Claude A. Swanson
Encyclopedia
Claude Augustus Swanson (March 31, 1862 July 7, 1939) was an American
lawyer and Democratic Party
politician from Virginia
.
He served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives
, from 1893 until 1906, was the 45th Governor of Virginia
from 1906 until 1910, and represented Virginia as a United States Senator
from 1910 until 1933. Swanson lived most of his life at his estate Eldon in Pittsylvania County, Virginia
, built by the Whittle family for whom Chatham
's Whittle Street is named.
He was Secretary of the Navy
under Franklin D. Roosevelt
from 1933 until his death at age 77.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
He served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, from 1893 until 1906, was the 45th Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
from 1906 until 1910, and represented Virginia as a United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1910 until 1933. Swanson lived most of his life at his estate Eldon in Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Pittsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,745 people, 24,684 households, and 18,216 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 people per square mile . There were 28,011 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, built by the Whittle family for whom Chatham
Chatham, Virginia
Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chatham is home to Chatham High School and Hargrave Military Academy. It is also home to Chatham Hall , an...
's Whittle Street is named.
He was Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
under Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
from 1933 until his death at age 77.
Memorials
The Swanson Middle School, in Arlington, Virginia is named for him.Further reading
- Claude A. Swanson of Virginia: A Political Biography, Henry C. Ferrell Jr., The University Press of Kentucky, 1985