Jennings Randolph

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Jennings Randolph

U.S. Senator, West Virginia
In office November 1958–January 1985
Preceded by	John D. Hoblitzell, Jr.
Succeeded by	Jay Rockefeller

Born	March 8, 1902 Salem, West Virginia
Died	May 8, 1998 St. Louis, Missouri
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Katherine Babb

Jennings Randolph (March 8, 1902–May 8, 1998) was an American politician from West Virginia. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was the last surviving member of the United States Congress to have served during the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.

1 Early life and career
2 U.S. Senate
3 Legislation
4 Life Outside of Congress

[edit] Early life and career

Randolph was born in Salem, West Virginia and was named after William Jennings Bryan. He was a descendent of colonist William Randolph. Both his grandfather and father had been mayors of Salem.

He attended the public schools, and graduated from the Salem Academy in 1920 and Salem College in 1924. He engaged in newspaper work in Clarksburg, West Virginia in 1924. He was the associate editor of West Virginia Review at Charleston, West Virginia in 1925; head of the department of public speaking and journalism at Davis and Elkins College at Elkins, West Virginia, 1926-1932; and a trustee of Salem College and Davis and Elkins College.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress, but was elected to the Seventy-third and to the six succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1933-January 3, 1947). While a congressman, he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the District of Columbia (Seventy-sixth through Seventy-ninth Congresses) and the U.S. House Committee on Civil Service (Seventy-ninth Congress).

Jennings Randolph and Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office. (National Archives)

Randolph was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection during the Republican landslide of 1946. He went on to become a professor of public speaking at Southeastern University in Washington, D.C., 1935-1953, and dean of School of Business Administration from 1952 to 1958; he was assistant to president and director of public relations, Capital Airlines (later purchased by United Airlines), Washington, D.C., February 1947-April 1958.

[edit] U.S. Senate

He was elected in a special election on November 4, 1958, to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of senator Matthew M. Neely. He was reelected in 1960, 1966, 1972 and 1978 and served from November 5, 1958, to January 3, 1985. He did not seek reelection in 1984. In the Senate, Randolph was chairman of the Committee on Public Works (Eighty-ninth through Ninety-fifth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works (Ninety-fifth and Ninety-sixth Congresses).

[edit] Legislation

[edit] Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Main article: Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Randolph was best known for sponsoring eleven times an amendment to the Constitution that would grant citizens aged between 18 and 21 the right to vote. He first introduced the amendment in 1942, arguing that young soldiers fighting in World War II should be able to vote. In 1970 amendments to the Voting Rights Act lowered the voting age to 18 in both local and national elections. After a Supreme Court decision found that Congress only had the power to lower the voting age to 18 for national elections, Randolph was among the Senators who reintroduced the amendment. It was ratified by three-fourths of the states in 1971 as the Twenty-Sixth Amendment less than 100 days after it was approved by Congress.

[edit] Randolph-Sheppard Act

Main article: Randolph-Sheppard Act

While a member of the House of Representatives, Randolph was the main sponsor of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, which was passed by Congress in 1936. This act, which is still in force, gives blind people preference in federal contracts for food service stands on federal properties such as military bases, as well as some other jobs. Organizations for blind people such as the National Federation of the Blind cite this act as one of the first and most successful programs to give blind people secure jobs with less supervision and more independence than other previous programs such as sheltered workshops. This act became one of the first instances of affirmative action legislation.

[edit] Aeronautics Legislation

Main article: Civil Aeronautics Act

An aviation enthusiast, he often flew more than once a day to visit constituents in the West Virginia and to commute to Washington. He was the founder and first president of the Congressional Flying Club. He was a strong advocate for programs to advance air travel and airport development. In 1938 he sponsored the Civil Aeronautics Act, which transferred the federal civil aviation responsibilities from the Department of Commerce to a new independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation gave the CAA the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve. In subsequent years, Randolph co-authored the Federal Airport Act as well as legislation that created the Civil Air Patrol, the National Air and Space Museum, and National Aviation Day. During his tenure in the Senate, he sponsored the Airport-Airways Development Act that created the Airport Trust Fund. As a co-author of the Appalachian Regional Development Act, he included provisions for the development of rural airports.

[edit] Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act

Main article: Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program

In 1942 he proposed a Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act, which would fund the transformation of coal and its products into other useful forms of energy. To promote the viability of synthetic fuels, November 1943 Randolph and a professional pilot flew in an aircraft powered by gasoline derived from coal. The small, single-engine airplane flew from Morgantown, West Virginia to National Airport in Washington, DC. Aided by Interior Secretary Harold Ickes and Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney, the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act was approved on April 5, 1944. The Act authorized $30 million for the construction and operation of demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels.

[edit] Department of Peace

Main article: Department of Peace

He introduced legislation to establish a Department of Peace in 1946 with the goal of strengthening America's capacity to resolve and manage international conflicts by both military and nonmilitary means. In the 1970s and 1980s he joined Senators Mark Hatfield and Spark Matsunaga and Congressman Dan Glickman in efforts to create a national institution dedicated to peace. After he had announced his retirement from Congress in 1984, Randolph played a key role in the passage and enactment of the United States Institute of Peace Act. To guarantee its passage and funding, the legislation was attached to the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1985. Approval of the legislation was in part a tribute to Randolph's long career in public service. The Jennings Randolph Program, which awards fellowships to enable outstanding scholars, policymakers, journalists, and other professionals from around the world to conduct research at the U.S. Institute of Peace, has been named in his honor.

[edit] Life Outside of Congress

Randolph's early career is recounted in Napoleon Hill's classic self-help book, Think and Grow Rich. Hill gave the commencement address at Randolph's graduation from Salem State; Randolph was deeply moved and inspired by the address. Later, when Randolph was elected to Congress, he wrote to Hill, urging him to turn the speech into a printed book. The text of the letter appears in the book.
Randolph married Mary Katherine Babb on February 18, 1933. She died of cancer in 1981, and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University is named for her. Randolph died in St. Louis, Missouri in 1998. He was interred at Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery, Salem, West Virginia.
Randolph's son, Jay Randolph, is a longtime television sportscaster for NBC.
His grandson, Jay Randolph Jr., is the lead anchor of the PGA TOUR Network on XM 146
Jennings Randolph Lake is named in his honor. The bridge that carries U.S. Route 30 across the Ohio River between Chester, West Virginia, and East Liverpool, Ohio, is also named for him.
Randolph wrote a book along with James A. Bell called "Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen... : A Practical Guide to Public Speaking," which was published in 1939.

Preceded by Frank L. Bowman	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district 1933–1947	Succeeded by Melvin C. Snyder
Preceded by John D. Hoblitzell, Jr.	United States Senator (Class 2) from West Virginia 1958–1985 Served alongside: W. Chapman Revercomb, Robert C. Byrd	Succeeded by Jay Rockefeller
Preceded by Margaret Chase Smith	Oldest living U.S. Senator April 29, 1995-May 8, 1998	Succeeded by Strom Thurmond