Chauncey Sparks

Chauncey Sparks
Official portrait, 1943
41st Governor of Alabama
In office January 19, 1943 – January 20, 1947
Lieutenant	Leven H. Ellis
Preceded by	Frank M. Dixon
Succeeded by	James E. Folsom
Personal details
Born	George Chauncey Sparks (1884-10-08)October 8, 1884 Barbour County, Alabama, U.S.
Died	November 6, 1968(1968-11-06) (aged 84) Eufaula, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence(s)	Eufaula, Alabama

George Chauncey Sparks (October 8, 1884 – November 6, 1968), known as Chauncey Sparks, was an attorney and Democratic American politician who served as the 42nd Governor of Alabama from 1943 to 1947. He improved the state education of whites and expanded the state schools and centers for agriculture. He campaigned for passage of the Boswell Amendment to the state constitution, which was designed to keep blacks disfranchised following the US Supreme Court ruling Smith v. Allwright (1944) against the use of white primaries by the Democratic Party in the states.

Under the state constitution, Alabama governors could not serve consecutive terms at the time, so Sparks left office without seeking reelection. In 1950, Sparks ran unsuccessfully for reelection as governor. He was the only lifelong bachelor to serve as Alabama governor in the 20th century.^[1]