Ryan deGraffenried Sr
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.
DeGraffenried was the son of former U.S. Representative Edward deGraffenried and his wife, the former Grace Ryan. He served with the 3rd Armored Division during World War II and received a Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster during his service. He married the former Margaret Nell Maxwell in July 1945. He won his first campaign for state legislator in 1954.
DeGraffenried ran twice for Governor of Alabama. He was defeated by George Wallace in a runoff 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 the most likely nominee, but was killed in a single-passenger plane crash on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne early in the campaign. Lurleen Wallace won 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
- "Ryan DeGraffenried, Sr." (October 4, 2015) Wikipedia - accessed February 10, 2016