Clive L. DuVal II

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Clive L. DuVal II
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 32nd district
In office
January 12, 1972 – January 8, 1992
Preceded byRobert C. Fitzgerald
Succeeded byJanet Howell
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Fairfax and Falls Church
In office
January 12, 1966 – January 12, 1972
Preceded byJohn L. Scott
Succeeded byWyatt Durrette
Personal details
Born
Clive Livingston Du Val II

(1912-06-20)June 20, 1912
New York, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 25, 2002(2002-02-25) (aged 89)
McLean, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (Until 1964) Democrat (1964–2002)
SpouseSusan Bontecou
Alma materYale University (BA, LLB)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1942–1946
RankLieutenant commander
Battles/warsWorld War II

Clive Livingston Du Val II (June 20, 1912 – February 25, 2002) was an American politician and Virginia lawyer who served five terms in the

Senate of Virginia (1972 to 1992) after three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates.[1][2][3]

Early and family life

Du Val was born in New York City on June 20, 1912, the son of a Wall Street broker. He attended

Yale Law Journal
, and received his law degree in 1938.

In 1940, Du Val married artist Susan Holdredge Bontecou (1919–1997), with whom he had a daughter Susan and three sons Clive III, Daniel and David.

Career

During

U.S. Navy (1942–1946), including in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Lexington
, an aircraft carrier. He rose in rank from Lieutenant Junior Grade to Lieutenant Commander, and also earned five battle stars, a Commendation Medal and Presidential Unit Citation. In 1978 the Disabled American Veterans awarded him its National Commander's award for his subsequent legislative service.

After five more years in private legal practice, Du Val entered his public service during the

U.S. Information Agency
(1955-1959). In 1959, Du Val served as Associate General Counsel for the President's Committee to Study the United States Military Assistance Program.

Du Val returned to private practice in 1959, with the Washington D.C. office of the New York law firm

U.S. Department of the Interior to buy a conservation easement and thus block a proposed high rise development along that segment of the Potomac River. He later succeeded in transforming another estate along the Potomac River into the Scott's Run Nature Preserve
.

As a Virginia legislator (a part-time position) for nearly three decades, Du Val attributed his success to courtesy, patience and persistence.

Byrd Organization reapportionment that had shortchanged Northern Virginia, Du Val was twice re-elected as delegate.[5] However, when he ran for U.S. Congress in 1966 against incumbent conservative Republican Joel Broyhill to represent Virginia's 10th congressional district, he lost. The following year Du Val was one of only two northern Virginia Democratic delegates winning re-electing in what became a Republican landslide after an address by President Richard Nixon
(and the collapse of the Byrd Organization).

Du Val helped revise the

Chambers of Commerce
in his district.

However, Du Val was also unsuccessful in his attempts to secure his party's nomination for U.S. Senate in 1970 and again in 1978. He lost the former to George Rawlings by 700 votes out of 120,000 and became his opponent's treasurer rather than demand a recount, but Rawlings still lost the general election to Harry F. Byrd Jr., who had run as an Independent rather than endorse his one time fellow Democrat as his father's Byrd Organization collapsed. Upon the announced retirement of Republican William L. Scott, DuVal again ran for U.S. Senate, but suffered from his association with fellow Democrat and consumer advocate Henry Howell, who had defeated Andrew P. Miller in the previous gubernatorial primary only to lose badly to Republican Ted Dalton.[7]

Fairfax County voters elected Du Val to the Virginia Senate in 1971, when he defeated incumbent Republican

Adelard L. Brault, who had questioned his very different style. The Washington Post analogized Brault's to Jimmy Cagney and Du Val's to Jimmy Stewart.[8] In his last campaign, he carpooled to debates with his Republican opponent (and won). In addition to his courtesy and natty attire, Du Val became known for advocating conservation, consumer rights and clean-government legislation. Despite some skeptics who criticized him as "too nice", Du Val also blocked efforts to trim Metrorail funds and led efforts to secure funding for George Mason University
and northern Virginia road projects circa 1985.

Legacy

Du Val died of cancer at his historic estate on February 25, 2002. He had survived his wife of 27 years (who also died of cancer) by five years, and had dedicated an art studio at the McLean Community Center (she had served on the McLean Project for the Arts board of directors for 30 years) in her memory on April 29, 2000.[9][10] Both also outlived one son (who died in 1998). Du Val was survived by two other sons, a daughter, his brother and several grandchildren.[4] His papers are held by George Mason University.[11]

His historic house, Salona (once home to Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and refuge for Dolley Madison when British troops burned the White House in 1814) has been protected by a conservation easement since 1971 and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.

References

  1. ^ "Guide to the Clive L. Du Val papers, 1960-1994". George Mason University Libraries. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  2. ^ "Clive Du Val II Dies at 89". connectionnewspapers.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "Fairfax Sen. Clive Du Val II dies". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b Washington Post obituary
  5. ^ Search results dela.state.va.us
  6. ^ clipping dated April 14, 1975
  7. ^ Shelley Rolfe, Du Val Aims Bid for Support of Both Wings, Richmond Times Dispatch April 10, 1978
  8. ^ Fred Hiatt, "The Price of Being Different," Washington Post Feb. 20, 1983
  9. ^ Live Du Val II Dies at 89, McLean Connection February 27, 2002
  10. ^ pamphlet in clippings file at Fairfax County Regional Library
  11. ^ "Guide to the Clive L. DuVal papers, 1960-1994 Clive L. DuVal C0007". Sca.gmu.edu. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

External links

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