J. C. W. Beckham - Later Life and Death

Later Life and Death

Following his term in the Senate, Beckham resumed his legal practice in Louisville. He sought another term as governor in 1927. This time he had the support of the Louisville Courier-Journal, which had been purchased by his ally, Robert W. Bingham. He was opposed by a powerful political machine known as the Jockey Club, whose main interest was securing legislation to allow parimutuel betting at the state's horse racetracks.

The Jockey Club ran a candidate in both parties' primary elections. In the Democratic primary Beckham defeated the Club's relatively obscure candidate, Robert T. Crowe. Flem D. Sampson, the Club's nominee in the Republican primary, won his party's nomination. In the general election Beckham could not secure the support of Democratic governor William J. Fields, who had been elected with the help of the Jockey Club. Despite the Democrats winning every other contest on the ballot, including the race for lieutenant governor, Beckham lost to Sampson by more than 32,000 votes. It was estimated that the Club spent over $500,000 to defeat him.

Beckham was expected to be the Democrats' nominee for governor in 1935, but the death of his son in late 1934 left him distraught and his wife opposed to another campaign. The Democrats turned to A. B. "Happy" Chandler of Henderson, who won the election. Beckham supported Chandler's bid, and in return Chandler appointed him to the Kentucky Public Service Commission in 1936. Beckham also served on the Department of Business Regulations Commission and chaired the State Government Reorganization Commission.

Beckham attempted to return to the Senate in 1936. The head of the Jockey Club, James B. Brown, had lost his fortune and influence when his banking empire crashed in 1930. In 1933 Beckham's ally, Robert Bingham, had been appointed ambassador to the Court of St. James's, increasing his prominence and influence. Beckham also enjoyed the support of the United Mine Workers and Louisville mayor Neville Miller. The race was complicated, though, by the entry of John Y. Brown, a Democrat who was a U.S. Representative and former Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. He had agreed to support Chandler's bid for the governorship in exchange for Chandler's support in his run for the Senate. However, Chandler threw his support to Beckham, and while Brown was not able to win the seat without the support of Bingham and Chandler, he did garner 85,000 votes, most of them at Beckham's expense. Republican incumbent M. M. Logan retained the seat by 2,385 votes.

Beckham died in Louisville on January 9, 1940, and was buried in Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Beckham County, Oklahoma, was named in his honor at the suggestion of a Kentuckian who was serving as a delegate to Oklahoma's constitutional convention in 1907. Wickland, his birthplace, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1973.