Jennings Randolph (March 8, 1902May 8, 1998) was an American politician from
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
. A
Democrat, he was most notable for his service in the
United States House of Representatives
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 ...
from 1933 to 1947 and the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
from 1958 to 1985. He was the last surviving member of the United States Congress to have served during the first 100 days of
Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. Randolph retired in 1985, and was succeeded by
Jay Rockefeller
John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is a retired American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Virg ...
.
Early life and career
Randolph was born in
Salem, West Virginia, the son of Idell (Bingham) and Ernest Fitz Randolph. He was named after
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
. Both his grandfather and father had been mayors of Salem.
He attended the public schools, and graduated from the Salem Academy in 1920 and
Salem College in 1922. He engaged in newspaper work in
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. The population of the city was 16,039 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg micro ...
in 1924. He was the associate editor of West Virginia Review at
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 2020 census and an estimated population of 48,018 in 2021. The Charlesto ...
in 1925; head of the department of public speaking and journalism at Davis and Elkins College at
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 6,950 at the 20 ...
, 1926–1932; and a trustee of Salem College and
Davis and Elkins College.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress, but was elected to the Seventy-third and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1947. While a congressman, he was chairman of the
U.S. House Committee on the District of Columbia
The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives.
The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...
(Seventy-sixth through Seventy-ninth Congresses) and the U.S. House Committee on Civil Service (Seventy-ninth Congress).
Randolph was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection during the Republican landslide of 1946. He went on to become a professor of public speaking at
Southeastern University
Southeastern University is a private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. It i ...
in
Washington, D.C., 1935–1953, and dean of School of Business Administration from 1952 to 1958; he was assistant to president and director of public relations, Capital Airlines (later purchased by
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. ), Washington, D.C., February 1947-April 1958.
U.S. Senate
He was elected in a
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
on November 4, 1958 to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy triggered by the death of
Matthew M. Neely
Matthew Mansfield Neely (November 9, 1874January 18, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from West Virginia. He is the only West Virginian to serve in both houses of the United States Congress and as the Governor of West Virginia. He is ...
. He was reelected in 1960, 1966, 1972 and 1978, and served from November 5, 1958 to January 3, 1985. Randolph was chairman of the Committee on Public Works (89th through 95th Congresses) and its successor, the Committee on Environment and Public Works (95th and 96th Congresses). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1984.
Legislation
Randolph voted in favor of the
Civil Rights Acts of 1960,
1964, 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.
* J ...
, as well as the
24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 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 m ...
, and the confirmation of
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-A ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court. On November 4, 1977, President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
signed environmental bills H.R. 2817 and H.R. 4297, singling Randolph out as the sole senator he wanted to thank for their passage.
Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Randolph was best known for sponsoring eleven times an amendment to the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these pr ...
that would grant citizens aged between 18 and 21 the right to vote. He first introduced the amendment in 1942, arguing that young soldiers fighting in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
should be able to vote. In 1970 amendments to the
Voting Rights Act
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 m ...
lowered the voting age to 18 in both local and national elections. After the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
found in ''
Oregon v. Mitchell'' that Congress only had the power to lower the voting age to 18 for national elections, and no power to lower it for state elections, Randolph was among the Senators who reintroduced the amendment. It was ratified by three-fourths of the states in 1971 as the
Twenty-Sixth Amendment, 107 days after it was approved by Congress.
Equal Rights Amendment
On August 26, 1970, the fiftieth anniversary of the ratification of the
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution giving
women the right to vote, Randolph attracted widespread media coverage for negative comments he made concerning the
Women's Liberation Movement
The women's liberation movement (WLM) was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great ...
. Feminists had organized a nationwide
Women's Strike for Equality that day, and presented the sympathetic Senate leadership with a petition for the
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...
. Randolph derided the protesters as "braless bubbleheads" and claimed that the equal rights activists did not speak for women, citing those more radical feminists that supported, as he put it, the "right to unabridged abortions". Randolph would later admit that his bubblehead comment was "perhaps ill-chosen" and went on to support the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1972, when the amendment passed the Senate, Randolph was a co-sponsor.
Randolph-Sheppard Act
While a member of the House of Representatives, Randolph was the main sponsor of the
Randolph-Sheppard Act, which was passed by Congress in 1936. This act, which is still in force, gives
blind people preference in federal contracts for food service stands on federal properties such as military bases, as well as some other jobs. Organizations for blind people such as the
National Federation of the Blind cite this act as one of the first and most successful programs to give blind people secure jobs with less supervision and more independence than other previous programs such as sheltered workshops. This act became one of the first instances of
affirmative action legislation.
Aeronautics Legislation
An aviation enthusiast, he often flew more than once a day to visit constituents in West Virginia and to commute to Washington. He was the founder and first president of the Congressional Flying Club. He was a strong advocate for programs to advance air travel and airport development. In 1938 he sponsored the
Civil Aeronautics Act
The Air Commerce Act of 1926 created an Aeronautic Branch of the United States Department of Commerce. Its functions included testing and licensing of pilots, certification of aircraft and investigation of accidents.
In 1934, the Aeronautics Branc ...
, which transferred the federal civil aviation responsibilities from the
Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for busi ...
to a new independent agency, the
Civil Aeronautics Authority
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1938 and abolished in 1985, that regulated aviation services including scheduled passenger airline serviceStringer, David H."Non-Skeds: T ...
. The legislation gave the CAA the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve. In subsequent years, Randolph co-authored the Federal Airport Act as well as legislation that created the
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
, the
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the N ...
, and
National Aviation Day. During his tenure in the Senate, he sponsored the Airport-Airways Development Act that created the Airport Trust Fund. As a co-author of the Appalachian Regional Development Act, he included provisions for the development of rural airports.
Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act
In 1942 he proposed a
Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act, which would fund the transformation of coal and its products into other useful forms of energy. To promote the viability of
synthetic fuels in November 1943, Randolph and a professional pilot flew in an aircraft powered by gasoline derived from coal. The small, single-engine airplane flew from
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia Universi ...
to National Airport in
Washington, DC
)
, 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 Morg ...
. Aided by Interior Secretary
Harold Ickes and Senator
Joseph C. O'Mahoney
Joseph Christopher O'Mahoney (November 5, 1884December 1, 1962) was an American journalist, lawyer, and politician. A Democrat, he served four complete terms as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming on two occasions, first from 1934-1953 and then again f ...
, the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act was approved on 5 April 1944. The Act authorized $30 million for the construction and operation of
demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels.
Department of Peace
He introduced legislation to establish a
Department of Peace
The Department of Peace is a proposed cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States.
History
The peace movement in the United States has a proposed legislative history that dates to the first year ...
in 1946 with the goal of strengthening America's capacity to resolve and manage international conflicts by both military and nonmilitary means. In the 1970s and 1980s he joined Senators
Mark Hatfield
Mark Odom Hatfield (July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Approp ...
and
Spark Matsunaga
Spark Masayuki Matsunaga ( ja, 松永 正幸, October 8, 1916April 15, 1990) was an American politician and attorney who served as United States Senator for Hawaii from 1977 until his death in 1990. Matsunaga also represented Hawaii in the U.S. ...
and Congressman
Dan Glickman in efforts to create a national institution dedicated to peace. After he had announced his retirement from Congress in 1984, Randolph played a key role in the passage and enactment of the
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...
Act. To guarantee its passage and funding, the legislation was attached to the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1985. Approval of the legislation was in part a tribute to Randolph's long career in public service. The Jennings Randolph Program, which awards fellowships to enable outstanding scholars, policymakers, journalists, and other professionals from around the world to conduct research at the U.S. Institute of Peace, has been named in his honor.
Life outside Congress
* Randolph's early career is recounted in
Napoleon Hill's self-help book, ''
Think and Grow Rich''. Hill gave the commencement address at Randolph's graduation from Salem College; Randolph was deeply moved and inspired by the address. Later, when Randolph was elected to Congress, he wrote to Hill, urging him to turn the speech into a printed book. The text of the letter appears in the book.
* Randolph married Mary Katherine Babb on February 18, 1933. She died of cancer on March 10, 1981, and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
is named for her.
* Randolph died in
St. Louis, Missouri in 1998. He was interred at
Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery,
Salem, West Virginia.
* Randolph wrote a book along with
James A. Bell
James Aaron Bell (born June 4, 1948) is a retired American executive of The Boeing Company.
Bell is a retired president, executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Boeing Company. He served as interim president and chief execut ...
called ''"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen... : A Practical Guide to Public Speaking,"'' which was published in 1939.
* Randolph's son,
Jay Randolph
A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...
, is a longtime television
sportscaster for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
, and
KSDK for
Cardinals' games in
St. Louis.
* His grandson, Jay Randolph Jr., is the lead anchor of the
PGA Tour Network
SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (formerly PGA Tour Network) is a satellite radio channel on Sirius XM dedicated to coverage of golf—and in particular, the PGA Tour. The channel carries talk programming related to golf, including analysis, equipment r ...
on
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM, Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable televisi ...
, and hosts a sports talk show on St. Louis radio station KFNS.
*
Jennings Randolph Lake is named in his honor. The
Jennings Randolph Bridge
The Jennings Randolph Bridge, built in 1977, is the largest Pratt truss bridge in North America. It spans over the Ohio River between Chester, West Virginia and East Liverpool, Ohio. The bridge is located on U.S. Route 30 and is named after U.S ...
that carries U.S. Route 30 across the Ohio River between Chester, West Virginia, and East Liverpool, Ohio, is also named for him. In West Virginia,
Interstate 79
Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfar ...
is known as the ''Jennings Randolph Expressway''.
* Randolph was de facto chairman of
Agri-Energy Roundtable (AER), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) accredited by the United Nations, and led U.S. delegations to seven AER annual conferences in Geneva, Switzerland (1981–1987).
* Randolph was the winner of the George S. Bartlett Award for road transportation in 1971.
References
Further reading
* Price, Christopher. "Peace and Progress: The Life and Political Contributions of Senator Jennings Randolph." ''West Virginia History'' 14.2 (2020): 1-27.
External links
*
*
Jennings Randolph Recognition Project (JRRP)*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Randolph, Jennings
1902 births
1998 deaths
20th-century American educators
20th-century American politicians
Baptists from West Virginia
Candidates in the 1964 United States presidential election
Candidates in the 1976 United States presidential election
Candidates in the 1980 United States presidential election
Davis & Elkins College faculty
Davis & Elkins College trustees
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia
Democratic Party United States senators from West Virginia
Editors of West Virginia newspapers
People from Salem, West Virginia
Jennings
Salem International University alumni
Salem University trustees
Seventh Day Baptists
Southeastern University (Washington, D.C.) faculty
Writers from West Virginia