Clarence Lee Townes Jr. (January 21, 1928 – January 11, 2017) was an American businessperson, politician, and civic activist from

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. He served as an officer with the U.S. Army in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

Early life and education

Townes was born on January 21, 1928 in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Clarence L. Townes Sr. and Alice Smith. He attended Armstrong High School and graduated in 1944. After high school, he attended

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Richmond, Virginia. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...

, where he received his B.S. degree in 1948. After serving in the Korean War as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he became involved in the Virginia Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, later becoming its training director.

Political career

Townes made significant strides in the Republican Party, despite the shifting political landscape for African Americans. His involvement included serving on the Richmond City Republican Committee and becoming the first Black delegate from Virginia at the

1964 Republican National Convention The 1964 Republican National Convention took place in the Cow Palace, Daly City, California, from July 13 to July 16, 1964. Before 1964, there had been only one national Republican convention on the West Coast, the 1956 Republican National Convent ...

. In 1965, he ran for a

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

seat, drawing attention to increased African American political participation in the South. His commitment to the Republican Party extended to national roles, including positions with the Republican National Committee (RNC), where he focused on minority engagement. Later, Townes co-founded the Joint Center for Political Affairs, aiding newly elected Black officials.

After politics

After politics, Townes engaged in community initiatives. He co-founded the Jefferson Townhouse Corporation and served on the board of the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, the nation's oldest African American-controlled bank. Additionally, he played pivotal roles in education, consultancy on equal employment matters, and entrepreneurship, establishing Metropolitan Coach, an African American-owned charter bus line. In the 1980s, Townes chaired Richmond Renaissance, a corporation fostering downtown economic development. His community involvement extended into the 1990s, contributing to the ''

Richmond Free Press The ''Richmond Free Press'' is an independent newspaper in Richmond, Virginia. Published on a weekly basis, it is mainly targeted at the city's African-American community and its poorest residents. Raymond H. Boone, its founder, started the pape ...

'', serving on the Richmond School Board, and as a board member of various institutions. He died on January 11, 2017 in Richmond, aged 88.

Personal life

In 1951, he married Grace Elizabeth Harris; they had four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townes Jr., Clarence L. 1928 births 2017 deaths African-American businesspeople African-American politicians African-American state legislators in Virginia American businesspeople in insurance People from Richmond, Virginia Virginia Republicans Virginia Union University alumni African Americans in the Korean War 20th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly 20th-century African-American politicians