John W. Davis's candidacy.
A Virginia Congressman with this surname added "sex" to the protected classes in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in a failed attempt to derail it. That Congressman with this surname sponsored a bill overturned in Yates v. United States, which made it a crime to advocate the violent overthrow of the US government. Another politician with this last name lost his party's nomination when he split the vote with "dry" candidate William G. McAdoo at the "Klan-bake", leading to (*) John W. Davis's candidacy. That New Yorker with this surname was nominated four years later as the "Happy Warrior" as the nation's first major Catholic presidential candidate. For 10 points, give this last name of Al, the Democrats' 1928 presidential candidate.
A Virginia Congressman with this surname added "sex" to the protected classes in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in a failed attempt to derail it.
{Smith} [or Howard W. Smith; or Alfred Emanuel \"Al\" Smith; or Smith Act]