By the mid-20th century, Comer was hailed as a reformer who brought Alabama's primary and secondary educational systems into the mainstream.
He was praised as an enlightened business man for bringing Avondale Mills to Birmingham and Central Alabama.
He relied on a system of segregation and white supremacy, and child labor to earn profits for his plantations, mines and mills.

His improvements to Alabama's educational systems were unable to provide sufficiently for African-American children.
Although literacy rates for whites increased during his tenure as governor, his administration, hampered by the state legislature, achieved little for blacks.
The white dominated Democratic legislature consistently underfunded African-American education.

Comer also had success in the following areas: he helped to establish a tuberculosis sanatorium as part of his use of state funds to improve public health.
He also strengthened insurance laws.

Encouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt's initiative to conserve natural resources, Comer gained legislation to establish the Alabama Soil Conservation Department; it was to oversee a public park system in the state.

He increased transportation funding to improve roads as part of the basic infrastructure of the state.

Much of the early 20th century's industrial growth and productivity in Birmingham, and, although to a lesser degree, in all of Alabama can be attributed to Comer's regulation of the railroad industry, as well as to his investment in the textile industry.

Although criticized early in his career as an industrialist for his attitudes towards child labor, Comer progressed with the common attitude and, as governor, passed a relatively progressive law requiring that no child under 12 years of age be employed at a textile mill.
Also as governor, Comer passed another equally progressive (relative to his time period) law mandating that children under the age of 16 who were employed in mills must attend school for at least 8 consecutive weeks each school term.

Comer was successful in turning back the peonage investigation.
The use of convict lease labor continued to provide incentives to police and local officials to entrap, convict and lease African Americans as laborers.

The Comer Foundation, established in his name and headquartered in Birmingham, provides substantial scholarships to students living in the Alabama counties where Comer's mills once operated.

More recently, Comer has been recognized as a progressive politician who advocated for increasing sources of state revenue to benefit lower income residents.
Described as "no flaming liberal and...flawed like any person in history", Comer is recognized for his progressive stance with regard to adequately funding state provided services.

Numerous institutions and places were named for Comer:
B. B. Comer Memorial High School, B.B. Comer Memorial Elementary School, and B. B. Comer Memorial Library, all in Sylacauga, once home to one of Avondale's largest mills.

B.B. Comer Hall at the University of Alabama houses the Department of Modern Languages.

The federal building in Birmingham.

Braxton Bragg Comer Hall at Auburn University houses offices and labs for the School of Agriculture.

B.B. Comer Bridge in Scottsboro, Alabama.
By the mid-20th century, Comer was hailed as a reformer who brought Alabama's primary and secondary educational systems into the mainstream. He was praised as an enlightened business man for bringing Avondale Mills to Birmingham and Central Alabama. He relied on a system of segregation and white supremacy, and child labor to earn profits for his plantations, mines and mills.
His improvements to Alabama's educational systems were unable to provide sufficiently for African-American children. Although literacy rates for whites increased during his tenure as governor, his administration, hampered by the state legislature, achieved little for blacks. The white dominated Democratic legislature consistently underfunded African-American education.
Comer also had success in the following areas: he helped to establish a tuberculosis sanatorium as part of his use of state funds to improve public health. He also strengthened insurance laws.
Encouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt's initiative to conserve natural resources, Comer gained legislation to establish the Alabama Soil Conservation Department; it was to oversee a public park system in the state.
He increased transportation funding to improve roads as part of the basic infrastructure of the state.
Much of the early 20th century's industrial growth and productivity in Birmingham, and, although to a lesser degree, in all of Alabama can be attributed to Comer's regulation of the railroad industry, as well as to his investment in the textile industry.
Although criticized early in his career as an industrialist for his attitudes towards child labor, Comer progressed with the common attitude and, as governor, passed a relatively progressive law requiring that no child under 12 years of age be employed at a textile mill. Also as governor, Comer passed another equally progressive (relative to his time period) law mandating that children under the age of 16 who were employed in mills must attend school for at least 8 consecutive weeks each school term.
Comer was successful in turning back the peonage investigation. The use of convict lease labor continued to provide incentives to police and local officials to entrap, convict and lease African Americans as laborers.
The Comer Foundation, established in his name and headquartered in Birmingham, provides substantial scholarships to students living in the Alabama counties where Comer's mills once operated.
More recently, Comer has been recognized as a progressive politician who advocated for increasing sources of state revenue to benefit lower income residents. Described as "no flaming liberal and...flawed like any person in history", Comer is recognized for his progressive stance with regard to adequately funding state provided services.
Numerous institutions and places were named for Comer:
B. B. Comer Memorial High School, B.B. Comer Memorial Elementary School, and B. B. Comer Memorial Library, all in Sylacauga, once home to one of Avondale's largest mills.
B.B. Comer Hall at the University of Alabama houses the Department of Modern Languages.
The federal building in Birmingham.
Braxton Bragg Comer Hall at Auburn University houses offices and labs for the School of Agriculture.
B.B. Comer Bridge in Scottsboro, Alabama.
B. B. Comer