Arthur RAVENEL, Jr.^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}

1927 - 2023  (95 years)

• Name	Arthur RAVENEL  [5]
  Suffix	Jr.
  Birth	29 Mar 1927	Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina   [6]
  Gender	Male
  HIST	Longtime politician, bridge namesake Arthur Ravenel dies Posted Wednesday, January 18, 2023 6:00 am CHARLESTON (AP) - Arthur Ravenel, the former congressman and state lawmaker who helped build the Republican Party in South Carolina and get money for the graceful bridge that dominates the Charleston skyline and bears his name, has died. He was 95. His family announced in a short statement that he died Monday. The statement did not give a cause. Ravenel spent six decades in public service, elected to the state Senate, the state House and Congress. He also ran for governor and, late in life after retiring from the Senate, returned to public service as a member of the Charleston County School Board. The $632 million bridge over the Cooper River connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant is named in his honor, a thank you for the years he spent in Washington trying to get money for an iconic span that would fit the charming city where he spent most of his life. Ravenel recalled in a 2004 interview with The Associated Press that he was first elected to the House in 1952 as a Democrat when there were virtually no Republicans in the state. "You just heard about Republicans," he quipped. "Sherman was one." Ten years later, Ravenel got involved in the state's fledgling Republican Party and was a national convention delegate in 1964 when Barry Goldwater was nominated for president. Ravenel was elected to the state Senate as a Republican in 1980. "The Democratic Party was getting more and more liberal," Ravenel recalled. "As it got more liberal, we were able to recruit more and more people to run." In 1986, Ravenel was elected to Congress from the coastal 1st Congressional District. He left eight years later to seek the Governor's Mansion but lost the GOP runoff to David Beasley, who went on to become governor. Two years later, Ravenel returned to the state Senate on a platform of creating an infrastructure bank to pay for costly highway projects. The bank was instrumental in helping build the Charleston bridge, which had been discussed for decades but for which money could not be found. Ravenel, a businessperson and private investor, loved the Senate above his other posts. "You're dealing with people with soft Southern voices, and everyone is very polite," he recalled. "It's small, and with 46 members, you can get something done." Ravenel had six children, including a son, Thomas, who was elected state treasurer in 2006 but resigned the following year after his indictment on drug charges. The younger Ravenel later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison. He has spent his recent years as a star for five seasons on the reality television show "Southern Charm," which chronicles Charleston socialites. "Arthur Ravenel" redirects here. For the Charleston, South Carolina bridge, see Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Arthur Ravenel Jr. Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st district In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 Preceded by Thomas F. Hartnett Succeeded by Mark Sanford Member of the South Carolina Senate In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2005 Preceded by Greg Smith Succeeded by Raymond E. Cleary III Constituency 34th district In office January 13, 1981 – January 3, 1987 Preceded by Allen Ruffin Carter Arnold Samuel Goodstein Thomas Forbes Hartnett Succeeded by Sherry Shealy Martschink Constituency 16th district (1981–1985) 44th district (1985–1987) Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Charleston County In office January 13, 1953 – January 13, 1959 Preceded by Multi-member district Succeeded by Multi-member district Personal details Born March 29, 1927 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Died January 16, 2023 (aged 95) Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Resting place Huguenot Church Cemetery Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Political party Democratic (until 1960s) Republican (after 1960s) Arthur Ravenel Jr. (March 29, 1927 – January 16, 2023) was an American businessman and a Republican politician from Charleston, South Carolina. From 1987 to 1995, he served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Early life[edit] Ravenel was born on March 29, 1927, to Arthur Ravenel, Sr. and Mary Allen Boykin.[1] During the waning days of World War II, the Charleston-born Ravenel enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1945 to 1946. He received a bachelor of science degree from the College of Charleston in 1950, then became realtor and general contractor. Political career[edit] First elected at age 25, he was a Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1953 to 1959.[2] Ravenel became a Republican in 1960 and ran many times for office. He lost elections for the South Carolina State Senate three times (1962, 1974, and 1976), for the United States House of Representatives (in a 1971 special election), and for mayor of Charleston (also 1971). Ravenel was elected as a Republican to the South Carolina Senate in 1980. He served until 1986, when he was elected to the U.S. Congress from the Charleston-based 1st District that became open when incumbent Tommy Hartnett ran for Lt. Governor. During his four terms in Congress, he focused his attention on constituent services, rarely sponsoring legislation.[3] He was reelected three more times without serious opposition. He did not run for reelection in 1994, but instead ran for governor. He finished second in the Republican primary to then State Representative David Beasley, but lost the runoff. Beasley, considered more conservative than Ravenel, went on to win the general election. In 1996, Ravenel was elected to his old seat in the state Senate, where he served until 2005.[4] Ravenel staged a comeback in 2006, having been elected at the age of 79 to a seat on the school board of Charleston County. Only a year earlier, he had suffered a bout of Guillain–Barré syndrome.[5] In the same election, his son Thomas Ravenel, also a Republican, was elected state treasurer. The younger Ravenel resigned from the office after only six months following serious legal allegations.[6][7] Controversies[edit] Ravenel said that he had run for the state Senate in 1996 specifically to seek funding for a new bridge between Charleston and Mount Pleasant to replace the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge and Silas N. Pearman Bridge. Both bridges were nearing the end of their useful lives, and had been criticized as safety hazards. Due to his efforts in passing laws for the new bridge's funding, fellow lawmakers voted to name the cable-stayed bridge in Charleston the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Some felt that the bridge should not be named after Ravenel, with the head of the South Carolina Infrastructure Bank saying in 1999, "Certainly, Arthur Ravenel is a fine, decent person, but that bridge is bigger than any one individual and it should reflect all the qualities of the state and not some state senator who happens to be in the Legislature the time the structure is being built."[8] Ravenelle himself made light of the controversy, joking after diagnosis of his illness that he might die, to the satisfaction of “those people who say you shouldn’t name things after people before they’re dead.”[9] Ravenel was a member of Moultrie Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and a supporter of the Confederate flag being flown at the South Carolina statehouse.[10] He provoked controversy in response to a reporter's question in 2000 when he referred to the NAACP as the "National Association for Retarded People".[11] Asked for an apology, Ravenel, who had a son with Down’s Syndrome, offered one to those who suffered from mental conditions.[12] Ravenel once said that his fellow white congressional committee members operated on "black time", which he characterized as meaning "fashionably late".[13] Personal life and death[edit] Ravenel died in Charleston on January 16, 2023, at the age of 95.[14][15] He was buried at the cemetery of Huguenot Church in Charleston.[15] See also[edit] • List of American politicians who switched parties in office References[edit] 1 ^ Kropf, Schuyler (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. 2 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 3 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 4 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 5 ^ "Our Lowcountry Skyline, Ten Years Later: The Ravenel Bridge". Mount Pleasant Magazine. July 7, 2015. 6 ^ Gabriel, Pam. "A Bridge to History: Arthur Ravenel Jr". Mount Pleasant Magazine. No. March/April 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2019. 7 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 8 ^ "Bridge controversies now history". Charleston Post and Courier. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007. 9 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 10 ^ "The 'Unity Rally' Is Being Held On This Guy's Bridge?". FITSNews. June 20, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2018. 11 ^ "Giuliani's South Carolina adviser has controversial history with NAACP". "Political Ticker" blog. CNN. June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007. 12 ^ Schuyler Kropf (January 16, 2023). "Arthur Ravenel Jr., politician and bridge namesake affectionately known as 'Cousin Arthur,' passes away". The Post and Courier. 13 ^ ""Rudy's New South Carolina Co-Chair". The New York Observer. June 25, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011. 14 ^ Leatherwood, Dylan (January 16, 2023). "Former State Sen. Arthur Ravenel, Jr. dies at 95, family says". Live 5 News. Retrieved January 16, 2023. 15 ^ Jump up to: a b "RAVENEL, Arthur, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 19, 2023. External links[edit] • Appearances on C-SPAN • Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress South Carolina House of Representatives Preceded by Multi-member district Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the Charleston County district January 13, 1953 – January 13, 1959 Succeeded by Multi-member district South Carolina Senate Preceded by Allen Ruffin Carter Arnold Samuel Goodstein Thomas Forbes Hartnett Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 16th district January 13, 1981 – January 8, 1985 Succeeded by Caldwell Thomas Hinson Preceded by District established Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 44th district January 8, 1985 – January 3, 1987 Succeeded by Sherry Shealy Martschink Preceded by Greg Smith Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 34th district January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2005 Succeeded by Raymond E. Cleary III U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Thomas F. Hartnett Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st congressional district January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 Succeeded by Mark Sanford show • vte South Carolina's delegation(s) to the 100th–103rd United States Congresses (ordered by seniority) show Authority control Categories: 1927 births2023 deaths20th-century American businesspeople20th-century American politiciansBurials in South CarolinaBusinesspeople from Charleston, South CarolinaCandidates in the 1974 United States electionsCandidates in the 1976 United States electionsCandidates in the 1994 United States electionsCollege of Charleston alumniDe Saussure family membersDemocratic Party South Carolina state senatorsDemocratic Party members of the South Carolina House of RepresentativesMembers of Sons of Confederate VeteransMilitary personnel from Charleston, South CarolinaPoliticians from Charleston, South CarolinaRavenel familyRepublican Party South Carolina state senatorsRepublican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South CarolinaSchool board members in South CarolinaUnited States Marine Corps personnel of World War II This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 03:28 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Arthur Ravenel Jr. Medical University of South Carolina The Citadel FUNERAL HOME J. Henry Stuhr Downtown Chapel 232 Calhoun Street Charleston, SC ARTHUR RAVENEL OBITUARY Arthur Ravenel, Jr. MT. PLEASANT - Arthur Ravenel, Jr., 95, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, husband of Jean Rickenbaker Ravenel, entered into eternal rest Monday, January 16, 2023. His Funeral Service will be held Friday, January 20, 2023 in The French Huguenot Church, 136 Church Street at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow in French Huguenot Church Cemetery. Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. in our Downtown Chapel. Mr. Ravenel's service may be viewed by following this link . Arthur Ravenel, Jr. was born March 29, 1927 to Mary Allen Boykin and Arthur Ravenel in Charleston, SC. He was raised on his father's small farm in St. Andrew's Parish. He attended public schools and was an Eagle Scout. After his graduation from St. Andrew's High School, he volunteered for the United States Marine Corps and was called to duty on his 18th birthday. After his service with the Marine Corps, he attended The College of Charleston on the GI Bill and graduated in 1950 with a degree in history. His first job was with the Westvaco Paper Mill as a laborer and in 1952 he started a home improvement business and built it into a successful general contracting and real estate firm so that he was able to retire at the age of 50 and devote his full energies to public service. Mr. Ravenel began his career in politics in 1953 when he was elected to the SC House of Representatives, where he served until 1958, and earned a reputation for being a conservationist. In the early 1960s, he was instrumental in helping to build the modern day Republican Party, serving as the First District Chairman, the state finance chairman and as a Goldwater Delegate to the GOP Convention in San Francisco in 1964. In those early days of the GOP, he ran several unsuccessful races for the SC Senate and finally, in 1980, he and Glenn McConnell were elected as Republicans to the State Senate. In 1986 he ran for the US Congress upon the retirement of Thomas Hartnett and served four terms in Washington. In 1994 he ran for Governor but was defeated in the GOP Primary. In 1996, upon the request of Mayor Harry Hallman of Mt. Pleasant, he again ran for the SC Senate and led the effort to find the funding to replace the aging Cooper River Bridges. With the enthusiastic help of many, he accomplished the mission. The next year, frustrated with the failing schools in Charleston County, he again offered himself for public service and was elected to The Charleston County School Board. During his long public service, Mr. Ravenel was affectionately known as "Cousin Arthur" for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents. In addition to helping find funding for the new bridge, he was also responsible for helping to secure the initial funding from the General Assembly to procure the Avery Institute at the College of Charleston. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Low Country Graduate Center, a cooperative venture of MUSC, The College of Charleston, The Citadel, USC and Clemson, through his efforts with the Charleston County Legislative Delegation and was particularly proud that it was done without the necessity of legislative action. After the birth of his son, William, who has Down's Syndrome, he became a passionate advocate in creating and promoting services for the developmentally disabled and served as president of the SC Association for Retarded Children. He sponsored legislation with Senator Mescher of Berkeley County to prevent The Department of Disabilities from closing any of its habitation centers without a vote of the General Assembly. A lifelong conservationist and environmentalist, he was successful in getting passed an amendment to the State Appropriations Bill to assign a modest percentage of the documentary stamp revenues to purchase and protect South Carolina's natural and cultural heritage sites for the Heritage Land Trust Fund, which owns over a hundred thousand acres. He with his wife, Jean Rickenbaker Ravenel, have placed conservation easements over some of their own properties. In 1995, He was asked by Governor David Beasley to head up the newly formed Redevelopment Authority created to breathe new life into the closed Charleston Naval Base. Within a few months, he successfully guided the RDA to lease out vital portions of the industrial area, including the dry docks leased to a local firm. He also assisted the Academic Magnet School in to finding a new home on the Old Naval Base. When he left to return to the Senate, the RDA was well on the road to the outstanding success it now enjoys. A life member of The Sons of Confederate Veterans, Mr. Ravenel was very proud of his grandfather, Edward Ravenel, who served as a courier on General Hardee's staff at The Battle of Bentonville in NC. Private Ravenel had been a member of the Stono Scouts which was made up of men from The Sea Islands surrounding Charleston and was led by Captain Walpole. While in the Senate, Mr. Ravenel was active in negotiations to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the State House Dome to the Soldiers' Monument in the front of the Capitol. During his service on the Charleston County School Board, he was most proud of leading the contentious and successful battle that resulted in the opening of the Math and Science Charter School. A life long member of The French Huguenot Church, he was active in the revitalization of the church and traveled around the world interviewing prospective clergy for the reopening of the church. He served on its board for 55 years. He has also been a member of the St. Johns Hunt Club, The South Carolina Society, The Washington Light Infantry, The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, The Carolina Yacht Club and The Fort Moultrie Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He is survived by his brother, Edward Ravenel, his wife, Jean Rickenbaker Ravenel and his former wife, Louise Ravenel Doughtery, his six children; Suzanne Ravenel, Arthur Ravenel, III (Heidi), Renee; R. Brockinton (Harvey), Eva R. Ravenel (of the late Rene; Ravenel), William Ravenel, all of Charleston, SC and Thomas J.J. Ravenel of Aiken, SC. Four step-children, Jean Elliott Manning, Heath Manning, Jr. (deceased), Mary Locke Olliphant (Murray), and Dibble R. Manning (Carla) and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family wishes to express their appreciation to his wonderful caregivers Geraldine Jameson, Luc Maxineau, Philip Edles, Paul Dennis, and The Lutheran Hospice of South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The French Huguenot Church, 136 Church Street, Charleston SC 29401 or Confederate Home and College, 62 Broad St. Charleston, SC 29401. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston Published by Charleston Post & Courier from Jan. 17 to Jan. 18, 2023.  [3, 4, 6]
  Occupation	former congressman and state senator (from South Carolina)  [5]
  _UID	0F6CC6ABDE56439D92E83596238792139470
  Death	16 Jan 2023	Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
  Burial	20 Jan 2023	French Huguenot Church Cemetery, 136 Church Street at 2:00 pm., Charleston, South Ccarolina   [4, 6]
  	J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Downtown Chapel, Charleston, South Carolina
  Person ID	I205531	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	13 Feb 2023

  
  

  Father	Arthur RAVENEL, Sr.   d. Bef 18 Jan 2023
  Mother	Mary Allen BOYKIN   d. Bef 18 Jan 2023
  _UID	5BCB5E9D379E4733B944BDBF4E0EDA88A70C
  _UID	5BCB5E9D379E4733B944BDBF4E0EDA88A70C
  Family ID	F206696	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Louise RODGERS
  _UID	4AE50AF4362B49F6AA874256027C9BD4839D
  _UID	4AE50AF4362B49F6AA874256027C9BD4839D
  Children	1. Living   2. William RAVENEL   3. Arthur RAVENEL, III   4. Eva RAVENEL   5. Suzanne RAVENEL   6. Renee RAVENEL
  Family ID	F139361	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	18 Jun 2016

  
  

  Family 2	Jean RICKENBAKER
  _UID	0D9011B995194F19B560A05884D9CBCB7D55
  _UID	0D9011B995194F19B560A05884D9CBCB7D55
  Family ID	F226970	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	13 Feb 2023

  
  

• Sources

  [S23954] . [S23955] . [S30629] Longtime politician, bridge namesake Arthur Ravenel dies. [S30631] Arthur Ravenel Jr. [S8861] Ravenel pleads not guilty. [S30630] .