Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska, pictured at the Tennessee dam named in his honor, played a leading role in creating the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Rural Electrification Administration.
Nebraska State Historical Society, RG3298.PH37-5
Senator George W. Norris at Norris Dam, 1942
The Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal public power provider, was born of persistent effort by Senator George Norris of Nebraska. Norris introduced legislation in 1926 that became the focus of prolonged congressional debate, especially over whether federal hydroelectric and munitions plants in Muscle Shoals, Alabama—built during World War I—should be privatized or part of expanded federal development. In 1933 Congress established the TVA as a federal entity. TVA-generated power proved crucial in home front defense production in World War II.
Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska, pictured at the Tennessee dam named in his honor, played a leading role in creating the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Rural Electrification Administration.
Nebraska State Historical Society, RG3298.PH37-5
