Matthew M. Neely
Matthew M. Neely | |
|---|---|
Governor of West Virginia | |
| In office January 13, 1941 – January 15, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Homer A. Holt |
| Succeeded by | Clarence W. Meadows |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | A. C. Schiffler |
| Succeeded by | Francis J. Love |
| In office October 14, 1913 – March 3, 1921 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin L. Rosenbloom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Matthew Mansfield Neely November 9, 1874 Democratic |
| Spouse | Alberta Ramage Neely |
| Profession | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Battles/wars | Spanish–American War |
Matthew Mansfield Neely (November 9, 1874 – January 18, 1958) was an American
Biography
He was born in
He entered the practice of law in
He then ran for, and was elected to, the United States Senate in 1922 as a Democrat. He was defeated for re-election in 1928. He then ran for the state's other Senate seat in 1930 and was elected. He was re-elected in 1936. In 1940 he ran for governor and resigned the remaining two years of his Senate term.
He soon regretted his decision and strongly considered resigning to run for his old Senate seat in
In
He was a New Deal Democrat and advocate for organized labor and civil rights. During his terms in the Senate in the 1930s he sponsored "anti-lynching" legislation, but such legislation never passed. Neely did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto despite school segregation being legally required in West Virginia prior to Brown v. Board of Education (1954),[3] but Neely did not vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957.[4][5] When he returned to the Senate after a term as governor and another term in the House of Representatives, he had lost his seniority, although he had many friends among the senior senators. He was assigned the Chairmanship of the U.S. Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, where he became the preeminent proponent of "home rule" for the District, effectively urging that the government of the District of Columbia be turned over to its majority of African-American citizens. He died in 1958, several years before the home rule he had sponsored finally passed both houses of Congress.
Neely was also a mentor of then West Virginia attorney
Neely was known through his political career as a master orator. In his honor, Fairmont State University sponsors an oratory contest in his name every year.
His grandson was
Legislation
Senator Neely introduced the first
See also
References
- ^ "Matthew Mansfield Neely". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ "West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.
- ^ "Senate – March 12, 1956" (PDF). Congressional Record. 102 (4). U.S. Government Printing Office: 4459–4461. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Senate – August 7, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (10). U.S. Government Printing Office: 13900. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – August 29, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (12). U.S. Government Printing Office: 16478. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Thomas Jr., Robert (15 September 1997). "George W. Crockett Dies at 88; Was a Civil Rights Crusader". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ OCLC 339785.
- ISBN 978-1-4391-0795-9. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
External links
Media related to Matthew M. Neely at Wikimedia Commons
- United States Congress. "Matthew M. Neely (id: N000023)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- West Virginia & Regional History Center at West Virginia University, Matthew Mansfield Neely, Politician, Papers
- Biography of Matthew M. Neely
- Inaugural Address of Matthew M. Neely
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