Thruston Ballard Morton
Thruston B. Morton | |
---|---|
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Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
In office July 1, 1959 – June 2, 1961 | |
Preceded by | Meade Alcorn |
Succeeded by | William E. Miller |
United States Senator from Kentucky | |
In office January 3, 1957 – December 16, 1968 | |
Preceded by | Earle Clements |
Succeeded by | Marlow Cook |
4th Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs | |
In office January 30, 1953 – February 29, 1956 | |
President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Preceded by | Jack K. McFall |
Succeeded by | Robert C. Hill |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 3rd district | |
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953 | |
Preceded by | Emmet O'Neal |
Succeeded by | John Robsion |
Personal details | |
Born | United States Naval Reserve | August 19, 1907
Battles/wars | World War II |
Thruston Ballard Morton (August 19, 1907 – August 14, 1982) was an
Early life
Morton was born on August 19, 1907, in
Morton then worked in the family business, Ballard & Ballard Flour Milling, becoming its chairman of the board before the company was sold to the
A lifelong Episcopalian, he married Belle Clay Lyons and was survived by their two sons, Clay Lyons Morton and Thruston Ballard Morton Jr., and five grandchildren.
His brother,
Rogers Morton subsequently became
Political career
U.S. House of Representatives
After naval service in
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Morton did not seek re-election in
U.S. Senate
In
In the Senate, Morton was considered a moderate. He voted in favor of the Senate amendment to the
Morton was the chair of the Republican National Committee from 1959 to 1961 and chaired the Republican National Convention of 1964.
When Morton retired, he surprised many, who considered him at the peak of his political power. However, he opposed the
Morton is interviewed in the 1968 documentary film In the Year of the Pig, and another interview is available through the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library.[12]
Consideration for 1960 Vice Presidential Nomination
Morton was among the last two candidates considered by Richard Nixon as a vice presidential running mate in 1960. As a midwesterner, however, he was considered to have a regional appeal where Nixon already figured to poll strongly and Nixon instead chose Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., of Massachusetts.[13]
Later life
After his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Morton served as vice chairman of
Morton died after many years of declining health. His brother Rogers Morton had died three years previously, and his wife, Belle, survived him by more than a decade.[14] He was interred at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.[15]
Legacy
His papers are held by Louisville's
References
- The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, New York, p. 658
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 13900. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 16478. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 7810–7811. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 14511. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 5992. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 5105. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 11752. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 19378. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- U.S. Government Printing Office: 24656. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ Library of Congress exhibition, The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- ^ "DiscoverLBJ" (PDF). transition.lbjlibrary.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ISBN 0-671-65722-4.
- ^ Gaiter, Dorothy J. (August 15, 1982). "THRUSTON B. MORTON IS DEAD AT 74; SERVED AS SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "MORTON, Thruston Ballard". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Morton, Thruston Ballard (1907–1982) Papers, 1968–1982 | The Filson Historical Society". The Filson Historical Society. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Kentucky Digital Library". kdl.kyvl.org. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
External links
- United States Congress. "Thruston Ballard Morton (id: M001022)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Guide to the Thruston B Morton papers, housed at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center