J. Melville Broughton

J. Melville Broughton Jr.
J. Melville Broughton Jr.
United States Senator; from North Carolina
	In office; December 31, 1948 – March 6, 1949
Preceded by	William B. Umstead
Succeeded by	Frank P. Graham
60th Governor of North Carolina
	In office; January 9, 1941 – January 4, 1945
Lieutenant	Reginald L. Harris
Preceded by	Clyde R. Hoey
Succeeded by	R. Gregg Cherry
Personal details
Born	Joseph Melville Broughton Jr.; November 17, 1888; Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	March 6, 1949 (aged 60); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Alice Willson
Children	4
Residence(s)	North Carolina Executive Mansion (official); Jolly-Broughton House
Alma mater	Wake Forest University, ; Harvard Law School

Joseph Melville Broughton Jr. (November 17, 1888 – March 6, 1949) was an American politician who served as the 60th governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945. He later briefly served as a United States Senator from January 3, 1949, until his death in office approximately two months later.

Early life and education

Broughton was born on November 17, 1888, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He graduated from Wake Forest College, where he also played football, in 1910. Broughton attended Harvard Law School then worked as a school principal and journalist before actively entering the legal profession.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

He served in the North Carolina Senate from 1927 to 1929. He later served one term as governor from 1941 to 1945. One of his major legacies was the extension of the public school term from six to nine months.^{[citation needed]}

Broughton was among twelve nominated at the 1944 Democratic National Convention to serve as Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate in the presidential election that year.^[1]

Tenure in Senate

In 1948, Broughton was elected to the United States Senate, after defeating William B. Umstead, an appointed incumbent, in the Democratic primary.^[2] In November, Broughton won both a special election to complete the Senate term^[3] and an election for a full term.^[4] He took office on December 31, 1948, but his service in the Senate was brief.

Appearing healthy, Broughton suddenly collapsed from a heart attack and died in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 1949. Governor W. Kerr Scott appointed Frank Porter Graham to fill his vacant office until the next election.^[5]

Family

Joseph Melville Broughton, Jr. was the son of Joseph Melville Broughton and Sallie Harris. He married Alice Willson in 1916, they had four children. He was the nephew of Needham B. Broughton and a first cousin of Carrie Lougee Broughton.^[6] He was also a first cousin of medical doctor and Baptist minister Len G. Broughton. Broughton and his wife lived in the Jolly-Broughton House, a Georgian Revival mansion located in Raleigh's Hayes Barton Historic District, before and after living in the North Carolina Executive Mansion.^[7] He was interred at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh.

Legacy

In 1959, the State Hospital at Morganton for psychiatric patients was renamed Broughton Hospital in his memory.^[8] In addition, Broughton Hall at North Carolina State University was named in his honor.^[9]

He was a member of Civitan International.^[10]

References

^ Catledge, Turner (1944-07-22). "Truman Nominated for Vice Presidency". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
^ OurCampaigns.com: 1948 primary
^ OurCampaigns.com: 1948 special election
^ OurCampaigns.com: 1948 regular Senate election
^ Eamon 2014, p. 25.
^ Craig, Lee A. (May 2013). Josephus Daniels: His Life and Times. ISBN 9781469606965.
^ "Jolly-Broughton House".
^ "NC Historical Marker: Broughton Hospital". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
^ "Broughton Hall". projects.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
^ Leonhart, James Chancellor (1962). The Fabulous Octogenarian. Baltimore Maryland: Redwood House, Inc. p. 277.

Works cited

Eamon, Tom (2014). The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory. UNC Press Books. ISBN 9781469606972. - View profile at Google Books

External links

United States Congress. "BROUGHTON, Joseph Melville (id: B000894)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

National Governors Association biography
North Carolina Historical Marker Archived 2012-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
NCPedia - Joseph Melville Broughton

Party political offices
Preceded by Clyde R. Hoey	Democratic nominee for Governor of North Carolina 1940	Succeeded by R. Gregg Cherry
Preceded by Josiah Bailey	Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from North Carolina (Class 2) 1948	Succeeded by Willis Smith
Political offices
Preceded by Clyde R. Hoey	Governor of North Carolina 1941–1945	Succeeded by R. Gregg Cherry
U.S. Senate
Preceded by William Bradley Umstead	U.S. senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1948–1949 Served alongside: Clyde Roark Hoey	Succeeded by Frank Porter Graham