George C. Peery

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George C. Peery
52nd Governor of Virginia
In office
January 18, 1934 – January 15, 1938
Preceded byJohn G. Pollard
Succeeded byJames H. Price
Member of the Virginia State
Corporation Commission
In office
November 29, 1929 – April 17, 1933
Preceded byLouis S. Epes
Succeeded byThomas W. Ozlin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 9th district
In office
March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929
Preceded byC. Bascom Slemp
Succeeded byJoseph C. Shaffer
Personal details
Born
George Campbell Peery

(1873-10-28)October 28, 1873
Cedar Bluff, Virginia, U.S.
DiedOctober 14, 1952(1952-10-14) (aged 78)
Richlands, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseNancy Bane Gillespie
Children3
EducationEmory and Henry College
ProfessionPolitician

George Campbell Peery (October 28, 1873 – October 14, 1952) was an American Democratic politician, and was the 52nd governor of Virginia from 1934 to 1938. He was the first governor to be selected, at least partially, by the soon to be very powerful "Byrd Organization", led by Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr.

Biography

Peery was born in Cedar Bluff, in Tazewell County, Virginia, in the far southwest portion of the state. He graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1894. Peery went on to earn his Juris Doctorate degree from Washington & Lee University in 1897, after which he returned to Southwestern Virginia to practice law in Wise.

Peery was a member of Congress, representing the 9th Congressional district of Virginia from 1923 to 1929, and was a delegate to the Democratic Nation Convention in 1920 and 1924. Peery was a member of the State Corporation Commission from 1929 to 1933, then newly elected Senator Byrd approached him to run for governor in 1933. Peery accepted, and won the November election.

As governor, he created unemployment insurance and, after the repeal of prohibition, he created Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control board. In 1936, Governor Peery signed into law the act that created Virginia State Parks.

After his retirement as governor, Peery joined the board of trustees of both Washington and Lee University and Hollins College.

Peery died in 1952, at the age of 78, two weeks short of his 79th birthday, in Richlands, Virginia. He was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Tazewell, Virginia.

Electoral history

1933; Peery was elected Governor of Virginia with 73.74% of the vote, defeating Republican Fred W. McWane, Prohibitionist Andrew J. Dunning, Jr., Socialist George C. White, and Independents John Moffett Robinson and W. A. Rowe.

Date Election Candidate Party Votes %
U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia's 9th district
Nov 7, 1922[1] General George C. Peery Democratic 32,163 52.39
John H. Hassinger Republican 29,227 47.61
C. Bascom Slemp did not seek reelection; seat turned Democratic
Nov 4, 1924[2] General George C. Peery (inc.) Democratic 31,407 52.57
C. Henry Harman Republican 28,341 47.43
Nov 2, 1926[3] General George C. Peery (inc.) Democratic 28,305 53.42
S. R. Hurley Republican 24,684 46.58
Governor of Virginia
Nov 7, 1933[4] General George C. Peery Democratic 122,820 73.74
Fred W. McWane Republican 40,377 24.24
Andrew J. Dunning, Jr. Prohibition 1,112 0.67
George C. White Socialist 1,107 0.66
John Moffett Robinson Independent 877 0.53
W. A. Rowe Independent 274 0.16
John G. Pollard unable to seek reelection; seat stayed Democratic

References

  1. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1922" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 4, 1924" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  3. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1926" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  4. ^ "1933 Governor General Election". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 6, 2016.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 9th congressional district
1923–1929 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Virginia
1934–1938 		Succeeded by
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