Thorn Lord: Difference between revisions

Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord
Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord
U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey
	In office; 1943–1945
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Charles M. Phillips
Succeeded by	Edgar H. Rossbach
Personal details
Born	August 24, 1906; Plainfield, New Jersey
Died	June 16, 1965 (aged 58)
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Margret Twinning Eastburn (married 1934; divorced ? ); Nina Walton Underwood Lord (married 1943; divorced 1965 )
Children	2
Alma mater	The University of the South
Profession	Lawyer; Politician

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Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord (August 24, 1906 – June 16, 1965) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New Jersey.

Biography

Lord was born on August 24, 1906, in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Carroll P. Lord, a New England cotton merchant, and Frances E. Troy of Asheville, North Carolina. The family moved South two years later. He graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and received a law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1931.^[1]

In 1932, he set up a law practice in Trenton, New Jersey. He served as Assistant United States Attorney and then as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1943 to 1945.^[2]

Lord became active in Mercer County politics, first elected to the Lawrence Township committee in 1947. The following year, he took control of the Mercer County Democratic organization and became a powerful force in state Democratic politics.^[1] He was credited with masterminding the election of Robert B. Meyner as Governor of New Jersey in 1953, after a decade of Republican rule.^[3] Meyner appointed Lord to the board of the Port Authority.^[1]

In 1960, Lord was the Democratic nominee for United States Senate to face incumbent Clifford P. Case, but he was defeated by a large margin, despite the fact that John F. Kennedy narrowly won New Jersey in that year's presidential election. After the defeat Lord was elected chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He continued to play the role of Democratic kingmaker, helping his former law partner Richard J. Hughes win the gubernatorial election of 1961.^[4]

Lord and his first wife Margaret Eastburn had one child, Thorn Jr. After a divorce, he married Nina Underwood, ex-wife of David Hunter McAlpin, Jr. They had a daughter, also named Nina. By 1965, the Lords were separated. Apparently depressed by the estrangement, Lord killed himself by garroting with an electric shaver cord at the home of a friend in Princeton.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Jersey Party Chief Is Found Hanged". The New York Times, June 17, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.
^ Office History Archived 2008-12-30 at the Wayback Machine, United States Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey. Accessed June 8, 2008.
^ "Battle for the Senate", Time, October 17, 1960. Accessed June 8, 2008.
^ "Died", Time, June 25, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.
^ "Thorn Lord Case Ruled a Suicide". The New York Times, June 18, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.

External links

Biographical information for Thorn Lord from The Political Graveyard

Party political offices
Preceded by Charles R. Howell	Democratic Nominee for the U.S. Senate (Class 2) from New Jersey 1960	Succeeded by Warren W. Wilentz
Preceded by George E. Brunner	Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee 1961–1965	Succeeded by Robert J. Burkhardt

[Obit-1] "Jersey Party Chief Is Found Hanged". The New York Times, June 17, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.

[2] Office History Archived 2008-12-30 at the Wayback Machine, United States Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey. Accessed June 8, 2008.

[3] "Battle for the Senate", Time, October 17, 1960. Accessed June 8, 2008.

[4] "Died", Time, June 25, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.

[5] "Thorn Lord Case Ruled a Suicide". The New York Times, June 18, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American lawyer and politician (1906-1965)}}
-'''Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord''' (August 24, 1906 – June 16, 1965) was an [[United States|American]] lawyer and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician from [[New Jersey]].
+{{Infobox officeholder
+|name         = Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord
+|image        =
+|caption      =
+|office       =
+|term_start   =
+|term_end     =
+|predecessor  =
+|successor    =
+|office1      = [[United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey|U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey]]
+|president1   = [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]
+|term_start1  = 1943
+|term_end1    = 1945
+|predecessor1 = [[Charles M. Phillips]]
+|successor1   = [[Edgar H. Rossbach]]
+|birth_date   = {{birth date|1906|8|24}}
+|birth_place  = [[Plainfield, New Jersey]]
+|death_date   = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1965|6|16|1906|8|24}}
+|death_place  =
+|alma_mater   = [[Sewanee: The University of the South|The University of the South]]
+|spouse       = Margret Twinning Eastburn (married 1934; divorced ? )<br> Nina Walton Underwood Lord (married 1943; divorced 1965 )
+|children     = 2
+|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
+|residence    =
+|other_names  =
+|occupation   =
+|profession   = [[Lawyer]]<br>[[Politician]]
+|religion     =
+|signature    =
+|website      =
+|footnotes    =
+|allegiance   =
+|branch       =
+|serviceyears =
+|rank         =
+|unit         =
+}}
+'''Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord''' (August 24, 1906 – June 16, 1965) was an American lawyer and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician from [[New Jersey]].
 ==Biography==
-Lord was born in 1906 in [[Plainfield, New Jersey]] to Carroll P. Lord, a New England cotton merchant, and Frances E. Troy of [[Asheville, North Carolina]]. The family moved South two years later. He graduated from [[Sewanee: The University of the South|The University of the South]] in [[Sewanee, Tennessee]] and received a law degree from the [[University of North Carolina]] in 1931.<ref name=Obit>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0811FE3C5F147A93C5A8178DD85F418685F9 "Jersey Party Chief Is Found Hanged"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 17, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
+Lord was born on August 24, 1906, in [[Plainfield, New Jersey]], to Carroll P. Lord, a New England cotton merchant, and Frances E. Troy of [[Asheville, North Carolina]]. The family moved South two years later. He graduated from [[Sewanee: The University of the South|The University of the South]] in [[Sewanee, Tennessee]], and received a law degree from the [[University of North Carolina]] in 1931.<ref name=Obit>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0811FE3C5F147A93C5A8178DD85F418685F9 "Jersey Party Chief Is Found Hanged"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 17, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
-In 1932 he set up a law practice in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. He served as Assistant United States Attorney and then as [[U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey]] from 1943 to 1945.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/about/history.html Office History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230012025/http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/about/history.html |date=2008-12-30 }}, [[United States Attorney]]'s Office, [[United States District Court for the District of New Jersey|District of New Jersey]]. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
+In 1932, he set up a law practice in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. He served as Assistant United States Attorney and then as [[U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey]] from 1943 to 1945.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/about/history.html Office History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230012025/http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/about/history.html |date=2008-12-30 }}, [[United States Attorney]]'s Office, [[United States District Court for the District of New Jersey|District of New Jersey]]. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
-Lord became active in [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] politics, first elected to the [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence Township]] committee in 1947. The following year he took control of the Mercer County Democratic organization and became a powerful force in state Democratic politics.<ref name=Obit/> He was credited with masterminding the election of [[Robert B. Meyner]] as [[Governor of New Jersey]] in 1953, after a decade of Republican rule.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894999-3,00.html "Battle for the Senate"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', October 17, 1960. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>  Meyner appointed Lord to the board of the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|Port Authority]].<ref name=Obit/>
+Lord became active in [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] politics, first elected to the [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence Township]] committee in 1947. The following year, he took control of the Mercer County Democratic organization and became a powerful force in state Democratic politics.<ref name=Obit/> He was credited with masterminding the election of [[Robert B. Meyner]] as [[Governor of New Jersey]] in 1953, after a decade of Republican rule.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121024122518/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894999-3,00.html "Battle for the Senate"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', October 17, 1960. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref> Meyner appointed Lord to the board of the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|Port Authority]].<ref name=Obit/>
-In 1960, Lord was the Democratic nominee for [[United States Senate]] to face incumbent [[Clifford P. Case]], but he was defeated by a large margin, despite the fact that [[John F. Kennedy]] narrowly won New Jersey in that year's presidential election. After the defeat Lord was elected chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]. He continued to play the role of Democratic kingmaker, helping his former law partner [[Richard J. Hughes]] win the gubernatorial election of 1961.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,833816,00.html "Died"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 25, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
+In 1960, Lord was the Democratic nominee for [[United States Senate]] to face incumbent [[Clifford P. Case]], but he was defeated by a large margin, despite the fact that [[John F. Kennedy]] narrowly won New Jersey in that year's presidential election. After the defeat Lord was elected chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]. He continued to play the role of Democratic kingmaker, helping his former law partner [[Richard J. Hughes]] win the gubernatorial election of 1961.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110203174558/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,833816,00.html "Died"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 25, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
-Lord and his first wife Margaret Eastburn had one child, Thorn Jr. After a divorce, he married Nina Underwood, ex-wife of David Hunter McAlpin, Jr. They had a daughter, also named Nina. By 1965, the Lords were separated. Apparently depressed by the estrangement, Lord committed suicide by garroting himself with an electric shaver cord at the home of a friend in [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]].<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E11FD385812738DDDA10994DE405B858AF1D3 "Thorn Lord Case Ruled a Suicide"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 18, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
+Lord and his first wife Margaret Eastburn had one child, Thorn Jr. After a divorce, he married Nina Underwood, ex-wife of David Hunter McAlpin, Jr. They had a daughter, also named Nina. By 1965, the Lords were separated. Apparently depressed by the estrangement, Lord killed himself by garroting with an electric shaver cord at the home of a friend in [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]].<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E11FD385812738DDDA10994DE405B858AF1D3 "Thorn Lord Case Ruled a Suicide"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 18, 1965. Accessed June 8, 2008.</ref>
 ==References==
@@ Line 20: / Line 58: @@
 {{s-start}}
 {{s-ppo}}
-{{succession box|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Nominee for the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] (Class 2) from [[New Jersey]]|before=[[Charles R. Howell]]|after=[[Warren W. Wilentz]]|years=[[United States Senate elections, 1960|1960]]}}
+{{succession box|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Nominee for the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] (Class 2) from [[New Jersey]]|before=[[Charles R. Howell]]|after=[[Warren W. Wilentz]]|years=[[1960 United States Senate election in New Jersey|1960]]}}
 {{succession box|title=Chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]|before=[[George E. Brunner]]|after=[[Robert J. Burkhardt]]|years=1961–1965}}
 {{s-end}}
@@ Line 28: / Line 66: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Thorn}}
 [[Category:1906 births]]
-[[Category:1965 deaths]]
+[[Category:1965 suicides]]
-[[Category:American politicians who committed suicide]]
+[[Category:American politicians who died by suicide]]
-[[Category:Jurists who committed suicide]]
 [[Category:New Jersey lawyers]]
 [[Category:People from Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Politicians from Plainfield, New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Sewanee: The University of the South alumni]]
-[[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]]
+[[Category:University of North Carolina School of Law alumni]]
 [[Category:Chairmen of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]
 [[Category:Suicides in New Jersey]]
 [[Category:United States Attorneys for the District of New Jersey]]
+[[Category:20th-century American lawyers]]
+[[Category:1965 deaths]]