George Alvin Massenburg (September 19, 1894 – November 25, 1968) was an American politician. A Democrat

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...

, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

 1926–50 and was its Speaker 1947–50.

Personal life

Massenburg was born in Hampton, Virginia

Hampton, Virginia

Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...

 to Virginius and Virginia Massenburg. He left high school after two years for an electrical

Electrical engineering

Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...

 engineering apprentice

Engineering apprentice

An engineering apprenticeship is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. A typical example is the apprenticeships formerly available at the BTH and EEC at Rugby in England...

ship. He became a maritime pilot

Maritime pilot

A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....

 in the area of Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

 and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

, eventually becoming president of the Virginia Pilot Association. He held a commission in the United States Coast Guard Reserve

United States Coast Guard Reserve

The United States Coast Guard Reserve is the reserve component of the United States Coast Guard. It is organized, trained, administered, and supplied under the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard through the Director of Reserve and Leadership....

, rising to the rank of captain during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

He married Carrie Wood of Hampton October 19, 1918.

Political career

Massenburg first entered the House of Delegates in 1926. By 1940 he had become chair of the Privileges and Elections committee. He succeeded Thomas B. Stanley

Thomas Bahnson Stanley

Thomas Bahnson Stanley was an American politician, manufacturer and Holstein cattle breeder.-Early life:...

 as Speaker in 1947, after Stanley's election to the United States 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...

. He retired from the House in 1950.

From 1948–52 Massenburg was chair of the State Democratic Committee

Democratic Party of Virginia

The Democratic Party of Virginia is based in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party of the United States. The organization is governed by a State Party Plan, which guarantees an open and fair candidate selection process...

. He was a delegate to the 1948

1948 Democratic National Convention

The 1948 Democratic National Convention was held at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 12 to July 14, and resulted in the nominations of incumbent Harry S Truman for President and U.S. Senator Alben W...

 and 1952 Democratic National Convention

1952 Democratic National Convention

The 1952 Democratic National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois from July 21 to July 26, 1952, which was the same arena the Republicans had gathered in a few weeks earlier for their national convention...

s. In 1956 he was an unsuccessful candidate for presidential elector

United States Electoral College

The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...

 in support of Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver

Estes Kefauver

Carey Estes Kefauver July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S...

.

Death

Massenburg died in Hampton November 25, 1968. He was interred in the cemetery of St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia)

St. John's is an Episcopal church located in Hampton, Virginia within the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.-Overview:St. John's Episcopal Church, established in 1610, is the oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. -History:English settlers...

in Hampton.