Elbert N. Carvel - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Elbert Nostrand "Bert" Carvel (February 9, 1910 – February 6, 2005) was an American businessman and politician from Laurel, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant Governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. President and take office the following January....

and two non-consecutive terms as the Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Carvel was born at Shelter Island

Shelter Island (town), New York

Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It forms the tip of Suffolk County and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

, Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, New York, son of Arnold W. and Elizabeth Nostrand Carvel. Kent Island

Kent Island, Maryland

Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay, and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is separated from Sandy Point, an area near Annapolis, by...

, Maryland was his childhood home. He married Ann Hall Valliant in 1932 and they had four children, Edwin, Elizabeth, Ann Hall and Barbara. They were members of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Laurel, Delaware.

Professional and political career

Locating in Laurel in 1936, he began his management of the Valliant Fertilizer Company, that would continue throughout his political career. In his first attempt at public office, Carvel was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1944, defeating Republican Clayton Bunting. He served one term from January 16, 1945 to January 18, 1949.

Governor of Delaware

Carvel was first elected Governor of Delaware in 1948, defeating Republican Hyland F. George and served one term from January 18, 1949 to January 20, 1953. He lost a bid for a second term in 1952 to U.S. Representative J. Caleb Boggs. Subsequently, he lost an election for U.S. Senate in 1958 to incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John J. Williams. However, he was elected to a second term as Governor of Delaware in 1960, defeating Republican John W. Rollins, a former Lieutenant Governor. This time he served from January 17, 1961 until January 19, 1965. Carvel lost a final bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 1964, again to incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John J. Williams.

As only the second Democrat elected governor in 48 years, he was also the first Democrat ever to win two terms. He was opposed to capital punishment and was an early and persistent leader for civil rights legislation in a still politically conservative Delaware. As Governor he led the successful effort to create a Delaware Supreme Court

Delaware Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole appellate court in the United States' state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and...

, the lack of which threatened Delaware’s ability to handle corporate litigation, and thereby ended Delaware’s status as the only state without such a court.

Among his other accomplishments during his tenures in office were the building of the first span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge

Delaware Memorial Bridge

The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 between Delaware and New Jersey...

, developing numerous other roads and highways, establishing the Delaware Public Service Commission and initiating the Delaware State Development Department.

Death and legacy

Carvel died in Laurel, Delaware and is buried at the Carvel Family Cemetery, Kent Island, Maryland.

Known as “Big Bert,” Carvel stood 6’ 6” and had what Celia Cohen in Delaware Grapevine has described as a “sparkling” style with a husky voice and a "mischievous punch line." He was known as a liberal Democrat from conservative “lower Delaware,” and never hesitated to promote causes of importance to him regardless of their impact on his political career or his fertilizer business. The state office building at 820 North French Street, Wilmington is named for him, as is the University of Delaware

University of Delaware

The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

Research and Education Center in Georgetown, Delaware

Georgetown, Delaware

Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...

. The cafeteria in North Laurel Elementary School is named the "Carvel Room", after him.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor take office the third Tuesday of January and have four year terms.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly

Delaware General Assembly

The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...

(sessions while Governor)
|-
!Year
!Assembly
!
!Senate Majority
!President
pro tempore
!
!House Majority
!Speaker
|-
|1949-1950
|115th

Delaware General Assembly

|
| |Democratic

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...

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

| |Harvey H. Lawson
|-
|1951-1952
|116th

Delaware General Assembly

|
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

| |Harvey H. Lawson
|-
|1961-1962
|121st

Delaware General Assembly

|
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

| |Sherman W. Tribbitt

Sherman W. Tribbitt

Sherman Willard Tribbitt was an American merchant and politician from Odessa, in New Castle County, Delaware...

|-
|1963-1964
|122nd

Delaware General Assembly

|
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

| |Sherman W. Tribbitt

Sherman W. Tribbitt

Sherman Willard Tribbitt was an American merchant and politician from Odessa, in New Castle County, Delaware...

|-

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|Lt. Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

|Executive

Executive (government)

Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...

|Dover

Dover, Delaware

The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...

Executive (government)

|Dover

Dover, Delaware

Executive (government)

|Dover

Dover, Delaware

|January 17, 1961
|January 19, 1965
|

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1944
|Lt. Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

Democratic Party (United States)

| |44,524
| |51%
|
| |Clayton A. Bunting
| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |42,595
| |49%
|-
|1948
|Governor
|
| |Elbert N. Carvel
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |75,339
| |54%
|
| |Hyland P. George
| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |64,996
| |46%
|-
|1952
|Governor
|
| |Elbert N. Carvel
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |81,772
| |48%
|
| |J. Caleb Boggs

J. Caleb Boggs

James Caleb "Cale" Boggs was an American lawyer and politician from Claymont, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of World War II, and a member of the Republican Party, who served three terms as U.S. Representative from Delaware, two terms as Governor of Delaware, and two terms as...

| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |88,977
| |52%
|-
|1958
|U.S. 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...

Democratic Party (United States)

| |72,152
| |47%
|
| |John J. Williams

John J. Williams (senator)

John James "Whispering Willie" Williams was an American businessman and politician from Millsboro, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served four terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware....

| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |82,280
| |53%
|-
|1960
|Governor
|
| |Elbert N. Carvel
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |100,792
| |52%
|
| |John W. Rollins

John W. Rollins

John W. Rollins was an American businessman and politician from Greenville in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, and served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware....

| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |94,043
| |48%
|-
|1964
|U.S. Senator

United States Senate

Democratic Party (United States)

| |96,850
| |48%
|
| |John J. Williams

John J. Williams (senator)

| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |103,782
| |52%

Images

Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery; Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.

External links

Places with more information

Delaware Historical Society
Delaware Historical Society
The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...

; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965

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