# R. Thurmond Chatham > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/R._Thurmond_Chatham > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/R._Thurmond_Chatham.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Thurmond_Chatham > Source revision: 1349711090 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician (1896–-1957)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Richard Thurmond Chatham | image = Richard Thurmond Chatham.jpg | state = [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) | district = [5th](/source/North_Carolina's_5th_congressional_district) | term_start = January 3, 1949 | term_end = January 3, 1957 | preceded = [John Hamlin Folger](/source/John_Hamlin_Folger) | succeeded = [Ralph James Scott](/source/Ralph_James_Scott) | party = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) | birth_date = {{birth date|1896|08|16}} | birth_place = [Elkin, North Carolina](/source/Elkin%2C_North_Carolina), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1957|02|05|1896|08|16}} | death_place = [Durham, North Carolina](/source/Durham%2C_North_Carolina), U.S. | spouse = Lucy Hodgin Hanes, Patricia Firestone | children = 3 | occupation = | alma_mater = }} '''Richard Thurmond Chatham''' (August 16, 1896 – February 5, 1957), who usually went by '''Thurmond Chatham''', was an American [industrialist](/source/industrialist), [philanthropist](/source/philanthropist) and [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(US)) politician, who represented [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) in the [U.S. House of Representatives](/source/U.S._House_of_Representatives) from 1949 to 1957. ==Early life== Born in [Elkin, North Carolina](/source/Elkin%2C_North_Carolina), Chatham was the only son of Hugh Gwyn Chatham and Martha Lenoir Chatham. His grandfather was Alexander Chatham, founder of [Chatham Manufacturing Company](/source/Chatham_Manufacturing_Company). His other grandfather was R.J. Thurmond, who was a business associate of Colonel W.C. Falkner. The pair had a falling out, which culminated in Thurmond shooting Colonel Falkner dead outside of Thurmond's office in [Ripley, Mississippi](/source/Ripley%2C_Mississippi). Colonel Falkner was the great-grandfather of author [William Faulkner](/source/William_Faulkner), who referenced the shooting in his stories.{{cite web |url=http://sites.rootsweb.com/~mstippah/FalknerShooting2.html|title=Where was Colonel Falkner Shot?}} Chatham was educated in public schools and at [Woodberry Forest School](/source/Woodberry_Forest_School) in [Orange, Virginia](/source/Orange%2C_Virginia). He attended the [University of North Carolina](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill) from 1915–1916 and [Yale University](/source/Yale_University) from 1916–1917, but left college to enter the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy). ==Career== In July 1919, Chatham began working for his family's company, [Chatham Manufacturing](/source/Chatham_Manufacturing_Company), which was the world's largest manufacturer of blankets. After serving as treasurer of the company, he became president in 1929 and chairman of the board of directors in 1945. During his presidency, the company experienced considerable growth in expansion in capacity and profits, as well as an increase in the variety of products. ===Naval career=== thumb|Commander Richard Thurmond Chatham Chatham first entered the [U.S. Navy](/source/U.S._Navy) as a seaman during [World War I](/source/World_War_I) until he was discharged as an ensign in 1919. Afterwards, he served during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) from February 1942 to November 1945, as an officer on the [USS Phoenix (CL-46)](/source/USS_Phoenix_(CL-46)) in the Southwest Pacific and Atlantic. He fought in the [New Guinea campaign](/source/New_Guinea_campaign), [Battle of Cape Gloucester](/source/Battle_of_Cape_Gloucester), [Battle of Wakde](/source/Battle_of_Wakde), [Admiralty Islands campaign](/source/Admiralty_Islands_campaign) and [Battle of Hollandia](/source/Battle_of_Hollandia).{{Cite web | url=http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p16062coll15/id/195 | title=Thurmond Chatham (1896-1957) Papers, 1776-1956 :: Legacy Finding Aids}} He worked with the [Bureau of Ordnance](/source/Bureau_of_Ordnance) and the office of the secretary of the navy, before being assigned to combat duty. He was named commander in the U.S. National Reserve, and was decorated with the [Bronze Star Medal](/source/Bronze_Star_Medal), the Secretary of the Navy's Commendation Medal, and the Royal [Order of Orange-Nassau](/source/Order_of_Orange-Nassau) with Swords from the Dutch Government and earned the American Theater Ribbon, European Theater Ribbon, Asiatic Theater Ribbon with three battle stars, World War I Ribbon, and Victory Ribbon. He continued his service in the Naval Reserve, and in 1950 was appointed a Captain. ===Political life=== thumb|Chatham confers with President Truman With his only previous political experience as a county commissioner in [Forsyth County, North Carolina](/source/Forsyth_County%2C_North_Carolina), Chatham was unsuccessful in his 1946 bid for the [Democratic](/source/United_States_Democratic_Party) nomination for Congress. During the elections of 1948, Chatham proved that he was an active contributor of his party, and a strong supporter of President [Harry S. Truman](/source/Harry_S._Truman). He was first elected in 1948 and then re-elected for three more terms. While in Congress, he was a member of the [House Foreign Affairs Committee](/source/House_Foreign_Affairs_Committee) and was an advocate of recognition of [China](/source/China) and support for [the Marshall Plan](/source/the_Marshall_Plan). Notably, he did not sign the 1956 [Southern Manifesto](/source/Southern_Manifesto) despite [school segregation](/source/School_segregation_in_the_United_States) being legally required in North Carolina prior to ''[Brown v. Board of Education](/source/Brown_v._Board_of_Education)'' (1954).{{cite journal|title=Senate – March 12, 1956|journal=[Congressional Record](/source/Congressional_Record)|volume=102|issue=4|publisher=[U.S. Government Printing Office](/source/United_States_Government_Publishing_Office)|pages=4459–4461|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3-1.pdf|access-date=April 12, 2023}} As a result, Chatham lost the [Democratic Party](/source/United_States_Democratic_Party) primary to [Ralph James Scott](/source/Ralph_James_Scott).{{cite web|title=Thurmond Chatham Papers, 1898-1956|publisher=[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill)|url=https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/04701/|access-date=March 29, 2023}} ===Later years=== Chatham was a trustee of the University of North Carolina and of Woodberry Forest School; president of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce; and a member of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1948, he served on the North Carolina Board of Conservation and Development and was president of the North Carolina Dairymen's Association. ==Personal life== thumb|right|250px|Chatham's Winston-Salem home In 1919, Chatham married Lucy Hodgin Hanes (1895–1949), daughter of [John Wesley Hanes](/source/John_Wesley_Hanes_I). The couple had two sons, Hugh Gwyn II and Richard Thurmond, Jr. After Lucy died, Chatham married Patricia Firestone Coyner in 1950. In 1951 the couple purchased and remodeled [Prospect House](/source/Prospect_House_(Washington%2C_D.C.)).{{Cite web | author= Heather Fearnbach| title=Thurmond and Lucy Chatham House | work = National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory | date =March 2014| url = https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/FY1051.pdf | publisher = North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office | accessdate = 2014-11-01}} The couple had one son, Walter Firestone, born in 1952. Chatham died in [Durham, North Carolina](/source/Durham%2C_North_Carolina) and was buried in the [Salem Cemetery](/source/Salem_Cemetery_(Winston-Salem%2C_North_Carolina)) in [Winston-Salem, North Carolina](/source/Winston-Salem%2C_North_Carolina). His estate was valued at almost $2,000,000, of which $250,000 was used to establish the Chatham Foundation, a charitable trust supporting education. The [Thurmond and Lucy Chatham House](/source/Thurmond_and_Lucy_Chatham_House) at Winston-Salem was listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places) in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2014-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2012-08-29|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/18/14 through 8/23/14|publisher=National Park Service}} ==References== {{Reflist}} Biography uses material from: [http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/c/Chatham,Thurmond Biographical Note, Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill] [https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/chatham-richard-thurmond] ==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} *[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000336 Congressional Biography] *[http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/c/Chatham,Thurmond.html Inventory of the Richard Thurmond Chatham Papers], in the Southern Historical Collection, [UNC-Chapel Hill](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill). {{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=North Carolina | district=5 | before=[John H. Folger](/source/John_H._Folger) | after= [Ralph J. Scott](/source/Ralph_J._Scott) | years=1949-1957 }} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Chatham, Thurmond}} Category:1896 births Category:1957 deaths Category:People from Elkin, North Carolina Category:People from Forsyth County, North Carolina Category:Politicians from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:Yale University alumni Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from North Carolina Category:Hanes family Category:Woodberry Forest School alumni Category:Burials at Salem Cemetery (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Category:20th-century United States representatives --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [R. Thurmond Chatham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Thurmond_Chatham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Thurmond_Chatham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.