J. Kenneth Robinson | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's7th district | |
| In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | John O. Marsh Jr. |
| Succeeded by | D. French Slaughter Jr. |
| Member of theVirginia Senate from the21st district | |
| In office January 12, 1966 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Harry F. Byrd Jr. (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | William Truban |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Kenneth Robinson (1916-05-14)May 14, 1916 Winchester,Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | April 8, 1990(1990-04-08) (aged 73) Winchester, Virginia, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathryn M. Rankin |
| Children | 7 |
| Alma mater | Virginia Tech (B.S.) |
| Occupation | businessman, orchardist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
James Kenneth Robinson (May 14, 1916 – April 8, 1990) was a State Senator andU.S. Representative fromVirginia.[1]
Born inWinchester, Virginia, Robinson attended the city's public schools, including Handley High School. He graduated with a B.S. in horticulture fromVirginia Polytechnic Institute,Blacksburg, Virginia in 1937. He served as infantryman in theUnited States Army from 1941 to 1945. He was discharged with the rank of major, and was active in the American Legion despite his Quaker faith.
Like the powerful Democratic Byrd family of Winchester, Robinson owned a fruit orchard and operated a fruit packing business, and had real estate and other business interests in the Winchester area. He was active in the WinchesterRotary Club,Izaak Walton League,Virginia Farm Bureau Federation,Boy Scouts, Winchester-Frederick CountyChamber of Commerce and the Winchester Elks Lodge.[2]
Robinson made his first bid for elected office in 1962, when he ran as aRepublican inVirginia's 7th congressional district, which included his home in Winchester. This district, like most of Virginia, had long been dominated by theByrd Machine; indeed, machine patriarchHarry F. Byrd Sr. was a Winchester native. However, Robinson nearly ended the long run of Democratic dominance in this seat, coming within 598 votes of defeating the Democratic nominee,John Marsh.[3] By this time, conservative Byrd Democrats had begun splitting their tickets in national contests out of chagrin over theNew Deal as early as the 1930s, a trend that accelerated with the national party's embrace of civil rights for blacks.
After redistricting following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision inDavis v. Mann as well as Virginia GovernorAlbertis Harrison's appointment of state SenatorHarry F. Byrd Jr. to succeed his retiring father in the U.S. Senate, voters in Byrd's long-held state senatorial district encompassing Clarke, Frederick and Shenandoah Counties and the City of Winchester (previously numbered the 24th (with the new addition ofLoudoun County now numbered the 21st) elected Robinson to theVirginia Senate in 1965. He was re-elected to a four-year term in 1967.[4] Robinson served as chairman of the Republican delegation to the 1968 and 1969 general assembly.
After Marsh opted not to run for a fifth term in 1970, Robinson entered the race to succeed him in 1970. His state senate district covered much of the congressional district's western portion. He defeated the former ambassador toEl Salvador,Murat W. Williams, by a decisive margin. He defeated Williams in a rematch in 1972, becoming the first Republican to win a second term in this district since Reconstruction. He served as the ranking minority member on thePermanent Select Committee on Intelligence by the time he stepped down in January 1985.[5]
Robinson became very popular in his district, even though many of its living residents had never been represented by a Republican before. After his first run for Congress, he only dropped below 60 percent of the vote once, in 1974 when a number of Republicans were unseated due to anger over theWatergate Scandal.
He did not seek an eighth term in 1984 due to ill health. He continued work in the fruit growing and packing business in Winchester until his death from pancreatic cancer on April 8, 1990.[5][6]
| Senate of Virginia | ||
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| Preceded by | Virginia Senator for the 21st District 1966–1971 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 7th congressional district 1971–1985 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
