Hunter Andrews
Encyclopedia
Hunter Booker Andrews was a long-serving Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia
from Hampton, Virginia
. He served as Senate Majority leader of the Senate from 1980 until his defeat in 1995.
for four years in the Pacific Theatre during World War II
. Andrews was a 1948 graduate of the University of Virginia
Law School. Returning from school, Andrews practiced law in Hampton. He married Cynthia Bentley Collings.
. In 1962, he ran for and was elected to the State Senate from the 31st district
. He was reelected to 9 terms in the 28th district and from 1972 until 1996 in the 1st district
. He rose to be Majority Leader of the Senate from 1980 - 1995 and served as Chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. According to the Washington Post, "Mr. Andrews was the longest-serving senator in the state's history, and when the Democrats controlled the 40-member Senate, he was also its majority leader. He wielded enormous clout during the three decades when the Democrats controlled every branch of the state's government, and his power often matched that of the nine governors under whom he served."
For many years, Andrews served on the Board of Visitors of the College of William & Mary. He was defeated for reelection in 1995, and returned to the practice of law in Hampton until his retirement in 2003.
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...
from 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...
. He served as Senate Majority leader of the Senate from 1980 until his defeat in 1995.
Early life and career
A native and lifelong resident of Hampton, Andrews was born on May 28, 1921. He attended the segregated public schools of his hometown and was a 1938 graduate of Hampton High School. In 1942, he graduated from the College of William & Mary, and subsequently served as an officer in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for four years in the Pacific Theatre 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...
. Andrews was a 1948 graduate of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
Law School. Returning from school, Andrews practiced law in Hampton. He married Cynthia Bentley Collings.
Political career
Andrews served as Chair of the Hampton School Board, leading the city schools through racial integration at a time when other counties and cities were struggling to stop integration as part of a policy of massive resistanceMassive resistance
Massive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956, to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
. In 1962, he ran for and was elected to the State Senate from the 31st district
Virginia Senate, District 31
District 31 of the Virginia Senate is a senatorial district that encompasses portions of the Arlington County, Fairfax County and Loudoun County in the U.S. state of Virginia...
. He was reelected to 9 terms in the 28th district and from 1972 until 1996 in the 1st district
Virginia Senate, District 1
District 1 of the Virginia Senate is a senatorial district that encompasses all of the City of Williamsburg, most of the City of Newport News and parts of James City County, York County, the City of Suffolk and the City of Hampton. The current Senator from District 1 is John C...
. He rose to be Majority Leader of the Senate from 1980 - 1995 and served as Chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. According to the Washington Post, "Mr. Andrews was the longest-serving senator in the state's history, and when the Democrats controlled the 40-member Senate, he was also its majority leader. He wielded enormous clout during the three decades when the Democrats controlled every branch of the state's government, and his power often matched that of the nine governors under whom he served."
For many years, Andrews served on the Board of Visitors of the College of William & Mary. He was defeated for reelection in 1995, and returned to the practice of law in Hampton until his retirement in 2003.