Cecil H. Underwood

[1] At the age of 22, Underwood entered politics by running as a Republican for the West Virginia House of Delegates, winning six terms from 1944 to 1956.Following the lead of Governor William C. Marland, the Democrat who preceded him in office, Underwood continued the desegregation of West Virginia schools without violent confrontation at all levels and was a supporter of civil rights legislation.He later advocated an organized civil service and retirement pension system, and provided temporary employment relief for low-income families.[11] Because West Virginia's constitution prohibited governors from serving consecutive terms at that time, Underwood ran for the United States Senate in 1960, but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Jennings Randolph.[1] During the 1960s, he was named temporary chairman of the Republican National Convention and was once considered for the office of Vice President under Richard Nixon.[1] In early 2008, Underwood suffered a major stroke and lost the ability to formulate speech; he later had a severe blood infection.On November 23, Underwood was admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center's Memorial Hospital with chest congestion and doctors found some slight bleeding in the brain.
Underwood in 1998, during his second term as Governor
Cecil F. UnderwoodGovernor of West VirginiaLieutenantEarl Ray TomblinGaston CapertonBob WiseWilliam C. MarlandWally BarronWest Virginia House of DelegatesTyler CountyJosephs MillsWest VirginiaCharlestonRepublicanHovah HallEducatorUnited States ArmyWorld War IIRepublican Partyran for re-election in 2000To Tell the TruthMethodistJosephs Mills, West VirginiaGreat DepressionArmy reservistSalem CollegeHarrison CountySigma Phi EpsilonbiologySt. Marys, Pleasants County, West VirginiaMarietta CollegeMarietta, OhioWest Virginia UniversityU.S. RepresentativeRobert Mollohanmale reformatoryPruntytowndesegregationcivil rightsDemocratstelevisioncivil serviceretirementpensioninterstate highwayexecutionsWest Virginia's constitutionUnited States SenateJennings RandolphHulett C. SmithArch A. Moore Jr.Jay RockefellerRepublican National ConventionVice PresidentRichard NixonMonsanto Chemical CompanyMorgantown, West VirginiaPresidentBethany Collegepolitical scienceMarshall UniversityJon McBrideDavid McKinleyAppalachianAppalachian Regional CommissionstrokeformulateJoan C. Edwards School of MedicineHerald-DispatchNational Governors AssociationCharleston GazetteCharleston Daily MailAssociated PressCalhoun ChronicleState JournalC-SPANFind a GraveWilliam Wallace BarronRush D. HoltJohn D. Hoblitzell Jr.U.S. Senator from West VirginiaClass 2Francis J. LoveCleve BenedictGovernors of West VirginiaBoremanFarnsworthStevensonMathewsJacksonWilsonFlemingMacCorkleAtkinsonDawsonGlasscockHatfieldCornwellMorganConleyMeadowsPattesonMarlandBarronRockefellerCapertonManchinTomblinJusticeMorrisey