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Like many of his day in Tennessee, Hubert was a staunch Democrat. He was often host of Democratic elected officials
in his home in Cookeville and was a close personal friend to many.
A personal acquaintance of US Presidents Woodrow
Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hubert Crawford was instrumental in keeping a National
Guard unit in Cookeville and in securing a CC Camp for Putnam County that eventually led to the creation of Pickett State
Park and Forest near Byrdstown.
He also knew Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and Govs. Hill McAlister, Gordon Browning, Prentice Cooper,
Frank Clement and Buford Ellington.
He was acquainted with and had occasion to work for US Army Gen. George Patton and Gen. Jonathon Wainwright.
Former Cookeville Mayor Dero Brown told about going
with Police Chief Hubert Crawford to the 1949 inauguration of President Truman. As they started the trip, Chief Crawford
remarked that he was taking his police chief uniform just in case.
When they got to Washington, Chief Crawford went
to see the DC Chief of Police who put him on for the inauguration. When the DC Chief said "OK" Chief Crawford said "I
brought my uniform".
Dero Brown said the Chief Crawford seated him in
a choice spot to watch the parade. Then to his surprise, when the Truman car came along, sitting in the car with the
President was none other than Chief Crawford.
Hubert often spoke of sitting in the Masonic Lodge
with President Truman and of eating with the Truman family in Washington and at the family home in Independence, MO.
The picture below was with Hubert's photos
and it appears to be a picture of Chief Crawford standing in front of a speaker's platform with President
Truman speaking at the podium. However, I'm not sure, and it may or may not be Truman, but it looks like him.
Hubert and Helen are in the picture below with U.S. Representative Joe L. Evans who stopped by Hubert's home. Also
in the picture to Representative Evans' left is Hubert's son, Will Glen, and to Representative Evans' right is Hubert's
nephew, James Lynn.
Herald Citizen Newspaper (January 13, 1961)
At least three groups of Cookevillians are planning to be part of the excitement inWashington this
week when the nation’s youngest president, John F. Kennedy is inaugurated.
Hubert Bennett, R. L. Bilbrey, Keith Crawford and Bill Malone left early in the week by car. They got to the
capital in time to see the swearing in of Vice President Lyndon Johnson. They’re staying at the Raleigh Hotel.
Two more from here are flying from Nashville to Washington at mid-week. Cecil Montgomery and Clarence Newman
can be reached at the Statler Hotel while they’re in the capitol.
And a third wave is leaving by car at the end of the week to get there just in time for the ceremonies. They
are H. L. (Hackie) Newman, Hubert Crawford, and Bill Phillips. They’ll
be staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Washington.
The picture below, I believe, was taken at Hubert's home. From the left, Bill Phillips (Hubert's son-in-law), U.S.
Senator Estes Kefaufer, U.S. Congressman Joe L. Evans, U. S. Senator Albert Gore Sr., and Hackey Newnam. The occasion
appears to be somhow related to the Acme Boot Factory in Cookeville.
The picture below is of Governor Frank Clement and Hubert Crawford with another unidentified person on the right.
The inauguration of Lyndon Johnson took place in January of 1965.
Hubert was a close friend of U.S. Senator Albert Gore Sr. and always supported his son Albert Gore Jr.
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