George Bell Timmerman Jr. (August 11, 1912 – November 29, 1994) was an American politician and World War II veteran who served as the 105th governor of South Carolina from 1955 to 1959.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the state's 76th lieutenant governor from 1947 to 1955.
George Bell Timmerman Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 105th Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office January 18, 1955 – January 20, 1959 | |
| Lieutenant | Fritz Hollings |
| Preceded by | James F. Byrnes |
| Succeeded by | Fritz Hollings |
| 76th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office January 21, 1947 – January 18, 1955 | |
| Governor | Strom Thurmond James F. Byrnes |
| Preceded by | Ransome Judson Williams |
| Succeeded by | Fritz Hollings |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Bell Timmerman Jr. August 11, 1912 Anderson County, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1994 (aged 82) Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Batesburg Cemetery, Batesburg, South Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Dupre (m. 1935, div. 1980) Ingrid Zimmer |
| Education | The Citadel University of South Carolina, Columbia (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Life and career
editTimmerman was born in Anderson County, the son of Mary Vandiver (Sullivan) and George Bell Timmerman Sr., a U.S. federal judge.[2] He was raised in Charleston and graduated from The Citadel. After receiving a law degree from the University of South Carolina, he practiced law with his father in Batesburg. Timmerman enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an officer with the entry of the United States in World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[1]
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
editReturning to South Carolina after the war, Timmerman ran as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor in 1946 on the same ticket as fellow veteran Strom Thurmond. He was elected for a term beginning in 1947 and reelected in 1950 for another four-year term.
Gubernatorial tenure
editWhile Governor he opposed the Supreme Court's ruling in 1954, which declared segregated public schools unconstitutional. Timmerman fought the changes brought by the decision, in an attempt to defend "the integrity of the races" and "our customs and institutions." He urged Congress to limit the authority of the United States Supreme Court. He regarded the insistence of the Northern United States on racial integration as hypocritical.[1]
In the gubernatorial election of 1954, he faced nominal opposition in the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election. He became the 105th Governor of South Carolina in 1955. He sought to thwart an order by the Interstate Commerce Commission for desegregation of long-distance travel in 1955, especially because it affected public waiting rooms. At the same time, Timmerman opposed federal court orders aimed at integrating public parks, bathing beaches and golf courses. For the desegregation of public schools, he vowed with other governors of the Southern United States to thwart it with congressional or state legislation.
He was the favorite presidential candidate of the South Carolina delegation at the 1956 Democratic National Convention. During the convention, Timmerman was a leader of Southern opposition to what he called "radical civil rights legislation and radical planks in the platform." He signed a law in 1956 to bar members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from public employment in South Carolina. He opposed civil rights laws enacted by the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Judicial appointment and retirement
editAfter leaving the governorship in 1959, Timmerman was appointed as a judge to the state's Eleventh Judicial Circuit in 1967 and served until 1984.[1] While a judge, Timmerman declared the 1974 South Carolina law on capital punishment to be unconstitutional.[3] This ruling was affirmed in the 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision Gregg v. Georgia.
He died on November 29, 1994, in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Wolfgang Saxon (December 3, 1994). "George B. Timmerman Jr., 82, Segregationist Leader in 50's". New York Times.
- ^ "Timmerman, George Bell, Jr. | South Carolina Encyclopedia".
- ^ "Collection: George Bell Timmerman, Jr. Papers | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". archives.library.sc.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
External links
edit- SCIway Biography of George Bell Timmerman
- USC Biography of George Bell Timmerman Jr.
- George Bell Timmerman, Jr. Papers at South Carolina Political Collection at the University of South Carolina
- Governor George Bell Timmerman, Jr. Collection at the South Carolina Department of Archives & History (RG 548000)
- George Bell Timmerman Jr. at Find a Grave