”