Thomas Porcher Stoney
| Thomas Porcher Stoney | |
|---|---|
| 53rd Mayor of Charleston | |
|
In office 1923–1931 | |
| Preceded by | John P. Grace |
| Succeeded by | Burnett R. Maybank |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 16, 1889 Goose Creek, South Carolina |
| Died | April 22, 1973 (aged 83) |
| Spouse(s) | Beverly DuBose |
| Children | Theodore DuBose Stoney, Laurence O'Hear Stoney, Randell Croft Stoney |
| Alma mater | University of South Carolina School of Law (1911) |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Thomas Porcher Stoney was the fifty-third mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, serving between 1923 and 1931.
Stoney graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1911 and began a private law practice in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1915, he was elected solicitor (prosecutor) for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, the youngest solicitor elected at that time.[1] He remained in that office until 1923 when he was elected mayor of Charleston. He was re-elected in 1927 and completed that term. One of his major accomplishments as mayor was the creation of a municipal airport; the original site was on James Island, but it was moved to the present location in 1929. His administration also oversaw the construction of recreational facilities; the municipal golf course was laid out, William Moultrie Playground was opened, and Johnson Hagood Stadium (then a municipal facility, but today the football stadium for The Citadel) was built.
He ran for a United States Senate seat but lost in the Democratic primary to James F. Byrnes in 1936 by a margin of about 10-to-1.[2] During his life he swung across the political spectrum. He was a solid democrat in his early political life, but grew disaffected with the New Deal. In 1936 he gave a speech about the New Deal and said, "[A]ll of this spending is like giving a drunk some drinks to sober him up."[3] By 1964 he campaigned for Barry Goldwater, saying that the Democratic Party was "set upon a course that is hell-bent for national socialism."
Stoney died on April 22, 1973 in an automobile accident.[4]
Stoney was born at Medway Plantation on December 16, 1889, in rural Berkeley County, South Carolina to Samuel Stoney and Eliza Croft Stoney.[5] He is buried at Strawberry Chapel in Berkeley County, South Carolina.[6]
References
- ↑ "Will Resign About Dec. 1". Evening Post. Charleston, South Carolina. November 9, 1923. p. 7. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ↑ "New Deal Denied Credit for Huge Byrnes Victory". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. August 27, 1936. pp. 1A. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ↑ "Congressional Record". Congressional Record. United States Congress. 1973. p. 13537. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Thomas P. Stoney Killed In Hit-Run". Charleston News & Courier. April 23, 1973. pp. A1. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ↑ Heitzler, Michael J. (2005). Goose Creek: A Definitive History. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. p. 242.
- ↑ "Samuel Porcher Stoney (1889-1973)". Find a Grave. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
| Preceded by John P. Grace |
Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina 1923–1931 |
Succeeded by Burnett R. Maybank |