Richard Thurmond Chatham

Richard Thurmond Chatham (1955)

Richard Thurmond Chatham (born August 16, 1896 in Elkin , North Carolina , † February 5, 1957 in Durham , North Carolina) was an American politician . He represented the state of North Carolina as a member of the US House of Representatives between 1949 and 1957.

Life

Early years and career advancement

Richard Chatham was born on August 16, 1896, the only son of Hugh Gwyn and Martha Lenoir Chatham. His grandfather was Alexander Chatham, founder of the Chatham Manufacturing Company . Richard attended public school and Woodberry Forest School in Orange , Virginia . He then went to the University of North Carolina from 1915 to 1916 and Yale University from 1916 to 1917 , but left college to join the United States Navy , where he served until 1919.

In July 1919, Chatham began working for his family business, Chatham Manufacturing, the world's largest blanket manufacturer. After working as treasurer, he became its president in 1929 and its chairman in 1945. The company grew significantly during his presidency.

From 1942 to 1945 Chatham served again in the US Navy in the Bureau of Ordnance , the since 1959 defunct agency for supplies , and the office of the Secretary of the Navy. He reached the rank of Commander in the US Naval Reserve and was awarded the Bronze Star , as well as the Royal Order of Nassau with Swords by the Dutch government .

Political career

With his hitherto little political experience as a country official in Forsyth County , Chatham attempted to run as a Democrat for Congress in 1946 , but failed. He was only re-elected to Congress in 1948 and then three more times.

During his tenure in Congress, he was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and an advocate for the recognition of China , and he also supported the Marshall Plan . It was noteworthy that he did not sign the Southern Manifesto in 1956, a letter that spoke out against racial integration in public institutions. As a result, Chatham lost support in the Democratic Party and was defeated in primary for the congressional election to Ralph James Scott .

Later years

Chatham was a curator of the University of North Carolina and the Woodberry Forest School; President of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and a member of the National Wool Manufacturers Association, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars .

In 1948 he worked for the preservation of monuments in North Carolina and for the development authority. He was also president of the North Carolina Milk Traders Association.

family

Chatham married Lucy Hogin Hanes in 1919 and had two sons, Hugh Gwyn II and Richard Thurmond, Jr. After Lucy's death, Chatham married Patricia Firestone Coyner in 1950. The couple had a son, Walter Firestone, born in 1952. Chatham died on February 5, 1957 in Durham, North Carolina. He was buried in Winston-Salem , North Carolina.

His estate was valued at nearly $ 2,000,000, of which $ 250,000 was used to set up the Chatham Foundation, an educational charitable trust.

Web links

• Richard Thurmond Chatham in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Brief biography and index of the written estate of Richard Thurmond Chatham in the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill