Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr.
| Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 11th (Tuscaloosa County)[1] district | |
| In office November 1954[2] – February 10, 1966 | |
| Preceded by | J. P. Shelton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Ryan DeGraffenried April 15, 1925[2] Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Died | February 10, 1966 (aged 40) near Fort Payne, Alabama |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Nell Maxwell (1945–1966; his death) |
| Relations | Edward deGraffenried, Jr. (father) |
| Children | Deborah DeGraffenried[3] Dana DeGraffenried Taylor (twins with Deborah)[1] Ryan DeGraffenried, Jr. |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama |
| Occupation | attorney, legislator |
| Religion | Prebysterian[2] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | 3rd Armoured Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II[2] |
| Awards | purple heart with an oak leaf cluster[2] |
William Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr. (April 15, 1925 – February 10, 1966) was an attorney and politician from Alabama. He was the son of Edward deGraffenried, former U.S. congressman from Alabama.[4][5] He married Margaret Nell Maxwell in July of 1945.[3][6]
A Tuscaloosan, DeGraffenried ran for Governor of Alabama on two occasions (1962 and 1966). On his first attempt, he was defeated in the Democratic primary runoff by George Wallace, who was later elected Governor.
In 1966, he ran again as a moderate, supporting racial integration. He sought to succeed Dixiecrat-style Wallace, who was prohibited from running for a second term. However, one day after qualifying for the gubernatorial race, he died in a plane crash while campaigning in northeast Alabama near Fort Payne.[7] The nomination and governorship was won by Wallace's wife, Lurleen Wallace.
His son, Ryan DeGraffenried, Jr. (1950–2006), was also a notable Alabama politician. He served as State Senator, Senate president pro tempore and Lieutenant Governor of Alabama under Jim Folsom, Jr. (1993–1995).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kyle, Bob (January 7, 1959). "Senator DeGraffenried Is Expected To Hold His Own". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Alabama official and statistical register - Alabama. Dept. of Archives and History, Thomas McAdory Owen - Google Books". Books.google.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "William Ryan deGraffenried, Jr.". TuscaloosaNews.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ↑ "Official congressional directory - United States. Congress - Google Books". Books.google.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ↑ Stevenson, Tommy (March 27, 1994). "DeGraffenried: Not dropping out of lieutenant governor's race". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ↑ [ Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "Air Crash Kills Candidate for Alabama Governor - Ryan deGraffenried and Pilot Die as Plane Hits Mountain Democrat, 40, Was Regarded as a Moderate in Politics - Article - NYTimes.com". Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.