Robert L. Doughton

Robert L. Doughton


36th Dean of the United States House of Representatives
In office November 6, 1952 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by	Adolph J. Sabath
Succeeded by	Sam Rayburn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 8th & 9th district
In office March 4, 1911 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by	Charles H. Cowles (8th) Alfred L. Bulwinkle (9th)
Succeeded by	Walter Lambeth (8th) Hugh Q. Alexander (9th)
Member of the North Carolina Senate
In office 1908–1909
Personal details
Born	Robert Lee Doughton (1863-11-07)November 7, 1863 Laurel Springs, North Carolina
Died	October 1, 1954(1954-10-01) (aged 90) Laurel Springs, North Carolina
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Baptist

Robert Lee "Bob" Doughton (November 7, 1863 – October 1, 1954), of Alleghany County, North Carolina, sometimes known as "Farmer Bob," was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina for 42 consecutive years (1911–1953). A Democrat originally from Laurel Springs, North Carolina, he was the Dean of the United States House of Representatives for his last few months in Congress. He is the longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the state of North Carolina.

Family and education

Doughton's father was a captain in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War; he named his son Robert after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Robert earned the equivalent of a high-school diploma from the Traphill Academy. Although he never attended college, he was awarded honorary bachelor's degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Catawba College during his political career.

Doughton was married twice. His first wife, Boyd Greer, died in 1895 after only two years of marriage. He remarried in 1898 to Lillie Hix; they remained married until her death in 1946. He had two sons and two daughters. His elder brother was Rufus A. Doughton, who was at various times Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Doughton was a member and deacon of the Laurel Springs Baptist Church. After his death in 1954 at the age of 90 he was buried next to his wife Lillie in the church cemetery. In the 1990s Rufus Doughton's former home in Laurel Springs was restored, and it is now a popular bed-and-breakfast for tourists to the region.

The Robert L. Doughton House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.^[1]

Business and political career

In private life, Doughton was a prosperous farmer and banker. By 1900 he owned over 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land in his native Alleghany County, North Carolina, where he raised herds of prized Hereford and Holstein cows. He was also the owner and president of the Deposit Savings and Loan Bank in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina; when the bank merged in 1936 with several other banks and formed the "Northwestern Bank," Doughton briefly served as the new bank's director. His interest in farming led to his being named to the North Carolina Board of Agriculture in 1903; this marked the beginning of his career in politics. Before being elected to Congress, Doughton served one term in the North Carolina Senate (1908–09) and was director of the state Prison Board (1909–11).

Congressional achievements

Doughton was for 18 years (1933–1947 and 1949–1953) the Chairman of the powerful U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, and as such he co-sponsored, held hearings on, and oversaw the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. Doughton was also instrumental in the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, America's most-traveled scenic highway. The largest park and recreational area on the parkway is named in his honor. Doughton is also known for introducing the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively served as a federal ban on marijuana prohibition in the United States in lieu of federal authority to directly regulate medicines or drugs.

References

↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles H. Cowles	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 8th congressional district 1911–1933	Succeeded by Walter Lambeth
Preceded by Alfred L. Bulwinkle	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 9th congressional district 1933–1953	Succeeded by Hugh Q. Alexander
Honorary titles
Preceded by Adolph Joachim Sabath	Dean of the House November 1952 – January 1953	Succeeded by Sam Rayburn

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means

Fitzsimons W. Smith Harper Griswold Randolph Clay G. Campbell Eppes Bacon Cheves Eppes Lowndes S. Smith McLane Randolph McDuffie Verplanck Polk Cambreleng J. W. Jones Fillmore McKay Vinton Bayly Houston L. Campbell J. G. Jones Phelps Sherman Stevens Morrill Schenck Hooper Dawes Morrison Wood Tucker Kelley Morrison R. Mills McKinley Springer Wilson Dingley Payne Underwood Kitchin Fordney Green Hawley Collier Doughton Knutson Doughton Reed Cooper W. Mills Ullman Rostenkowski Gibbons Archer Thomas Rangel Levin Camp Ryan Johnson Brady

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 68742174 LCCN: no2008081416 US Congress: D000448

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.