John S. Battle | |
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| 56thGovernor of Virginia | |
| In office January 18, 1950 – January 20, 1954 | |
| Lieutenant | Lewis Preston Collins II Allie E. S. Stephens |
| Preceded by | William M. Tuck |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. Stanley |
| Member of theVirginia Senate | |
| In office January 10, 1934 – January 11, 1950 | |
| Preceded by | Nathaniel B. Early |
| Succeeded by | Edward O. McCue Jr. |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates forAlbemarle,Greene, andCharlottesville | |
| In office January 8, 1930 – January 10, 1934 | |
| Preceded by | Albert S. Bolling |
| Succeeded by | Edward O. McCue Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Stewart Battle (1890-07-11)July 11, 1890 New Bern, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 9, 1972(1972-04-09) (aged 81) |
| Resting place | Monticello Memorial Park, Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Janie Lipscombe |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | (LLB) |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
John Stewart Battle (July 11, 1890 – April 9, 1972) was an American lawyer and politician who served in both houses of theVirginia General Assembly and as the56th Governor of Virginia (from 1950 to 1954). Battle was a member of theByrd Organization.
Battle was born in 1890 in New Bern,Craven County, North Carolina to Rev. Henry Battle and his wife. His paternal grandfather, Alabama lawyer and former Confederate GeneralCullen Battle, moved to North Carolina when John was a boy and became a newspaper editor as well the mayor of New Bern. He also lectured concerning his wartime experiences and theLost Cause at various locations in North Carolina and Virginia. General Battle moved in with his son's family after his wife died. Rev. Battle moved his family several times during John's childhood, including toPetersburg, Virginia. After graduating from high school, John Battle traveled toAsheville, North Carolina and earned anassociate's degree fromMars Hill College (then a junior college). He then earned abachelor's degree fromWake Forest University (then a college) and a bachelor of laws (LLB) degree from theUniversity of Virginia School of Law in 1913[1].
Battle won election to theVirginia House of Delegates in 1929, and was re-elected twice to the part-time position. A member of the Byrd Organization, Battle began serving in theVirginia State Senate in 1934, and that part-time service continued until 1949, when he resigned upon winning thegubernatorial election.
With the assistance of Virginia Beach bossSidney Kellam, Battle defeated "anti" Byrd Organization leaderFrancis Pickens Miller in the Democratic primary, by depicting him as a liberal and controlled by labor unions, and nearly ignoring his other opponents (Horace Edwards and Petersburg businessman Remmie Arnold). Prominent Republican Henry Wise of the Virginia Eastern Shore even urged his supporters to vote for Battle in the Democratic Party to repel the "invasion by aliens." Battle won 43% of the vote; Miller 35%, Edwards 15% and Arnold 7%[1]
During his gubernatorial term, Virginia's General Assembly approved $45 million for school construction, which barely kept pace with population increases. Per pupil expenditures and teacher salaries remained below national averages, and the state ranked last nationally in percentage of high school age children actually attending high school, and next-to-last in college age children going to college. Virginia also ranked 40th in appropriations to care for the mentally ill.[2]
Battle was a Delegate to theDemocratic National Convention in 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, and 1968. When the Virginia delegation was threatened with expulsion at the 1952 Democratic Party national convention for refusing to sign a loyalty oath to whomever the party nominated (U.S. SenatorHarry F. Byrd often disagreeing with PresidentHarry S Truman), Battle delivered a speech to the convention that forestalled expulsion and helped prevent a split like the Democrats experienced in 1948. In 1956, Battle became theDixiecrat candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, eventually losing in floor voting to formerIllinois GovernorAdlai Stevenson.
After his term ended in 1954, Battle went into semi retirement inCharlottesville, Virginia, although he continued to practice law, including representing the Albemarle County public schools, who faced a desegregation lawsuit by the NAACP.
Battle's political ambitions continued, despite the national spotlight on Virginia and theMassive Resistance declarations by incumbent SenatorHarry F. Byrd Sr. after the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 1954 and 1955 inBrown v. Board of Education. Battle was prepared to run for the U.S. Senate in 1958 if Senator Byrd chose not to run for reelection. Former Governor (and then Congressman)William Tuck had similar ambitions and even more fiery rhetoric, and Byrd chose to run again to avoid the political infighting that would result from a Battle-Tuck primary fight.
In 1959,President Eisenhower called on Battle to serve on theU.S. Commission on Civil Rights, citing his moderate history onracism.
Battle died in 1972, at the age of 81, and was buried inMonticello Memorial Park inCharlottesville.
His two sons became lawyers and continued their father's public involvement:William C. Battle, (1920–2008) becameUnited States Ambassador to Australia and president of theUnited States Golf Association, as well as the Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia in 1969. John S. Battle, Jr. (1919–1997) became a Founding Trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Free Expression, as well as served two terms on the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia (1982–1990).
John S. Battle High School inWashington County, Virginia, built in 1959, bears his name. Battle Hall at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind is also named for the former governor.
1949; Battle was elected Governor of Virginia with 70.43% of the vote, defeating Republican Walter Johnson and Social Democrat Clark T. Robb.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Virginia 1949 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Virginia 1950–1954 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
