301:
502:
5000 on a
Jamestown commemoration and $ 6350 on a new continuing legal education program, but not "punishing those guilty of unprofessional conduct and those engaged in the unauthorized practice of law" under the Stanley Plan's 1956 ethics law expansion. The 32 year old delegate Thomson chaired the other new investigative committee, the Committee on Law Reform and Racial Activities (a/k/a Thomson Committee). His aggressive questioning of printer David H. Scull (a Quaker from
784:
808:
820:
796:
832:
772:
501:
chaired the new
Committee on Offenses against the Administration of Justice. His committee's subpoenaing NAACP membership lists and other investigative activities did reduce the organization's membership by half. However, by 1959 Boatwright was complaining that the Virginia State Bar was spending $
515:
With his segregationist position, Thomson handily won his next primary election in July 1959, as well as reelection that fall (Boothe also won, against a segregationist challenger). After most local schools reopened and segregation became less popular in 1961, Thomson survived a primary challenge
506:) concerning a desegregationist pamphlet Scull published, led to Scull's questioning the committee's and questions' scope and being cited for contempt by an Arlington court, which case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In
526:(brought by other northern Virginia legislators against reapportionment by the Byrd Organization dominated legislature), he would be joined in the legislature by another Democrat with a very different political philosophy,
508:
481:. Earlier, in a special August 1956 legislative session, Virginia legislators passed the Stanley Plan as well as created two new joint investigative committees. Among the laws then passed were seven directed against the
877:
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520:. This was the first of several narrow elections which earned Thomson the nickname "Landslide Jim". When Alexandria won an additional seat because of the United States Supreme Court decision in
516:
from Dennis K. Lane. This time he lost the initial vote count by four votes, but won the
Democratic nomination (and later re-election) by one vote after a recount ordered by the
872:
882:
912:
452:(This election was the first in which the seat from the growing city was assigned a district). He thus began his part-time public service during the era of
867:
638:
Robert A. Pratt, The Color of Their Skin: Education and Race in
Richmond Virginia 1954-89 (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1992) at pp. 8-9
599:
922:
897:
892:
699:
359 U.S. 3444 (1959). Christopher A. Anzalone, Supreme Court Cases on
Political Representation, 1787-2001 (New York and London, M.E. Sharpe 2002) p.653
557:, with his parents, brothers and two aunts. His sister Gretchen Thomson Byrd, who had married Harry F. Byrd Jr., is buried in the Byrd family plot in
907:
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661:
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and a three-judge federal court issued on
January 19, 1959 (Robert E. Lee's birthday) striking down segregationist portions of the
708:
Charles E. Fager (ed.), A Man Who Made a
Difference: The Life of David H. Scull. (McLean, Va.: Langley Hill Friends Meeting, 1985)
457:
362:
232:
470:, the son and heir apparent to Senator Harry Flood Byrd Sr., who had declared the Massive Resistance policy in February 1956.
862:
485:
and other organizations challenging racial segregation within the
Commonwealth, drafted by fellow lawyer and state Senator
466:. Unlike Boothe, Thomson worked to support segregation, in part because his sister, Gretchen Bigelow Thomson, had married
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34:
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Although a lawyer, Thomson believed that segregated schools could be restored, even after the decisions of the
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of
Arlington (one of the school districts being sued). The legislation exceeded the recommendations of the
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530:, the first woman elected to represent the historic city in the Virginia General Assembly.
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449:
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Thomson was elected to the
Virginia House of Delegates in 1955 from Alexandria to succeed
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549:, Virginia, and is interred at the Thomson family plot in the Edge Hill Cemetery in
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issued on May 4, 1959, the justices unanimously overturned Scull's conviction.
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199:
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Scull v. Virginia ex rel. Committee on Law Reform & Racial Activities
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615:"Television News of the Civil Rights Era : Film & Summaries"
283:
647:
James R. Sweeney, Race, Reason and Massive Resistance: the diary of
493:
on which Fenwick and other Byrd loyalists sat. 77-year old Senator
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533:
After leaving electoral office, Thomson was appointed Virginia's
460:
of public schools as required by the 1954 and 1955 decisions in
878:
Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
349:(August 9, 1924 – July 24, 2001) was a member of the
760:
918:
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
365:floor leader, a position which he held until 1977.
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32:
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565:, Virginia, between Berryville and Charles Town.
609:
607:
47:December 1, 1981 – December 31, 1986
8:
93:January 10, 1968 – January 11, 1978
873:University of Virginia School of Law alumni
428:and in 1950 received a law degree from the
722:
690:Richmond Style Weekly, July 15, 2009 p. 14
651:(University of Georgia Press, 2008) p. 176
18:
140:January 1955 – January 11, 1978
767:
573:
125:Virginia House of Delegates
883:Politicians from Alexandria, Virginia
7:
361:, Thomson became the Virginia House
913:20th-century American Episcopalians
600:Virginia House of Delegates website
357:from 1956 to 1977. A member of the
868:Virginia Military Institute alumni
545:Thomson died on July 24, 2001, in
14:
923:20th-century Virginia politicians
898:Lawyers from Alexandria, Virginia
893:20th-century American legislators
420:. In 1946, he graduated from the
830:
818:
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448:, who instead won a seat in the
299:
381:. He was named after his uncle
1:
908:20th-century American lawyers
396:to run for president against
385:, the renowned editor of the
888:Politicians from New Orleans
588:University Press of Virginia
727:Virginia House of Delegates
666:www.crossroadstofreedom.org
463:Brown v. Board of Education
422:Virginia Military Institute
351:Virginia House of Delegates
256:Virginia Military Institute
81:Virginia House of Delegates
939:
743:Virginia House, District 5
414:United States Marine Corps
402:St. James Episcopal School
317:United States Marine Corps
749:
740:
732:
725:
340:
168:
133:
86:
40:
35:Commissioner of Insurance
28:
903:Burials in West Virginia
369:Early life and education
387:New Orleans States-Item
662:"Text Document Viewer"
619:www2.vcdh.virginia.edu
583:Harry Byrd of Virginia
535:insurance commissioner
518:Virginia Supreme Court
475:Virginia Supreme Court
430:University of Virginia
389:, who once encouraged
347:James McIlhany Thomson
267:University of Virginia
182:James McIlhany Thomson
863:United States Marines
753:Stafford C. Jefferson
580:Ronald F. Heinemann,
559:Mount Hebron Cemetery
412:, then served in the
398:Franklin D. Roosevelt
323:Years of service
129:from the 5th district
458:racial desegregation
373:Thomson was born in
446:Armistead L. Boothe
400:. Thomson attended
151:Armistead L. Boothe
58:James W. Newman Jr.
16:American politician
586:(Charlottesville:
495:John B. Boatwright
487:Charles R. Fenwick
454:Massive Resistance
759:
758:
750:Succeeded by
468:Harry F. Byrd Jr.
359:Byrd Organization
344:
343:
275:
264:
243:Harry F. Byrd Jr.
104:John Warren Cooke
930:
835:
834:
823:
822:
811:
810:
799:
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773:
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736:Armistead Boothe
733:Preceded by
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672:on 9 August 2016
668:. Archived from
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440:Political career
383:James M. Thomson
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290:Military service
269:
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245:(brother-in-law)
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191:
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173:Personal details
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70:Steven T. Foster
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23:James M. Thomson
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491:Gray Commission
450:Virginia Senate
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434:Charlottesville
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229:Political party
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77:Majority Leader
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24:
17:
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11:
5:
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717:Sweeney p. 197
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528:Marion Galland
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313:Branch/service
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215:(aged 76)
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192:August 9, 1924
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122:Member of the
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116:A. L. Philpott
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789:United States
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649:David J. Mays
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555:West Virginia
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529:
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524:
523:Davis v. Mann
519:
513:
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394:Harry F. Byrd
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353:representing
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307:United States
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211:July 24, 2001
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33:9th Virginia
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27:
20:
837:Christianity
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674:. Retrieved
670:the original
665:
656:
643:
634:
622:. Retrieved
618:
595:
590:1996) p. 236
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576:
551:Charles Town
544:
532:
521:
514:
507:
479:Stanley Plan
472:
461:
443:
418:World War II
391:U.S. Senator
386:
372:
346:
345:
335:World War II
331:Battles/wars
213:(2001-07-24)
158:Succeeded by
135:
111:Succeeded by
88:
65:Succeeded by
42:
858:2001 deaths
853:1924 births
375:New Orleans
196:New Orleans
146:Preceded by
99:Preceded by
53:Preceded by
847:Categories
747:1956–1971
569:References
563:Winchester
547:Berryville
499:Buckingham
406:Hagerstown
363:Democratic
355:Alexandria
295:Allegiance
280:Profession
251:Alma mater
233:Democratic
218:Berryville
188:1924-08-09
163:Gary Myers
777:Biography
504:Annandale
426:Lexington
379:Louisiana
326:1943–1946
239:Relations
200:Louisiana
136:In office
89:In office
43:In office
825:Politics
801:Virginia
676:25 April
624:25 April
410:Maryland
222:Virginia
763:Portals
79:of the
304:
284:Lawyer
224:, U.S.
202:, U.S.
541:Death
483:NAACP
272:LL.B.
678:2018
626:2018
261:B.A.
208:Died
178:Born
813:Law
561:in
497:of
456:to
432:at
424:in
416:in
404:in
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617:.
606:^
553:,
537:.
436:.
408:,
377:,
220:,
198:,
765::
680:.
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270:(
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259:(
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186:(
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