On This Day In Alabama History: Carl Elliott Was Born

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

Carl Atwood Elliott (1913-1999) was an attorney and served eight terms in Congress. Elliott was born on Dec. 20, 1913, in Vina in Franklin County. He received his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Alabama. Elliott served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944. Much of Elliott’s work in the U.S. House of Representatives was in support of education and social programs benefiting his district, Alabama and the nation. During his eight terms in Congress, Elliott supported liberal legislation, including the Fair Deal under President Harry S. Truman, the New Frontier under President John F. Kennedy and the Great Society under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Although Elliott refused to support federal desegregation legislation, he was widely criticized for his liberal views. He went into debt in an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1966. Elliott received the John F. Kennedy Foundation’s Profile in Courage Award in recognition of his progressive views on social issues.

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