Ryan deGraffenried Sr.

William Ryan deGraffenried Sr. (April 15, 1925 – February 10, 1966) was an American attorney and politician from Alabama.

For his son, another prominent Alabama legislator, see Ryan DeGraffenried.
Ryan DeGraffenried Sr.
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 11th district
In office
November 1954 – February 10, 1966
Preceded byJ. P. Shelton
Personal details
Born
William Ryan deGraffenried

(1925-04-15)April 15, 1925
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
DiedFebruary 10, 1966(1966-02-10) (aged 40)
Fort Payne, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Margaret Nell Maxwell
​
​
(m. 1945)​
Children3, including Ryan Jr.
Parent
Alma materUniversity of Alabama
OccupationAttorney, politician
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Unit3rd Armored Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsPurple Heart (2)

Early life

Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he was the son of Edward deGraffenried, former U.S. congressman from Alabama.[1][2]

Career

DeGraffenried ran for Governor of Alabama on two occasions (1962 and 1966). On his first attempt, he was defeated in the Democratic primary runoff by George Wallace, who was later elected Governor.

In 1966, DeGraffenried ran again as a moderate, supporting racial integration. He sought to succeed the Dixiecrat-style Wallace, who was prohibited by the constitution from running for a second consecutive term. Wallace offered his wife, Lurleen Wallace, as a surrogate candidate for governor instead. One day after qualifying for the gubernatorial race, DeGraffenried died in a plane crash while campaigning in northeast Alabama near Fort Payne.[3] Mrs. Wallace won the nomination and gubernatorial election.

Personal life

DeGraffenried married Margaret Nell Maxwell in July 1945.[4][5]

His son, Ryan DeGraffenried Jr. (1950–2006), became a notable Alabama politician. He served as State Senator, Senate president pro tempore and Lieutenant Governor of Alabama under Jim Folsom Jr. (1993–1995).

References
  1. Congress, United States (1949). Official congressional directory - United States. Congress - Google Books. Retrieved 2012-08-08 – via Google Books.
  2. Stevenson, Tommy (March 27, 1994). "DeGraffenried: Not dropping out of lieutenant governor's race". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  3. [ Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "Air Crash Kills Candidate for Alabama Governor - Ryan deGraffenried and Pilot Die as Plane Hits Mountain Democrat, 40, Was Regarded as a Moderate in Politics - Article - NYTimes.com". Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  4. "William Ryan deGraffenried Jr". TuscaloosaNews.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  5. "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 2012-08-08.


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