The body consisted of three commissioners, one from each of the state's three "Grand Divisions" (East, Middle, and West Tennessee).
[1] In 1919 the Railroad Commission's responsibilities were expanded to include the regulation of street railways and public utilities, and the Tennessee General Assembly changed the body's name to the Railroad and Public Utilities Commission.
[2] The general public showed very little interest in the office, despite its potential for considerable impact on their daily lives, with total votes cast in races for the office often amounting only to two-thirds or less of the numbers cast for governor, senator, or President in the same election, and most people largely or entirely unaware of the duties and functions of the commission.
[citation needed] Nearly all campaign donations came from the industries which were regulated by the PSC, their representatives, and persons involved with them.
[citation needed] No one was ever elected to higher office from the Tennessee Public Service Commission, although such attempts were occasionally made, such as in 1994 when Frank Cockran and Steve Hewlett ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary.