Collins Denny, Jr.
| Collins Denny, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 10, 1899 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died |
January 14, 1964 Powhatan County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Residence | Powhatan County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Princeton University University of Virginia School of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | Methodist Episcopal Church, South |
| Spouse(s) | Rebecca Smith Miller |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Parent(s) |
Collins Denny Lucy Chase Chapman |
Collins Denny, Jr. (1899-1964) was an American pro-segregationist lawyer. He was a legal counsel to public school boards, arguing against the integration of black students in Virginia.
Early life
Collins Denny was born on June 10, 1899 in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] His father, Collins Denny, was a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.[2][3] His mother was Lucy Chase Chapman.[1] He had four sisters.[2] Denny and his family moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1910, when he was eleven years old.[1]
Denny was educated in private schools in Richmond.[2][3] He graduated from Princeton University in 1921.[2][3] While at Princeton, as a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and joined the United States Army as second lieutenant in July 1918.[1] Even though he was sent to Europe, but he failed to serve in World War I, as the war was coming to an end.[1] He received a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1924.[1][2][3]
Career
Denny begun his legal career at Wellford and Taylor, a law firm based in Richmond, Virginia.[2][3] He co-founded a law firm with Charles S. Valentine in 1926.[2][3] The firm later became known as Denny, Valentine and Davenport.[2][3] He was appointed Assistant Attorney General by John R. Saunders in 1930.[2][3]
Denny was an opponent of the unification of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Methodist Episcopal Church.[1] With his father, he was the co-author of a 1937 essay entitled An Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion Concerning Methodist Unification.[1] Nevertheless, the unification occurred in 1939, when the Methodist Church (USA) was formed.[1]
Denny defended the right of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to segregate their trains in 1949.[1] He tried to argue that jurors who were members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People should be disqualified, but Federal Judge Charles Sterling Hutcheson rejected the argument.[4]
Denny was an opponent of Brown v. Board of Education.[1] He was a lawyer for the public school boards of Surry County, Virginia, Powhatan County, Virginia and Prince Edward County, Virginia when they refused to accept black students.[2][3] He was scheduled to testify before the United States Supreme Court in March 1964, two months after his death.[3] Additionally, Denny represented the Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties, a pro-segregationist organization.[2][3][5]
Denny served on the Boards of Directors of the Richmond Federal Savings and Loan Association, the Miller Manufacturing Company, and Mason-Hagan.[2][3]
Personal life
Denny married Rebecca Smith Miller on September 10, 1932 in Brandy Station, Virginia.[1][2][3] They had two sons, Collins Denny III and Clifford Miller Denny.[2][3] They resided in Powhatan County, Virginia.[2]
Denny was a member of The Commonwealth Club, a private gentlemen's club in Richmond, and the Country Club of Virginia, a golf club.[2][3] He was also a member of the Richmond German Club.[2][3]
Death
Denny died on January 14, 1964 in Powhatan County, Virginia.[1][2][3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hershman, James H., Jr. (April 29, 2014). "Collins Denny (1899–1964)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Collins Denny, Segregationist Counsel, Dies". The Progress-Index (Petersburg, Virginia). January 15, 1964. p. 16. Retrieved November 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Collins Denny, Well Known Lawyer, Dies: Represented Segregationists". The Bee (Danville, Virginia). January 15, 1964. p. 2. Retrieved November 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "NAACP Membership Does Not Disqualify Juror, Judge Rules". The Kingsport News (Kingsport, Tennessee). March 29, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved November 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Halifax County Throng Cheers Statement Public School Integration Can Be Averted: Tuck and Denny Address Rally of 'Defenders'". The Bee (Danville, Virginia). October 25, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved November 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.