Civics
12
A native of Pittsylvania County, Claude Augustus Swanson (1862-1939) practiced law in Chatham until he won election to Congress in 1892. He served seven terms in the House of Representatives from 1893 to 1906, was governor of Virginia from 1906 to 1910 and United States senator from 1910 to 1933, and served as secretary of the navy under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1939. As governor, Swanson persuaded the General Assembly to reform the public school system, improve rural roads, and create the position of state health commissioner. His last home in the county was at nearby Eldon.
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