Chapman Revercomb

Chapman Revercomb
Revercomb while serving,c. 1959
United States Senator fromWest Virginia
In office November 7, 1956 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by	William Laird III
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by	Hugh Ike Shott
Succeeded by	Matthew M. Neely
Personal details
Born	William Chapman Revercomb (1895-07-20)July 20, 1895 Covington, Virginia,U.S.
Died	October 6, 1979(1979-10-06)(aged 84) Charleston, West Virginia,U.S.
Political party	Republican

William Chapman Revercomb(July 20, 1895 – October 6, 1979) was an American politician andlawyer.ARepublican,he served two separate terms in theUnited States Senaterepresenting thestateofWest Virginia.

Life and career

Revercomb was born inCovington, Virginia,the son of Elizabeth Forrer (Chapman) andGeorge Anderson Revercomb.He attendedWashington and Lee Universitybefore entering theUnited States ArmyinWorld War Iwhere he served as acorporal.Returning from the war, he transferred to the law school at theUniversity of Virginia,graduating in 1919. He practiced law in Covington for a few years before moving toCharleston, West Virginiain 1922.

He was elected to the Senate in 1942. There he championed opposition to the foreign and domestic policies of the administration ofHarry S. Trumanand was a stalwart supporter ofcivil rights.In 1945, Revercomb was among the seven senators who opposed full United States entry into theUnited Nations.Revercomb was defeated for re-election in 1948 and for the state's other Senate seat in 1952. In both races, his support of the national Republican party's civil rights policies were major issues.

In 1956, he won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofHarley M. Kilgore,his Democratic opponent in the 1952 election. He re-entered the Senate and served through the end of 1958. During his second tenure in the Senate, Revercomb voted in favor of theCivil Rights Act of 1957.

In 1958, he lost to CongressmanRobert Byrdin a landslide. in his re-election bid in another racially charged election (Byrd held the seat until his death in 2010, becoming the first U.S. senator to serve uninterrupted for more than 50 years). He then lost the Republican nomination forgovernorin 1960 and retired from politics. He practiced law in Charleston until his death in 1979. Final resting place: Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston, West Virginia.

Revercomb was the last Republican to represent West Virginia in the Senate (his 1956–1959 term) until the inauguration ofShelley Moore Capitoin 2015.

External links

• West Virginia & Regional History CenteratWest Virginia University,Chapman Revercomb, Politician, Biography

• United States Congress."Chapman Revercomb (id: R000167)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Retrieved on 2009-5-18
• "Chapman Revercomb".Find a Grave.Retrieved2009-05-18.