Graham Arthur Barden (September 25, 1896 – January 29, 1967) was a

US Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

between 1935 and 1961 for the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Born in

Sampson County, North Carolina Sampson County is the largest county, by land area, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,036. Its county seat is Clinton. History Sampson County was established in April 1784 following the American ...

in 1896, he moved to

Burgaw, North Carolina Burgaw is a town in, and the county seat of, Pender County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,872 at the 2010 census. Burgaw is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town most likely derives its nam ...

at the age of 12, where he attended public schools. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Barden was a seaman in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. After leaving the Navy in 1919, Barden attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1920. After briefly practicing law and teaching high school that same year, he became a judge in the

Craven County Craven County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 100,720. Its county seat is New Bern, North Carolina, New Bern. The county was created in 1705 as Archdale Precin ...

courts, a post he held until 1924. In 1932, Barden was elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

; two years later, he won the first of thirteen consecutive terms in the

United States House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

. During the 78th and 79th Congresses, he chaired the House Education Committee; after that committee merged to become the

Education and Labor Committee The Committee on Education and Labor is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members in this committee. Since 2019, the chair of the Education and Labor committee is Robert Cortez Scott of Virginia. Hi ...

, he again became chairman in the 81st, 82nd, 84th, 85th, and 86th sessions. He was a signatory to the 1956

Southern Manifesto The Declaration of Constitutional Principles (known informally as the Southern Manifesto) was a document written in February and March 1956, during the 84th United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manife ...

that opposed the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

''. He chose not to stand for re-election in 1960 and died in

New Bern, North Carolina New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

in 1967. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery.Find A Grave: Cedar Grove Cemetery
/ref> In 1979, Campbell University Press published a biography by Elmer L. Puryear. Graham A. Barden Elementary School, in

Havelock, North Carolina Havelock is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, Craven County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,735 at the 2010 census. The city is home to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, the world's largest United States Marine C ...

is named after him.

Notes

References

* Puryear, Elmer L. ''Graham A. Barden: Conservative Carolina Congressman''. (Buies Creek, NC: Campbell University Press, 1979) * Reeves, A.E. ''Congressional Committee Chairmen: Three Who Made an Evolution''. (The University Press of Kentucky, 1993) {{DEFAULTSORT:Barden, Graham Arthur 1896 births 1967 deaths North Carolina state court judges Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Politicians from New Bern, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina United States Navy sailors 20th-century American politicians People from Sampson County, North Carolina People from Burgaw, North Carolina 20th-century American judges American segregationists