John Grenier

John Edward Grenier (born November 6, 1930 in New Orleans, Louisiana - died November 6, 2007 in Houston, Texas) was an attorney, former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, and advisor to Governor Guy Hunt.

Grenier grew up in New Orleans and graduated from Jesuit High School. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Tulane University. He was a pilot for the U. S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He became an attorney, practicing in Birmingham, and chaired the Alabama Young Republicans in 1961, then was elected Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party a year later and was deputy chair of the Republican National Committee for the 1964 election. He recruited the candidates who won 5 of Alabama's congressional seats for the GOP on Barry Goldwater's coat-tails. He ran for U. S. Senate in 1966, losing to incumbent John Sparkman.

In the 1986 election, Grenier advised Republican gubernatorial candidate Guy Hunt to lie low while Democratic candidates Bill Baxley and Charlie Graddick criticized each other. Hunt won the office and installed Grenier as an aide.

Grenier died at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in November 2007. He was survived by his wife, Stella, son, Beau, and four grandchildren.

References

• Dean, Charles J. and Tom Gordon (November 8, 2007) "John Grenier, Birmingham lawyer, state GOP pioneer, dies at 77." Birmingham News.