Clarke Reed, a prominent figure in the establishment of the Republican Party in Mississippi and the Southern United States since the 1960s, passed away on Sunday at his residence in Greenville, Mississippi. He was 96 years old.

Reed served as the chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966 until 1976, a period when the Democratic Party was still in control of the region’s political landscape. His leadership was vital during a contentious period, including the 1976 Republican National Convention, where delegates were nearly split between President Gerald Ford and former California Governor Ronald Reagan. Reed played a crucial role in rallying the Mississippi delegation to back Ford, a decision that sparked a long-standing rivalry with fellow businessman William D. “Billy” Mounger, who was also influential in the Mississippi GOP.

In a retrospective interview in 2016, Reed shared his recollections of the pressures the delegates faced during the convention. Celebrities campaigned actively for Reagan, including visits to the state’s 30 delegates. Betty Ford even reached out to rally support for her husband. Additionally, Reagan engaged with the Mississippi delegation on two occasions, first alongside his proposed running mate, Senator Richard Schweiker from Pennsylvania, and later without him, as noted by Haley Barbour, who was the Mississippi Republican Party’s executive director in 1976 and later served as governor.

“Everyone was vying for our attention,” Reed recounted. “Many of these delegates were overwhelmed by the experience.” At one point, during a meeting separate from the convention floor in Kansas City, Reed observed the emotional toll on the delegates, saying, “I looked out, and about half of them were crying.”

While Reed initially supported Reagan, he shifted his allegiance to Ford after perceiving that Reagan had made a significant misstep by selecting a more liberal running mate in a bid to court uncommitted delegates from Pennsylvania. Reflecting on this decision, Reed mentioned, “In my opinion, Reagan was the best president of my lifetime. I didn’t realize that at the time. Had he been elected with Schweiker, he might have drawn a bullet one inch over, and Schweiker could have ended up being president.” Ultimately, Ford secured the nomination but lost the subsequent general election to Jimmy Carter, the former Democratic governor of Georgia.

Born in Alliance, Ohio, in 1928, Reed’s family relocated to Caruthersville, Missouri, when he was just six months young. He graduated with a business degree from the University of Missouri in 1950. Along with his high school friend Barthell Joseph, he co-founded Reed-Joseph International, a company that utilized innovative technology to deter birds from agricultural fields and airports.

Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker paid tribute to Reed on Monday, describing him as “a mentor, supporter, and advisor for over 56 years.” Wicker recalled that he was just 21 when Reed appointed him to the Republican Platform Committee in 1972. He remarked, “No individual has played a more pivotal role in the formation of the contemporary Mississippi Republican Party than Clarke Reed. Our state has indeed lost a giant.”