Contributed commentary by Dewey A. Browder as part of the essay series “The Road to 250: Community Spirit in Action,” celebrating the history of unity in Clarksville ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is the largest male genealogical society in the country. It was founded in 1889, and is still growing. President Theodore Roosevelt, an SAR member, signed its Congressional Charter in 1906. Today, there are over 550 chapters spread across all 50 states with nearly 40,000 members, some of whom reside in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. We have 23 chapters in Tennessee, and it is interesting that three of the national SAR leaders (the title is president general) have been from Tennessee. Frederick W. Millspaugh in 1932, Harry T. Burn in 1964 and Larry T. McClanahan in 2001. Harry T. Burn from McMinn County is also remembered as the Tennessee state senator who cast the deciding vote ratifying the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, thereby giving women the right to vote in the USA.
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution has been influential in a number of ways. For example, it had a prominent role in designating our Constitution Day, Flag Day and Bill of Rights Day. Likewise, the SAR gets some credit for launching the National Archives (1934) inasmuch as the National Society petitioned Congress to store documents from the Revolutionary War era in a fireproof area with public access, and the project expanded.
Clarksville SAR chapter
There is an excellent and active SAR chapter in Clarksville, the Valentine Sevier Chapter. It is named for Col. Valentine Sevier, who was a Revolutionary War patriot and early settler of Montgomery County. The Valentine Sevier Chapter was organized in 1995, through the efforts of several local men who were then members of the Andrew Jackson Chapter in Nashville. The most prominent founders were longtime Clarksville compatriots William Bailey Allen, Cleo Hogan and John H. Thweatt, who then served as the Valentine Sevier Chapter’s first president. Larry T. McClanahan, who was also an officer at the state level, was very helpful as well.
Our chapter meets the first Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. for a Dutch-treat meal, typically at the Clarksville Country Club, followed by a business meeting at 6 p.m. We currently have 82 active members, and in the 28 years of its existence, the Valentine Sevier Chapter has been the SAR home for over 1,800 men. Among those 1,800, we have produced three state presidents: James Thweatt (2004-2005), Rick Hollis (2009-2010) and Johnny Head (2018-2019).
‘Out of many one’
The Valentine Sevier Chapter adopted a broad mission based on the National Society’s constitution. Among the chapter’s goals are advancing an appreciation for sincere patriotism, including respect for our national symbols and the value of American citizenship. SAR members are referred to as compatriots, and they staunchly support the national motto of e pluribus unum (out of many one). This belief led to the creation of a strong, unified country comprised of people from many nations of different races with differing beliefs – in fact, the greatest country in the history of mankind! One of the most visible aspects of the Valentine Sevier Chapter is the color guard, which was created in 2005, and has since then marked the graves of many men who served our cause in the Revolutionary War. That same color guard posts the colors at patriotic events throughout the region, participates in annual ceremonies such as the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the County Courthouse on the Fourth of July, and in conjunction with patriotic concerts by the Cumberland Winds. Indeed, the color guard has commitments as far out as July 2026, as they will be figure prominently in events throughout the upcoming semiquincentennial period celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday.
In addition to lending a sophisticated, patriotic touch to events via the color guard, the Valentine Sevier Chapter sponsors annual Outstanding Cadet awards for high school ROTC departments across the city and at Austin Peay State University. Our chapter provides speakers for veterans’ programs, schools and various gatherings. They add a complementary spirit of strength to Quilts of Valor ceremonies as well as the relatively new, nationwide event of Wreaths Across America. And the chapter promotes citizenship and pride in America by procuring and presenting American flags for school rooms around the region.
As a final note, I will point out that all members of the SAR are certified adult, male descendants of individuals who either served in the American Revolutionary War or otherwise helped establish our independence.
Dewey A. Browder
PREVIOUSLY: The Road to 250, birthday celebration for America, to be celebrated in Clarksville-Montgomery County
DON’T MISS A STORY: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter