Doughton was one of twelve children of J.H. and Rebecca Doughton of Laurel Springs, North Carolina. All twelve went to college. Rufus attended the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which r ...
.
Career
A Democrat, he was elected and served as the seventh
lieutenant governor of North Carolina
The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member o ...
from 1893 to 1897 under Governor
Elias Carr
Elias Carr (February 25, 1839 – July 22, 1900) was an American planter, lawyer, and politician who served as the 48th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1893 to 1897. A building on the campus of the University of North Caroli ...
. He played an important role in establishing the road system in North Carolina. In 1896, Doughton ran unsuccessfully for the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...
, losing to
Romulus Z. Linney
Romulus Zachariah Linney (December 26, 1841 – April 15, 1910) was an American politician who was a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1895 and 1901.
Life and career
Linney was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, t ...
.
Doughton was later elected to the state House again, serving in the 1909, 1911, and 1913 sessions.NC Manual, 1913 /ref> He also served as secretary of the
North Carolina Department of Revenue
The North Carolina Department of Revenue was created in 1921 by the North Carolina General Assembly. The department is headed by a Secretary that is appointed by the Governor. The secretary is a member of the North Carolina Cabinet. Currently, the ...
for several periods.
Personal life
Doughton's family home is now a bed and breakfast called Doughton Hall. His brother,
Robert L. Doughton
Robert Lee "Bob" Doughton (November 7, 1863 – October 1, 1954), of Alleghany County, North Carolina, sometimes known as "Farmer Bob", was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina for 42 consecutive years (1 ...
, served in the U.S. House of Representatives for many years (1911–1953) and helped write 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 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The law created the Social Security program as well as insurance against unemployment. The law was ...
. Robert chaired the House Ways and Means Committee for many years, longer than any other congressman. A book called ''Hillbilly Women'' includes a story of a poor woman whose family needed money to bury a relative and walked over the ridge to ask "Rufe Doughton" for help.
Doughton and his wife, Sue Parks, had two children. His son, James Kemp Doughton, also served in the state legislature and as speaker of the House.