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'''William Ryan deGraffenried Sr''' (born [[April 15]], [[1925]] in [[Tuscaloosa]]; died [[February 10]], [[1966]] near [[Fort Payne]]) was an attorney and member of the [[Alabama State House of Representatives]]. | '''William Ryan deGraffenried Sr''' (born [[April 15]], [[1925]] in [[Tuscaloosa]]; died [[February 10]], [[1966]] near [[Fort Payne]]) was an attorney and member of the [[Alabama State House of Representatives]] and [[Alabama State Senate]]. | ||
DeGraffenried was the son of former U.S. Representative [[Edward deGraffenried]] and his wife, the former Grace Ryan. He | DeGraffenried was the son of former U.S. Representative [[Edward deGraffenried]] and his wife, the former Grace Ryan. He graduated from [[Shades Cahaba High School]] in [[1943]] and was an All-State guard and captain of the Mounties football team. He was also a member of the state champion debate team, president of the student body and president of the [[Alabama Association of Honor Societies]]. | ||
DeGraffenried ran twice for [[Governor of Alabama]]. He was defeated by [[George Wallace]] in | After graduating, deGraffenried enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Armored Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Armored Division for service in Europe during [[World War II]]. He was wounded twice and received a Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster. He married the former Margaret Nell Maxwell in July [[1945]], enrolled at the [[University of Alabama]] in [[1946]] and completed his degree at the [[University of Alabama School of Law]] in [[1949]], editing the ''[[Alabama Law Review]]'' during his senior year. | ||
DeGraffenried won his first campaign for state legislator in a special called election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of [[J. P. Shelton]] in [[1954]]. He was assigned to the House Committee on Ways and Means. He sponsored a law that streamlined pre-trial depositions and also pushed a bill to eliminate absentee ballots, but it foundered in the Senate. He also took partial credit for several road improvement and capital projects in [[Tuscaloosa County]]. In the [[1958 primary elections]] deGraffenried ran unopposed for the county's Place 3 in the Alabama State Senate. As a Senator, deGraffenried filibustered to prevent a Congressional reapportionment that would have split [[Jefferson County]] between two districts. | |||
DeGraffenried ran twice for [[Governor of Alabama]]. He was defeated by [[George Wallace]], 340,730 to 269,122, in the runoff of the [[1962 primary elections|1962 Democratic primary]]. He qualified again four years later, with Wallace ineligible for re-election due to the [[Alabama Constitution of 1901|state constitution]]'s one-term limit. DeGraffenried was known as a progressive, in sharp contrast to Wallace's racist populism. He was considered a leading candidate, but died in a plane crash early in the campaign. He and his pilot were en route from DeKalb County to [[Gadsden]] in poor weather and the craft was lost on [[Lookout Mountain]] near [[Fort Payne]]. First Lady [[Lurleen Wallace]] went on to win the primary and was elected to succeed her husband. | |||
DeGraffenried's son, [[Ryan DeGraffenried Jr|Ryan Jr]] followed in his father's footsteps as a [[Alabama State Senate|State Senator]] and acting [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama]]. | DeGraffenried's son, [[Ryan DeGraffenried Jr|Ryan Jr]] followed in his father's footsteps as a [[Alabama State Senate|State Senator]] and acting [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
* Kyle, Bob (January 7, 1959) "[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5BQhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8pkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2594%2C700485 Senator deGraffenried Is Expected To Hold His Own]" ''Tuscaloosa News'' | |||
* Rogers, Lisa (February 9, 1996) "[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HrgfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5538%2C794898 Teacher: deGraffenried plane crash may have changed Alabama history]". ''Gadsden Times'' | |||
* "[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_DeGraffenried,_Sr. Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr.]" (October 4, 2015) Wikipedia - accessed February 10, 2016 | * "[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_DeGraffenried,_Sr. Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr.]" (October 4, 2015) Wikipedia - accessed February 10, 2016 | ||
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[[Category:1925 births]] | [[Category:1925 births]] | ||
[[Category:1966 deaths]] | [[Category:1966 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:Shades Cahaba graduates]] | |||
[[Category:US Army personnel]] | [[Category:US Army personnel]] | ||
[[Category:World War II veterans]] | [[Category:World War II veterans]] | ||
[[Category:Purple Heart recipients]] | [[Category:Purple Heart recipients]] | ||
[[Category:Alabama School of Law alumni]] | |||
[[Category:Attorneys]] | [[Category:Attorneys]] | ||
[[Category:State legislators]] | [[Category:State legislators]] | ||
[[Category:State senators]] | |||
Revision as of 16:38, 10 February 2016
William Ryan deGraffenried Sr (born April 15, 1925 in Tuscaloosa; died February 10, 1966 near Fort Payne) was an attorney and member of the Alabama State House of Representatives and Alabama State Senate.
DeGraffenried was the son of former U.S. Representative Edward deGraffenried and his wife, the former Grace Ryan. He graduated from Shades Cahaba High School in 1943 and was an All-State guard and captain of the Mounties football team. He was also a member of the state champion debate team, president of the student body and president of the Alabama Association of Honor Societies.
After graduating, deGraffenried enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Armored Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Armored Division for service in Europe during World War II. He was wounded twice and received a Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster. He married the former Margaret Nell Maxwell in July 1945, enrolled at the University of Alabama in 1946 and completed his degree at the University of Alabama School of Law in 1949, editing the Alabama Law Review during his senior year.
DeGraffenried won his first campaign for state legislator in a special called election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of J. P. Shelton in 1954. He was assigned to the House Committee on Ways and Means. He sponsored a law that streamlined pre-trial depositions and also pushed a bill to eliminate absentee ballots, but it foundered in the Senate. He also took partial credit for several road improvement and capital projects in Tuscaloosa County. In the 1958 primary elections deGraffenried ran unopposed for the county's Place 3 in the Alabama State Senate. As a Senator, deGraffenried filibustered to prevent a Congressional reapportionment that would have split Jefferson County between two districts.
DeGraffenried ran twice for Governor of Alabama. He was defeated by George Wallace, 340,730 to 269,122, in the runoff of the 1962 Democratic primary. He qualified again four years later, with Wallace ineligible for re-election due to the state constitution's one-term limit. DeGraffenried was known as a progressive, in sharp contrast to Wallace's racist populism. He was considered a leading candidate, but died in a plane crash early in the campaign. He and his pilot were en route from DeKalb County to Gadsden in poor weather and the craft was lost on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne. First Lady Lurleen Wallace went on to win the primary and was elected to succeed her husband.
DeGraffenried's son, Ryan Jr followed in his father's footsteps as a State Senator and acting Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.
References
- Kyle, Bob (January 7, 1959) "Senator deGraffenried Is Expected To Hold His Own" Tuscaloosa News
- Rogers, Lisa (February 9, 1996) "Teacher: deGraffenried plane crash may have changed Alabama history". Gadsden Times
- "Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr." (October 4, 2015) Wikipedia - accessed February 10, 2016