Clifford Ross Powell (July 26, 1893March 28, 1973) was an American, who served as the acting

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

from January 3, 1935, to January 8, 1935.

Biography

He was born in

Lumberton Township, New Jersey Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township’s population was 12,803, reflecting a 1.9% from the 12,559 enumerated at the 20 ...

on July 26, 1893. He was educated at Mount Holly High School, studied law, and attained admission to the bar. Powell practiced in

Mount Holly, New Jersey Mount Holly is a township that is the county seat of Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city as of 2020, As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population w ...

, and served as an Assistant County Prosecutor for

Burlington County, New Jersey Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

and the city or town attorney for several Burlington County municipalities. Powell enlisted in the New Jersey National Guard, and advanced to the rank of sergeant. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, receiving a commission in the Aviation branch. During the war he was wounded, credited with shooting down two German planes, and received the Croix de Guerre twice. In 1941 he was promoted to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

New Jersey National Guard The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Germ ...

as commander of the 44th Infantry Division. Powell was relieved of his division command after maneuvers in North and South Carolina, and continued to serve in New Jersey until he retired from the military in 1948. In 1922 he was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly. He was Majority Leader in 1924, and served as Speaker in 1925. He was a member of the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

from

Burlington County, New Jersey Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

from 1928 to 1939. He served as

acting governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or an ...

for the last five days of his tenure as

President of the New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

, after

A. Harry Moore Arthur Harry Moore (July 3, 1877 – November 18, 1952) was an American Democratic politician and attorney who was the 39th governor of New Jersey, serving three nonconsecutive three-year terms between 1926 and 1941. As of , Moore remains t ...

resigned to take a seat in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

. In his brief time as acting governor, he took the opportunity to abolish the New Jersey State Recovery Administration, the state-level counterpart of the

National Recovery Administration The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a prime agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933. The goal of the administration was to eliminate " cut throat competition" by bringing industry, labor, and governm ...

, which had been establishing minimum prices and other "fair competition" codes. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1937.Chicago Tribune
Jersey Pastor Victor in G.O.P. Governor Race
September 22, 1937 A resident of

, he died on March 28, 1973, at

Burlington County Memorial Hospital Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, now ...

References

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Clifford Ross 1893 births 1973 deaths Politicians from Burlington County, New Jersey Republican Party governors of New Jersey Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party New Jersey state senators People from Lumberton Township, New Jersey Presidents of the New Jersey Senate 20th-century American politicians United States Army generals United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals of World War II Military personnel from New Jersey