Charles Kenneth Claunch, Sr. (October 7, 1899November 9, 1978) was an usher for the
White House who was appointed as Government Secretary to the
United States Virgin Islands and was briefly acting-
Governor in 1955 after a scandal.
Biography
Claunch was born in
Chicago, Illinois and joined the
United States Navy in 1918 where he was assigned to the White House as an assistant to a naval aide. In 1938, with a rank of
chief petty officer, he resigned from the Navy to accept a position as an usher in the White House. In 1943, his wife committed suicide.
He was appointed Government Secretary, a position in the territorial government equivalent to
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of a state, on March 25, 1954. After a scandal and the resignation of Governor
Archie Alexander
Archibald Alphonso Alexander (May 14, 1888January 4, 1958) was an American architect and engineer. He was an early African-American graduate of the University of Iowa and the first to graduate from the University of Iowa's College of Engineering. ...
, Claunch was made acting-Governor from August 17 to October 31, 1955. He was reportedly offered the position of full Governor, but declined. The Washington Post reported that he was the only white man to have served under Alexander's government. He resigned in 1957. He died on November 9, 1978, in
Ormond Beach, Florida.
See also
References
Further reading
*''
The Washington Post''; April 5, 1938; White House Changes.
*''
The Washington Post''; Jan 10, 1943; City News In Brief.
*''The New York Times''; August 19, 1955; Island Choice Weighed.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claunch, Charles Kenneth
1899 births
1978 deaths
Military personnel from Illinois
Politicians from Chicago
United States Navy sailors
Governors of the United States Virgin Islands