Robert Lee "Bob" Doughton (November 7, 1863 – October 1, 1954), of

Alleghany County, North Carolina Alleghany County ( )
, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Caro ...

, sometimes known as "Farmer Bob", was a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

for 42 consecutive years (1911–1953). A Democrat originally from Laurel Springs, North Carolina, he was the

Dean of the United States House of Representatives The dean of the United States House of Representatives is the longest continuously serving member of United States House of Representatives, the House. The current dean is Hal Rogers, a Republican Party (United States), Republican from Kentucky, ...

for his last few months in Congress. He is the longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the state of

. In the 1930s Doughton was a key player in the creation of the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

and the passage of the

Social Security Act The Social Security Act of 1935 is a law enacted by the 74th United States Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. The law created the Social Security (United States), Social Security program as ...

. According to one study, Doughton was part of a “hardy band of southern liberals in Congress” that was “inspired and directed” by Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership.The Life and Death of the Solid South A Political History By Dewey W. Grantham, 2021, originally published in 1988
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Family and education

Doughton's father was a captain in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

; he named his son Robert after Confederate General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

. Robert earned the equivalent of a high-school diploma from the Traphill Academy. Although he never attended college, he was awarded honorary

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

s from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

and Catawba College during his political career. Doughton was married twice. His first wife, Boyd Greer, died in 1895 after only two years of marriage. He remarried in 1898 to Lillie Hix; they remained married until her death in 1946. He had two sons and two daughters. His elder brother was Rufus A. Doughton, who was at various times

Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives The speaker of the North Carolina North Carolina House of Representatives, House of Representatives is the presiding officer of one of the houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The speaker is elected by the members of the house when the ...

and Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. Doughton was a member and

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

of the Laurel Springs Baptist Church. After his death in 1954 at the age of 90 he was buried next to his wife Lillie in the church cemetery. In the 1990s Rufus Doughton's former home in Laurel Springs was restored, and it is now a popular bed-and-breakfast for tourists to the region. The Robert L. Doughton House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1979.

Business and political career

In private life, Doughton was a prosperous farmer and banker. By 1900 he owned over of land in his native

Alleghany County, North Carolina Alleghany County ( )
, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Caro ...

, where he raised herds of prized Hereford and Holstein cows. He was also the owner and president of the Deposit Savings and Loan Bank in

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's, Lowe's Home Improvement, whi ...

; when the bank merged in 1936 with several other banks and formed the Northwestern Bank, Doughton briefly served as the new bank's director. His interest in farming led to his being named to the North Carolina Board of Agriculture in 1903; this marked the beginning of his career in politics. Before being elected to Congress, Doughton served one term in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

(1908–09) and was director of the state Prison Board (1909–11). Signing Of The Social Security Act

Congressional achievements

Doughton was for 18 years (1933–1947 and 1949–1953) the Chairman of the powerful

U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other program ...

, and as such he co-sponsored, held hearings on, and oversaw the passage of the

in 1935. Doughton was also instrumental in the creation of the

, America's most-traveled scenic highway. The largest park and recreational area on the parkway is named in his honor. Doughton is also known for introducing the

Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, , was a United States Act that placed a tax on the sale of Cannabis (drug), cannabis. The H.R. 6385 act was drafted by Harry Anslinger and introduced by Rep. Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina, on April 14, 1937. ...

, which effectively served as a federal ban on marijuana prohibition in the United States in lieu of federal authority to directly regulate medicines or drugs.

References

External links

Congressional Biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doughton, Robert L. 1863 births 1954 deaths People from Alleghany County, North Carolina Baptists from North Carolina Doughton family Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Deans of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly

Family and education

Business and political career

Congressional achievements

See also

References

External links