J. Melville Broughton

Joseph Melville Broughton Jr. (November 17, 1888 – March 6, 1949) was an American politician who served as the 60th governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945. He later briefly served as a United States senator from January 3, 1949, until his death in office approximately two months later.

Early life and education Broughton was born on November 17, 1888, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He graduated from Wake Forest College, where he also played football, in 1910. Broughton attended Harvard Law School then worked as a school principal and journalist before actively entering the legal profession.

Political career He served in the North Carolina Senate from 1927 to 1929. He later served one term as governor from 1941 to 1945. Identified with progressive politics, as characterized by his support of the social justice legislation of the Roosevelt Administration, a number of reforms were carried out during his term as governor. One of his major legacies was the extension of the public school term from six to nine months. Ten white men was charged. To local shock, five of the men, Coy Harris, A.P. Spriggs, P.I. Holt, Johnny Holt, and Willie Aiken were found guilty on April 24, 1942. A jury acquitted them of the more serious charge of inciting to riot, but found them guilty of unlawful assembly for an unlawful purpose, a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison. Harris and Spriggs were each sentenced to 18 months in the county jail, while the other three were sentenced to 12 months in the county jail. The jury had recommended mercy for the Colt brothers, whereas Aiken was the only defendant who did not deny his guilt. The verdict shocked the public, which had been sympathetic to the mob. In June 1942, 2,000 people submitted a petition demanding the parole or pardon of those convicted. Harris, Spriggs, P.L. Holt, and Aiken were paroled on July 23, 1942. Johnny Holt was denied parole since he was the prime suspect in a robbery in California. He was paroled some time between then and 1943, and all six men were discharged from parole in September 1943. Winstead himself later pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit rape and was sentenced to two and a half years to five years in prison. In February 1943, the Person County chapter of the NAACP petitioned for his parole, expressing doubt over Winstead's guilt. However, Winstead refused to apply for parole, finding the conditions to be too strict.

Nevertheless, Broughton resisted threats to segregation. In 1942, he urged African Americans not to start making demands at home as a result of World War II:"Negroes are ill-advised if they take the position they are for victory in this war if something is to be done for them. Negroes should put their full energy into the war effort, for failure means slavery of the worst sort for white and Negro alike. The man or woman who uses this emergency as a means of stirring up strife between the races is not a friend to either race and is not a good American."

In 1943, Broughton wrote, "We believe in a policy of purity and high standard as to both races and we recognize the principle that race distinction does not imply race discrimination." He spurned criticism from the NAACP and claimed that racism had no impact on North Carolina's judicial system.

Tenure in Senate In 1948, Broughton was elected to the United States Senate, after defeating William B. Umstead, an appointed incumbent, in the Democratic primary. In November, Broughton won both a special election to complete the Senate term and an election for a full term. He took office on December 31, 1948, but his service in the Senate was brief.

Appearing healthy, Broughton suddenly collapsed from a heart attack and died in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 1949. Governor W. Kerr Scott appointed Frank Porter Graham to fill his vacant office until the next election.

Family

Joseph Melville Broughton, Jr. was the son of Joseph Melville Broughton and Sallie Harris. He married Alice Willson in 1916, they had four children. He was the nephew of Needham B. Broughton and a first cousin of Carrie Lougee Broughton. He was also a first cousin of medical doctor and Baptist minister Len G. Broughton. Broughton and his wife lived in the Jolly-Broughton House, a Georgian Revival mansion located in Raleigh's Hayes Barton Historic District, before and after living in the North Carolina Executive Mansion. He was interred at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh.

Legacy In 1959, the State Hospital at Morganton for psychiatric patients was renamed Broughton Hospital in his memory. In addition, Broughton Hall at North Carolina State University was named in his honor.

He was a member of Civitan International.