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Robert L. Doughton | |
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.jpg) Doughton,c. 1920s | |
| 36th Dean of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office November 6, 1952 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Adolph J. Sabath |
| Succeeded by | Sam Rayburn |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina | |
| In office March 4, 1911 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Charles H. Cowles |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Q. Alexander |
| Constituency | 8th district (1911–1933) 9th district (1933–1953) |
| Member of theNorth Carolina Senate from the 35th district | |
| In office 1908–1909 | |
| Preceded by | E. F. Lovill |
| Succeeded by | John M. Wagoner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Lee Doughton (1863-11-07)November 7, 1863 |
| Died | October 1, 1954(1954-10-01) (aged 90) Laurel Springs, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Robert Lee "Bob" Doughton (November 7, 1863 – October 1, 1954), ofAlleghany County, North Carolina, sometimes known as "Farmer Bob", was a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina for 42 consecutive years (1911–1953). ADemocrat originally fromLaurel Springs, North Carolina, he was theDean of the United States House of Representatives for his last few months in Congress. He is the longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the state ofNorth Carolina. In the 1930s Doughton was a key player in the creation of theBlue Ridge Parkway and the passage of theSocial Security Act.
According to one study, Doughton was part of a “hardy band of southern liberals in Congress” that was “inspired and directed” by Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership.[1]
Doughton's father was a captain in theConfederate Army during theAmerican Civil War; he named his son Robert after Confederate GeneralRobert E. Lee. Robert earned the equivalent of a high-school diploma from the Traphill Academy. Although he never attended college, he was awardedhonorarybachelor's degrees from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill andCatawba College during his political career.
Doughton was married twice. His first wife, Boyd Greer, died in 1895 after only two years of marriage. He remarried in 1898 to Lillie Hix; they remained married until her death in 1946. He had two sons and two daughters. His elder brother wasRufus A. Doughton, who was at various timesSpeaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives andLieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Doughton was a member anddeacon of the Laurel Springs Baptist Church. After his death in 1954 at the age of 90 he was buried next to his wife Lillie in the church cemetery. In the 1990s Rufus Doughton's former home in Laurel Springs was restored, and it is now a popularbed-and-breakfast for tourists to the region.
TheRobert L. Doughton House was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1979.[2]
In private life, Doughton was a prosperous farmer and banker. By 1900 he owned over 5,000 acres (20 km2) of land in his nativeAlleghany County, North Carolina, where he raised herds of prized Hereford and Holstein cows. He was also the owner and president of the Deposit Savings and Loan Bank inNorth Wilkesboro, North Carolina; when the bank merged in 1936 with several other banks and formed theNorthwestern Bank, Doughton briefly served as the new bank's director. His interest in farming led to his being named to the North Carolina Board of Agriculture in 1903; this marked the beginning of his career in politics. Before being elected to Congress, Doughton served one term in theNorth Carolina Senate (1908–09) and was director of the state Prison Board (1909–11).
Doughton was for 18 years (1933–1947 and 1949–1953) the Chairman of the powerfulU.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, and as such he co-sponsored, held hearings on, and oversaw the passage of theSocial Security Act in 1935. Doughton was also instrumental in the creation of theBlue Ridge Parkway, America's most-traveled scenic highway. Thelargest park and recreational area on the parkway is named in his honor. Doughton is also known for introducing theMarihuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively served as a federal ban on marijuana prohibition in the United States in lieu of federal authority to directly regulate medicines or drugs.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's 8th congressional district 1911–1933 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's 9th congressional district 1933–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Dean of the House November 1952 – January 1953 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
