To dispel concerns about his age ( 74 ) , failing eyesight , and heart problems , Barkley arrived in Chicago for the 1952 Democratic National Convention and briskly walked seven blocks from the bus station to his campaign headquarters . The attempt was rendered moot on July 20 when a group of labor leaders , including United Automobile Workers President Walter Reuther , issued a statement calling Barkley too old and requesting that Democrats nominate someone younger like Stevenson . At a meeting with labor leaders the next morning , Barkley failed to persuade them to retract the statement , which caused delegations from large industrial states like Illinois , Indiana , and Pennsylvania to waver on their commitments to Barkley . On July 21 , he announced his withdrawal from the race . Invited to make a farewell address on July 22 , he received a 35-minute ovation when he took the podium and 45-minute one at the speech 's end . In a show of respect , a Missouri delegate nominated Barkley for president and House Majority Leader McCormack seconded it , but Stevenson was easily nominated . A month after the convention , Barkley hosted a Stevenson picnic and campaign rally at his home in Paducah and later introduced him at a rally in Louisville . Despite Barkley 's predictions of a Democratic victory , Stevenson lost in overwhelming fashion to Republican Dwight Eisenhower
1952 Democratic National Convention
1952 Democratic National Convention
Alben W. Barkley