L. Richardson Preyer
Encyclopedia
Lunsford Richardson Preyer (January 11, 1919 – April 3, 2001), who typically went by 'Richardson' or 'Rich,' was a jurist and a U.S. representative in Congress from North Carolina
. He was the grandson of inventor Lunsford Richardson
. His parents were William Yost Preyer (June 4, 1888 Ohio
- 1970) and Mary Norris Richardson (1889 - 1969) daughter of Lunsford Richardson
(1854–1919) and Mary Lynn Smith (1858–1940). He was married to Emily Irving Harris (1919–1999).
Preyer, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina
, graduated from Woodberry Forest School
and from Princeton University
in 1941, with a B.A. majoring in English. At Princeton he was on the 150 lb. football team and the golf team and was vice-president of Tower Club
. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 through 1946 serving as gunnery officer and executive officer on destroyers in both the Atlantic and Pacific
. He received a Bronze Star for action at Okinawa. In 1949, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School
.
He worked for Vick Chemical Company
in 1950 (founded by his grandfather) before serving as a North Carolina superior court
judge
from 1956 to 1961, when President John F. Kennedy
appointed him to the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
. He resigned as a judge in 1963 and became a candidate for Governor of North Carolina
. Preyer eventually lost in the 1964 Democratic Party primary runoff to another former judge, Dan K. Moore
. I. Beverly Lake, Sr. was also a
candidate in the Democratic primary.
After working as a vice president for North Carolina National Bank (today, Bank of America
), Preyer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968. He served six terms in Congress and was chairman of the House Ethics Committee in the 95th U.S. Congress. He also served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations. He was defeated for re-election in 1980 by Walter E. Johnston, III
.
Rich Preyer died from cancer
at the age of 82. The L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building
in Greensboro is named in his honor. He and his wife, Emily, both received the North Carolina Award
for Public Service.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He was the grandson of inventor Lunsford Richardson
Lunsford Richardson
Lunsford Richardson , 1854-1919, was a U.S. pharmacist from Selma, North Carolina, and the founder of Vick Chemical Company . He died August 20, 1919.-Early life:...
. His parents were William Yost Preyer (June 4, 1888 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
- 1970) and Mary Norris Richardson (1889 - 1969) daughter of Lunsford Richardson
Lunsford Richardson
Lunsford Richardson , 1854-1919, was a U.S. pharmacist from Selma, North Carolina, and the founder of Vick Chemical Company . He died August 20, 1919.-Early life:...
(1854–1919) and Mary Lynn Smith (1858–1940). He was married to Emily Irving Harris (1919–1999).
Preyer, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, graduated from Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia, in the United States. Woodberry's current enrollment is 402. Students come from 28 U.S...
and from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1941, with a B.A. majoring in English. At Princeton he was on the 150 lb. football team and the golf team and was vice-president of Tower Club
Princeton Tower Club
Princeton Tower Club is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, and one of five clubs to choose its members through a selective process called bicker...
. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 through 1946 serving as gunnery officer and executive officer on destroyers in both the Atlantic and Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. He received a Bronze Star for action at Okinawa. In 1949, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
He worked for Vick Chemical Company
Vicks
Vicks is a line of over-the-counter medications owned by the American company Procter & Gamble. Vicks manufactures NyQuil and its sister medication, DayQuil. The Vicks brand also produces Formula 44 cough medicines, cough drops, VapoRub, and a number of inhaled breathing treatments...
in 1950 (founded by his grandfather) before serving as a North Carolina superior court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from 1956 to 1961, when President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
appointed him to the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina is a United States district court with jurisdiction over 24 counties in the center of North Carolina...
. He resigned as a judge in 1963 and became a candidate for Governor of North Carolina
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
. Preyer eventually lost in the 1964 Democratic Party primary runoff to another former judge, Dan K. Moore
Dan K. Moore
Daniel Killian Moore was the 66th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1965 to 1969. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Moore earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity...
. I. Beverly Lake, Sr. was also a
candidate in the Democratic primary.
After working as a vice president for North Carolina National Bank (today, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
), Preyer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968. He served six terms in Congress and was chairman of the House Ethics Committee in the 95th U.S. Congress. He also served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations. He was defeated for re-election in 1980 by Walter E. Johnston, III
Walter E. Johnston, III
Walter Eugene Johnston III, usually known as Gene Johnston was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and attended local public schools...
.
Rich Preyer died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 82. The L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building
L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building
The L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was completed in 1933, and was renamed in honor of United States Representative and District Court judge L. Richardson Preyer in...
in Greensboro is named in his honor. He and his wife, Emily, both received the North Carolina Award
North Carolina Award
The North Carolina Award is the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is awarded in the four fields of science, literature, the fine arts, and public service....
for Public Service.