Background
Starnes, Joe was born on March 31, 1895 in Guntersville, Alabama, United States. Son of John Walker and Mary Boyd (Perkins) Starnes.
United States representative lawyer politician teacher
Starnes, Joe was born on March 31, 1895 in Guntersville, Alabama, United States. Son of John Walker and Mary Boyd (Perkins) Starnes.
Bachelor of Laws, University of Alabama, 1921.
He taught school in Marshall County, Alabama from 1912 to 1917. During the First World War he served overseas as a second lieutenant in the Fifty-third Infantry, Sixth Division, in 1918 and 1919. In 1931, as a Major, he commanded the Alabama National Guard troops who guarded the African American Scottsboro Boys from the mob gathered outside the Jackson County, Alabama Court House while those defendants were on trial for allegedly raping white women Ruby Bates and Victoria Price.
He graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1921. He was admitted to the bar in 1921 and commenced practice at Guntersville, Alabama. Starnes was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fourth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1945).
He served on the Dies Committee, precursor to HUAC, and gained notoriety for questioning Hallie Flanagan about whether Christopher Marlowe and "Mr. Euripides" might have been Communists. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1944.
He served as a colonel of Infantry in the European Theater of Operations and in the Army of Occupation from January 4, 1945, until discharged on February 22, 1946, when he resumed the practice of law in Guntersville, Alabama. Starnes was also an active Civitan. He died in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1962 and was interred in City Cemetery, Guntersville, Alabama.
The Airport in Guntersville, Alabama is called Joe Starnes Field.
Church should be involved into political life by organizing delegations to party conferences.
Small groups inside the Methodist Church should be developed. Thus all members of “societies” could receive support and be challenged in their faith.
Member of the board of trustees Snead Junior College, Kate Duncan Smith Daus. American Revolution School. Member of the board education N. Alabama Conference Methodist Church.
Member Alabama State Military Advisory Board. Served as Second lieutenant Infantry, United States Army, in England, France and Germany, World War I. Member Alabama State Board Education.
Member Alabama State Bar Association, American Legion (department commander Alabama Department 1951-1952), Civitan (governor Alabama District North 1952-1953, international president 1959-1960), Veterans Foreign Wars, Military Order World War, National Rifle Association, United States Infantry Association, Pi Kappa Phi, Phi Delta Phi. Democratic; Mason, Shriner, K.T., Knights of Pythias.
Married Del Clark Whitaker, April. Children: Joe, Paul Whitaker.