Mr. Hull Goes to Washington to Dine with the President

By Dale Welch

The Honorable Cordell Hull had a lengthy career in public service. He was a state representative, a circuit judge, congressman, senator, the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State. During his last years in office, Hull was named the “Father of the United Nations.”

Back in the small Fentress County, Tenn., community of Armathwaite, Hull’s father’s brother, John Robert “Uncle Bud” Hull and wife, Louisa Jane had a thriving family farm that they rented to the Savage family who sharecropper. “Uncle Bud” was in the timber and sawmill business. . They raised cattle, hogs, chickens, all sorts of vegetables and even made their own molasses. On top of all that, they raised 11 children and several grandchildren that populated the community between Allardt and Rugby. 

One grandson, Jim “Hoss” Hull, of Monterey said he bets their smoke House was always full and rows of shelves were full of home canned vegetables of all sorts. With all their blessings, the Hulls always reached out to neighbors in need—and they still were able to feed their huge family. 

One day, “Uncle Bud” received an invitation from nephew Cordell, who was by then, the U.S. Secretary of State, to fly to Washington, D.C. and dine with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hull loved his nephew and he’d always been a good Democrat, but there was no way, no how he was going to fly anywhere even to dine with the president. Instead, he got a relative to drive him. 

After freshening up, at the D.C. hotel, “Uncle Bud” and driver met with Cordell, a young Tennessee senator Albert Gore, Sr., and the president the United States. They had a nice dinner and talked. Before “Uncle Bud” retired early, President Roosevelt asked if he could get him anything. “Uncle Bud” thought a minute and replied he’d like to have some cornbread and sweet milk (whole milk). The combination had been Hull’s favorite bedtime snack for years. Now, he could have it even at the White House!

“Uncle Bud” Hull, because of his connections was even featured in Life magazine. He died in 1950 and is buried in the Hull Cemetery, in Armathwaite.