Joel Thomas Broyhill (November 4, 1919 – September 24, 2006) was an
American politician
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...
aligned with the
Republican Party who served as a
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
from Virginia for 11 terms, from 1953 to 1974. He represented
Virginia's 10th congressional district
Virginia's 10th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is currently represented by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was first elected in 2018.
The district includes all of Clarke County, Fr ...
, consisting of suburbs of Arlington, Falls Church and sections of Fairfax County and Alexandria, and became known for his advocacy for federal workers (and constituent services) as well as his opposition to
integration
Integration may refer to:
Biology
*Multisensory integration
*Path integration
* Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome
*DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...
in the 1950s and 1960s.
[Dennis Hevesi]
"Joel T. Broyhill, 86, Congressman Who Opposed Integration, Dies"
''The New York Times'', October 4, 2006
Early life and education
Although according to family genealogy, the first Broyhill emigrated to
Halifax County, Virginia
Halifax County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,022. Its county seat is Halifax.
History
Occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years, in histo ...
, in the 18th century, Joel Broyhill's grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Broyhill (1852–1935) had been born near
Moravian Falls
Moravian Falls is a waterfall in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Geology
The waterfall is located on Moravian Creek, where it flows over a large bedrock to a lower plunge pool.
Natural history
The falls is privately owned by a campground who ha ...
in
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County is a county located in the US state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western mountain region. As of the 2020 census the population was 65,969, in 2010 the census listed the population at 69,340. Its county seat is ...
, the son of William Broyhill, a farmer and miller who also taught school following the Civil War. Thomas Broyhill became a carpenter and millwright, then leading citizen of the area as he established sawmills and other businesses. Joel's father Marvin Talmadge Broyhill Sr. moved his family to
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city surrounded by Prince George County and the Appomattox River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,033. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Hopewell with Prin ...
, to follow an uncle who worked for the DuPont Powder Company. M.T. Broyhill occasionally worked for DuPont, as well as established a real estate business which thrived until the plant closed. At the age of eighteen, Broyhill moved to
Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
, when his father relocated his building and real estate firm,
M.T. Broyhill & Sons Corporation (in part developing housing near
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.
History
The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become F ...
, where DuPont established a cellulose factory). He then attended
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
from 1939 to 1941.
Military service and real estate career
In February 1942, Joel Broyhill enlisted in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. He served in
European Theater
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...
as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the
106th Infantry Division. He narrowly escaped death when Allied planes bombed the
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
, and suffered what proved to be lifetime partial hearing loss from the explosions. Captured by the Germans during the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
, Broyhill escaped six months later from a
prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
and rejoined advancing U.S. forces. He was released from active duty November 1, 1945. Among his military awards was a
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
.
After the war, Broyhill rejoined his family's real estate firm, where he became partner and general manager.
Politics
He was president of the Arlington County Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Arlington County Planning Commission. In 1950 he was elected president of the Arlington
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Club.
Elected to Congress
In 1952 he ran for Congress in a bid to become the first representative of Virginia's new , located in the inner suburbs of Washington, D.C. Broyhill won on his 33rd birthday, defeating
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Edmund D. Campbell by 322 votes and riding the coattails of the
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and Republican Party landslide that year. He won his next ten elections but lost during the Democratic landslide in 1974 in the wake of the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
and the resignation of President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
. Broyhill's district had been carved out of the old , then represented by
Howard W. "Judge" Smith, a legendary and powerful Democrat who controlled legislation through his chairmanship of the
House Rules Committee
The Committee on Rules, or more commonly, the Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other commit ...
. ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote
Congressional career
After taking office, Broyhill developed a reputation for assisting federal employees,
[Guide to the Joel T. Broyhill papers, 1952-1974]
''George Mason University Libraries''. Retrieved October 29, 2021. as well as constituent service that became legendary. A messenger came to his office every 30 minutes to pick up the
Western Union
The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company chang ...
telegrams his office would fire off to government agencies on behalf of constituents.
''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote:
Broyhill served on the powerful
House Ways and Means Committee
The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other program ...
, as well as the
House Post Office and Civil Service Committee. In 1963, he was joined in the House by his distant cousin
Jim Broyhill
James Thomas Broyhill (born August 19, 1927) is an American former businessman and United States Republican Party, Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative and United States Senator, Senator from the state of North ...
, also a Republican and who had won an unexpected victory in
North Carolina's 9th congressional district
The 9th congressional district of North Carolina is a congressional district in south-central North Carolina. The district's current boundaries were redrawn in February 2016 after a U.S. District Court overturned the existing boundaries because ...
, and who would also become known for his constituent services. Congressman
Frank Wolf later noted:
On national issues, Broyhill supported the Republican legislative programs of Eisenhower and Nixon. In the Democratic administrations of
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
and
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
, he opposed programs of the
New Frontier
The term ''New Frontier'' was used by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the D ...
and the
Great Society
The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65. The term was first coined during a 1964 commencement address by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the University ...
.
Broyhill also became known as a strident opponent of integration. In 1955, he was one 81 US Representatives who vowed to oppose by "every lawful means", the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
holding 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 ...
'' which outlawed
segregation Segregation may refer to:
Separation of people
* Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space
* School segregation
* Housing segregation
* Racial segregation, separation of humans ...
. He and
Richard Harding Poff
Richard Harding "Dick" Poff (October 19, 1923 – June 27, 2011) was an American politician and judge. He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1952 from Virginia's 6th congressional district. An attorney and a Repub ...
of Virginia were the only two Republicans to sign the
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 ...
. Broyhill voted against the
Civil Rights Acts of 1957,
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Ja ...
,
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
, and
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
, and the
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...
, but voted in favor of the
24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As a longtime member of the committee overseeing the
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
he, along with three other members of Congress,
[ recommended that schools in the District reinstitute segregation.]
Broyhill in 1972 voiced opposition towards the federal subsidization of housing in Washington, D.C. suburbs, lamenting that it "smacks of forced integration".
In 1974 he announced his intention to retire, but was persuaded to seek another term at the request of Vice President Gerald R. Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
. He ended up losing to Democrat Joseph L. Fisher, as the GOP suffered landslide defeats in reaction to the Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
. His defeat was considered one of the biggest upsets nationally that year.
After leaving office, he served as campaign manager for Republican John W. Warner
John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to ...
's successful first run for U.S. Senate in the 1978 election,[McCaffrey, Scott (September 27, 2006)]
Long-Time U.S. Rep. Joel Broyhill Dies at 86
''Inside Nova''. Retrieved October 29, 2021. but primarily he was involved with real estate. His firm developed several neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, including Broyhill McLean Estates, Broyhill Forest, and Sterling Park.
Death and legacy
Broyhill died at his home in Arlington, Virginia, of congestive heart failure and pneumonia on September 24, 2006. He is buried at Arlington National Cemeter
In 2000, Congress named the postal building at 8409 Lee Hwy. in Merrifield, Virginia
Merrifield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,212 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Merrifield is located in eastern Fairfax County at (38.873144, −77.242994). It is bounded by I-66 ...
, after Broyhill, though no plaque remains in public areas. His papers are held among the special collections of George Mason University.[
]
References
External links
Retrieved on 2008-02-18
Political Graveyard
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broyhill, Joel Thomas
1919 births
2006 deaths
People from Hopewell, Virginia
George Washington University alumni
People from Arlington County, Virginia
American prisoners of war in World War II
World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
United States Army officers
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
20th-century American politicians
American segregationists