Thomas Granville Burch (July 3, 1869March 20, 1951) was an American farmer,

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

manufacturer, and politician from

Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,485. A community of both Southside and Southwest Virginia, it is the county seat of Henry County, althou ...

. He represented

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1931 until 1946. In 1946 he served as a U.S. Senator after

Carter Glass Carter Glass (January 4, 1858 – May 28, 1946) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician from Lynchburg, Virginia. He represented Virginia in both houses of Congress and served as the United States Secretary of the Treas ...

died in office until a successor was elected.

Biography

Burch was born near the community of Dyer's Store in

Henry County, Virginia Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,948. The county seat is usually identified as Martinsville; however, the administration building (where county offices are located an ...

. Early in his life, he worked as a farmer and for a tobacco manufacturing company. After his move to Martinsville, where he was elected mayor, Burch worked in banking, and later in the real estate and insurance businesses, owning a business devoted to both. Burch was elected as a Democrat to the 72nd Congress in 1931, and served until May 1946, when he was appointed to 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 pow ...

. Thomas 'Tom' Burch was married April 22, 1903 to Mary Ellen Anson, the daughter of Rev. Alfred W. Anson, an Episcopal priest born at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

, son of Hon. Rev. Frederick Anson. On March 20, 1951 Burch died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in Martinsville and was buried in the city's Oakwood Cemetery.

Elections

*1930; Burch was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives unopposed. *1932; Burch was re-elected with the Democratic slate in Virginia's at-large Congressional district, he won 8.29% in a 24-way race. *1934; Burch was re-elected with 88.18% of the vote, defeating Republican Henry P. Wilder and Socialist Ira C. Wentz. *1936; Burch was re-elected with 64.96% of the vote, defeating Republican Taylor G. Vaughan. *1938; Burch was re-elected unopposed. *1940; Burch was re-elected unopposed. *1942; Burch was re-elected with 93.14% of the vote, defeating Socialist Howard Hearnes Carwile. *1944; Burch was re-elected with 84.61% of the vote, defeating now-Independent Carwile.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burch, Thomas G. 1869 births 1951 deaths American Episcopalians People from Martinsville, Virginia Democratic Party United States senators from Virginia People from Henry County, Virginia Mayors of places in Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia