William Cullen Battle (October 9, 1920 – May 31, 2008) was an American diplomat, lawyer, businessman, United States Ambassador to Australia, and president of the United States Golf Association.

Early life and education

Battle was born in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

on October 9, 1920. He was the son of

John S. Battle John Stewart Battle (July 11, 1890 – April 9, 1972) was an American lawyer and politician who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and as the 56th Governor of Virginia (from 1950 to 1954). Early and family life Battle was ...

, former Governor of Virginia (1950–54). While attending the University of Virginia, Battle played on the varsity golf team, until his graduation in 1941. Battle served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

. He was in the same squadron in the South Pacific as John F. Kennedy and participated in Kennedy's rescue from the island on which he and his crew were marooned. After the war, he returned to the University of Virginia, earned a law degree in 1947, and was admitted to the Virginia bar.

Career

Battle worked in his father's law firm, as well as helped his father win election as Governor of Virginia in 1950. During the

Massive Resistance Massive resistance was a strategy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. of Virginia and his brother-in-law James M. Thomson, who represented Alexandria in the Virginia General Assembly, to get the state's white politicians to pass laws and p ...

crisis, both Battles represented the Albemarle County Public Schools, who were being sued by the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

on behalf of parents who wanted their children to attend integrated schools. After joint decisions of the Virginia Supreme Court and three-judge federal panel on January 19, 1959, undercut the Massive Resistance laws, known as the Stanley Plan (which, among other provisions, proposed closing any public school acceding to a court desegregation order), Battle ultimately negotiated a settlement with the NAACP, and Charlottesville public schools reopened. The younger Battle later worked on Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign and was appointed Ambassador to Australia, serving from 1962 to 1964. In

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

, in an election that became known for the crumbling of the Massive Resistance and the

Byrd Organization The Byrd machine, or Byrd organization, was a political machine of the Democratic Party led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd (1887–1966) that dominated Virginia politics for much of the 20th century. From the 1890s until the l ...

, Battle, the Democrats' gubernatorial candidate, lost to

Linwood Holton Abner Linwood Holton Jr. (September 21, 1923October 28, 2021) was an American politician and attorney. He served as the 61st governor of Virginia, from 1970 to 1974, and was the first elected Republican governor of Virginia of the 20th century. ...

. Holton who later put his children in Richmond's mostly African-American public schools, became the first Republican governor of the Commonwealth since the end of the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. Battle later became president and CEO of Fieldcrest Mills, a textile manufacturer, where he served as president from 1971 to 1981. In 1978, Battle was elected to the executive committee of the United States Golf Association where he served until 1989. He served as USGA President from 1988 to 1989. He was also president of the Mid-Atlantic Golf Association in 1953.

Personal life and death

Battle died in Charlottesville, Virginia after suffering a stroke. He was survived by his wife Barry (née Webb) Battle, three children, W. Cullen Battle, Jr., Dr. Robert (Bobby) W. Battle, and Janie Battle Richards, and six grandchildren.

External links

Daily Progress obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle, William C. 1920 births 2008 deaths Businesspeople from Charlottesville, Virginia 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American businesspeople Ambassadors of the United States to Australia Golf administrators Recipients of the Silver Star McGuireWoods people