George Rawlings
Encyclopedia
George Chancellor Rawlings, Jr. (November 7, 1921 – April 22, 2009) was an American politician
and Attorney at law from the U.S. state
of Virginia
. A member of the Democratic Party
, he served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from 1963 to 1969.
, Rawlings grew up in Ashland
. He graduated from Randolph-Macon College
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree, and received a Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Virginia School of Law
in 1947. That year, he moved back to Fredericksburg and opened his own law firm
. In 1951, he made an unsuccessful run for Commonwealth's Attorney
of Spotsylvania County
. In 1963, he ran for the Virginia House of Delegates and won. He served until 1969. While a Delegate, he quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading liberals
in the state and a major supporter of civil and political rights for African-Americans
and the rights of organized labor
.
, a thirteen-term incumbent who had been in office since the Hoover administration
, for renomination. Smith — a member of the Byrd Organization
, the state's seemingly all-powerful political machine
— was the chairman of the House Rules Committee
and, as an avid segregationist
and white supremacist
, had used his position for years to block civil rights legislation. In the July 12 primary
, Rawlings, drawing on the support of black voters who had only recently been enfranchised
by the Civil Rights Act of 1964
, defeated Smith by a vote of 27,115 to 26,470, a margin of just 645 votes. The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
declared his victory to be "the upset of the century." In the general election
, however, he lost to Republican
nominee William L. Scott
, who received the support of most of Smith's primary voters, by a vote of 50,782 to 37,929, a nearly 15% margin.
In 1970, Rawlings, now retired from the House of Delegates, made his final run for elective office, seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate
. The seat was held by Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
, the son of the Byrd Organization's late founder and boss, who had decided to change his party affiliation from Democratic to Independent
after refusing to sign a loyalty oath
that pledged him to support all party nominees for office. In the Democratic primary, Rawlings narrowly placed first with 58,874 votes (45.65%) over State Senator
Clive L. DuVal II, a fellow liberal, who collected 58,174 votes (45.11%). Although DuVal was entitled to ask for a runoff
, he declined to do so, and Rawlings became the Democratic nominee. In the general election, he placed second with 294,582 votes (31%), compared to 506,237 votes (54%) for Senator Byrd. Republican nominee Ray Garland placed third with 144,765 votes (15%).
, a former Democratic State Senator who had been elected as Lieutenant Governor
as an Independent in a 1971 special election
, as well as supporters of Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern
, to attempt to purge the official machinery of the Democratic Party of the last vestiges of the Byrd Organization. As a result of these activities, Rawlings was elected as a member of the Democratic National Committee
(a post he held until 1980) and as chairman of the Eighth District
Democratic Committee (which he remained until 1993). The next year, Howell ran for Governor of Virginia
as an Independent without a Democratic opponent and with the support of the party organization.
In 1975, Rawlings and his wife, Rosalie, divorce
d after Rawlings came out
to her as gay
. After moving to Fairfax County
with his new partner, he continued to practice law until 2000, when he was caught embezzling
from a client's account. He pled guilty and received a suspended sentence
of five years. He died of natural causes on April 22, 2009 at Mary Washington Hospital
in Fredericksburg.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
and Attorney at law from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. A member of the 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...
, he served as a member of 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...
from 1963 to 1969.
Early life
A native of Fredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, Rawlings grew up in Ashland
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
. He graduated from Randolph-Macon College
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree, and received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in 1947. That year, he moved back to Fredericksburg and opened his own law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
. In 1951, he made an unsuccessful run for Commonwealth's Attorney
Commonwealth's Attorney
Commonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....
of Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
. In 1963, he ran for the Virginia House of Delegates and won. He served until 1969. While a Delegate, he quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading liberals
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
in the state and a major supporter of civil and political rights for African-Americans
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and the rights of organized labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
.
Congressional campaigns
In 1966, he made his first run for federal office, seeking to challenge Congressman Howard W. SmithHoward W. Smith
Howard Worth Smith , Democratic U.S. Representative from Virginia, was a leader of the conservative coalition who supported both racial segregation and women's rights.-Early life and education:...
, a thirteen-term incumbent who had been in office since the Hoover administration
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, for renomination. Smith — a member of the Byrd Organization
Byrd Organization
The Byrd Organization was a political machine led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. that dominated Virginia politics for much of the middle portion of the 20th century...
, the state's seemingly all-powerful political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
— was the chairman of the House Rules Committee
United States House Committee on Rules
The Committee on Rules, or Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. Rather than being responsible for a specific area of policy, as most other committees are, it is in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor...
and, as an avid segregationist
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
and white supremacist
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
, had used his position for years to block civil rights legislation. In the July 12 primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, Rawlings, drawing on the support of black voters who had only recently been enfranchised
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
by the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, defeated Smith by a vote of 27,115 to 26,470, a margin of just 645 votes. The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
The Free Lance–Star
The Free Lance–Star is the principal daily newspaper distributed throughout Fredericksburg, Virginia, with a circulation area including the city of Fredericksburg and all or parts of the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Louisa, Orange, Prince William...
declared his victory to be "the upset of the century." In the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, however, he lost to Republican
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...
nominee William L. Scott
William L. Scott
William Lloyd Scott was a Republican politician from Virginia.Scott was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He received a law degree from George Washington University, and was employed by the federal government 1934–1961, principally as trial attorney with Department of Justice...
, who received the support of most of Smith's primary voters, by a vote of 50,782 to 37,929, a nearly 15% margin.
In 1970, Rawlings, now retired from the House of Delegates, made his final run for elective office, seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate
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...
. The seat was held by Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. is a retired American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an Independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F....
, the son of the Byrd Organization's late founder and boss, who had decided to change his party affiliation from Democratic to Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
after refusing to sign a loyalty oath
Loyalty oath
A loyalty oath is an oath of loyalty to an organization, institution, or state of which an individual is a member.In this context, a loyalty oath is distinct from pledge or oath of allegiance...
that pledged him to support all party nominees for office. In the Democratic primary, Rawlings narrowly placed first with 58,874 votes (45.65%) over State Senator
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
Clive L. DuVal II, a fellow liberal, who collected 58,174 votes (45.11%). Although DuVal was entitled to ask for a runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
, he declined to do so, and Rawlings became the Democratic nominee. In the general election, he placed second with 294,582 votes (31%), compared to 506,237 votes (54%) for Senator Byrd. Republican nominee Ray Garland placed third with 144,765 votes (15%).
Later life
Following the election, Rawlings returned to his law practice, but did not leave politics entirely. In 1972, he joined his friend and ally Henry HowellHenry Howell
Henry Evans Howell, Jr. , nicknamed "Howlin'" Henry Howell, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Virginia...
, a former Democratic State Senator who had been elected as Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
as an Independent in a 1971 special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, as well as supporters of Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
, to attempt to purge the official machinery of the Democratic Party of the last vestiges of the Byrd Organization. As a result of these activities, Rawlings was elected as a member of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
(a post he held until 1980) and as chairman of the Eighth District
Virginia's 8th congressional district
Virginia's Eighth Congressional District is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The residents of the 8th District are currently represented by Democratic Congressman Jim Moran, first elected to the 8th's seat in the U.S...
Democratic Committee (which he remained until 1993). The next year, Howell ran for 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....
as an Independent without a Democratic opponent and with the support of the party organization.
In 1975, Rawlings and his wife, Rosalie, divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d after Rawlings came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
to her as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. After moving to Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
with his new partner, he continued to practice law until 2000, when he was caught embezzling
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
from a client's account. He pled guilty and received a suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
of five years. He died of natural causes on April 22, 2009 at Mary Washington Hospital
Mary Washington Hospital
-History:In 1942 the hospital was evacuated during the floods.In 1978 it was investigated for violating the Hill Burton Act....
in Fredericksburg.