J. Melville Broughton

Joseph Melville Broughton
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 November 17, 1888
Raleigh, North Carolina
Died March 6, 1949 (aged 60)
Washington, D.C.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Alice Willson
Children 4
Alma mater Wake Forest University,
Harvard Law School

Joseph Melville Broughton (November 17, 1888  March 6, 1949) was the 60th Governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945.

Biography

He was born on November 17, 1888 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Harvard Law School then worked as a school principal and journalist before actively entering the legal profession. As governor, one of his major legacies was the extension of the public school term from six to nine months.

In 1948, Broughton was elected to the United States Senate, after defeating William B. Umstead, the appointed incumbent, in the Democratic primary.[1] In November, Broughton won both a special election to complete the Senate term[2] and an election for a full term.[3] He took office on December 31, 1948, but his service in the Senate was brief, as he died on March 6, 1949 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Family

Joseph Melville Broughton, Jr. was the son of Joseph Melville Broughton, Sr. and Sallie Harris. He married Alice Wilson in 1916, they had four children. He was the nephew of Needham B. Broughton for whom Raleigh's Needham B. Broughton High School is named. He was interred at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh. family tree>>

Legacy

In 1959, the State Hospital at Morganton for psychiatric patients was renamed Broughton Hospital in his memory.[4]

He was a member of Civitan International.[5]

References

  1. OurCampaigns.com: 1948 primary
  2. OurCampaigns.com: 1948 special election
  3. OurCampaigns.com: 1948 regular Senate election
  4. NC Historical Marker: Broughton Hospital
  5. Leonhart, James Chancellor (1962). The Fabulous Octogenarian. Baltimore Maryland: Redwood House, Inc. p. 277.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Clyde R. Hoey
Governor of North Carolina
19411945
Succeeded by
R. Gregg Cherry
United States Senate
Preceded by
William Bradley Umstead
U.S. Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina
19481949
Served alongside: Clyde Roark Hoey
Succeeded by
Frank Porter Graham