J. Melville Broughton

Joseph Melville Broughton (born November 17, 1888 in Raleigh , North Carolina , † March 6, 1949 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician and the 60th governor of North Carolina. He also represented this state in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

Melville Broughton attended Hugh Morson Academy after elementary school . He then studied law at Harvard University . In the meantime he worked as a teacher and as a newspaper reporter. After completing his studies and being admitted to the bar in 1914, he opened a law firm in Raleigh. His political career began in 1927 when he was elected to the North Carolina Senate for two years . In 1936 he was one of the electors for Franklin D. Roosevelt . In the gubernatorial election in North Carolina in 1940, he prevailed as a Democratic candidate with 75.7 percent of the vote against the Republican Robert H. McNeill.

North Carolina Governor

His tenure began on January 9, 1941 and ended four years later on January 4, 1945. During this time, he campaigned for improvements in the school system and health care and a better pension system for teachers and civil servants. The budget for public libraries was also increased. His term of office was overshadowed by the entry of the United States into the Second World War as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This also required a conversion of industrial production in North Carolina to adapt to the needs of the war and armaments as in other countries, to an economic upswing. Here, too, there was the downside that many young men were used as soldiers on all fronts and also died. Broughton's tenure ended before the war ended.

Further career

Even after his term in office, Broughton remained politically active. In November 1948 he was elected to the US Senate after he had prevailed in the primary of his party against incumbent William B. Umstead . He was only able to exercise this mandate until his death in March 1949. He was married to Alice Harper Wilson and the couple had four children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Broughton, J. Melville
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Broughton, Joseph Melville (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	November 17, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH	Raleigh , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH	March 6, 1949
Place of death	Washington, DC