John Gardiner Richards, Jr.

John Gardiner Richards, Jr. ( born September 11, 1864 in Liberty Hill, South Carolina, † October 9, 1941 ) was an American politician and from 1927 to 1931 Governor of South Carolina.

Early years and political rise

John Richards was educated at Bingham Military Institute in North Carolina. Subsequently he served in the National Guard from South Carolina, where he managed over time to lieutenant colonel. Richards was for four years a member of the Military Committee of South Carolina. Besides, he was still working as a farmer and in the railway business. Between 1898 and 1910, Richards deputy in the regional parliament of South Carolina before he was railroad commissioner of the state of South Carolina. This office he übter 1910-1918 and again from 1922-1926. During the First World War he was a member of the Defense Council and the Tax Commission of South Carolina.

Governor of South Carolina

After he had vainly sought three times his party's nomination for the office of governor, he succeeded in 1926 to prevail within his party and win the election on November 4, 1926 unopposed. Richards was the first governor of his country, who was able to complete a four -year term. Up to a constitutional amendment in 1926, the tenure of the governors had been limited to two years, however, a direct re-election was possible at that time. After the constitutional reform is a direct re-election, however, was no longer possible. Governor Richards was a strong advocate of Sunday rest. Therefore, the so-called "Blue Laws " An attempt to ban the theory of evolution in the schools were put into effect, prohibited not only businesses but also sporting events on Sundays., Was vetoed by the Parliament. In other states, similar laws were then enacted. in 1928 was elected to South Carolina became the first woman in the Senate of the country. Richards increased the budget for road construction in order to take the car and truck traffic accounts growing. in May 1930 went to Charleston, the first radio station of South Carolina on the air. Richards sat down for an acceleration of the electrification of the country, especially in rural areas, a. in 1929 there had been riots and strikes in the textile industry of the country, whose origins lay in the poor management of the management. the second half of Governor Richards tenure was overshadowed by the consequences of the New York stock market crash of 24 October 1929. the ensuing economic crisis also hit South Carolina. The resulting weakening agriculture could not bring under control Richards in his tenure. When he left office on January 20, 1931 they had not yet reached its peak. However, this finding for almost all U.S. states and the leading industrial nations applies worldwide, and was not specific to South Carolina.

Further CV

After leaving the office of Governor Richards was chairman of the Commission for the Evaluation and management of the natural resources of the country. Otherwise, he retired to his farm in Liberty Hill, where he died in 1941. He was married to Elizabeth Coats Workman, with whom he had eleven children.