C. Douglass Buck

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C. Douglass Buck bigraphy, stories - American politician

C. Douglass Buck : biography

March 21, 1890 – January 27, 1965

Clayton Douglass Buck (March 21, 1890 – January 27, 1965) was an American engineer and politician from New Castle Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of World War I and a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as Governor and one term as U. S. Senator from Delaware. He was known by his middle name.

United States Senator

Several years later, in 1942, Buck was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Democrat E. Ennalls Berl, a Wilmington lawyer. During the 80th Congress he was Chairman of the District of Columbia Committee. Buck lost his bid for a second term in 1948 to Democrat J. Allen Frear, Jr., a businessman from Dover, Delaware. From 1953 until 1957 he was the Tax Commissioner of Delaware, another position held frequently by a member of the Du Pont family.

Death and legacy

Buck died at Buena Vista near New Castle and is buried in the Immanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery at New Castle.

Remaining a conservative Republican to the end of his life, he backed Ohio U.S. Senator Robert Taft and Arizona U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater. His home, Buena Vista, was donated to the State of Delaware and is now used as a conference center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. There is a Buck Road, in Greenville, Delaware.

Governor of Delaware

Buck was elected Governor of Delaware in 1928, defeating Democrat Charles M. Wharton. During this term the New York Stock Market crashed, signaling the beginning of the Great Depression. Fortunately, about the same time, Alfred I. du Pont had begun an effort to provide financial relief to those in the most need. Having failed to get such relief enacted by the Delaware General Assembly, on November 1, 1929 du Pont began mailing out personal checks of $16 to some 800 people. After spending some $350,000 of his own money, du Pont, appointed by Buck as Chairman of the Old Age Welfare Commission, persuaded the General Assembly to take over the program in late 1930. As the economic situation continued to worsen, Buck called the General Assembly into session in November 1932 and also persuaded them to pass a $2 million emergency relief measure.

Buck was elected to a second term as Governor in 1932, defeating Landreth L. Layton, the Democratic candidate, thereby becoming the first Governor to be reelected under the Delaware Constitution of 1897. In doing so he was one of only two Republican Governors elected that year, while Delaware was one of only five states voting to reelect U.S. President Herbert Hoover. In June 1932, Delaware became the seventh state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages. Governor Buck appointed State Tax Commissioner Pierre S. du Pont to head up a new State Liquor Commission to manage and tax the new products.

Buck continued to seek relief for the distressed state and in October 1933 called the General Assembly back into session to consider borrowing money from the Federal government. Once it was clear the General Assembly would never reach agreement on this measure, Buck took the unprecedented step of adjourning their session. Shortly thereafter teachers and state employees began taking reductions in their pay. In 1935 Buck had the State Highway Department assigned responsibility for the roads in the state that had formerly been maintained by the counties.

Delaware General Assembly (sessions while Governor)
Year Assembly Senate Majority Presidentpro tempore House Majority Speaker
1929–1930 105th Republican William A. Simonton Republican Charles W. Messick
1931–1932 106th Republican William A. Simonton Republican Bud Coy
1933–1934 107th Republican William A. Simonton Democratic Julian T. Robinson
1935–1936 108th Republican Levi G. Maloney Republican Harry V. Lyons