SC Governors – Burnett Rhett Maybank, 1939-1941

Biographical Overview

• Born: March 7, 1899 in Charleston, South Carolina
  
• Died: September 1, 1954 in Flat Rock, NC
• Buried: Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina
  
• Religion: Episcopalian
• Political Party: Democrat
  

Education

• Porter Military Academy
• College of Charleston - B.S. 1919, LL.D. 1935

Occupations

• Cotton Exporter

Major Events and Accomplishments, 1939–1941

• Maybank was the first Charlestonian to be elected governor since the Civil War
  
• January 28, 1939 – The Riviera Theater, an "air cooled" 1,193 seat "movie palace", opened in Charleston
  
• March 17, 1939 – The General Assembly adopted the Palmetto as the state tree
  
• April 18, 1939 – The South Carolina Public Service Authority began clearing land for the Santee-Cooper project
  
• September 1, 1939 – Germany invaded Poland
  
• June 1940 – Franklin D. Roosevelt made Fort Jackson a permanent post for the United States Army
  
• November 4, 1941 – Governor Maybank resigned to become a US Senator
  

Other Government Positions

• Mayor of Charleston, 1931-1938
• Chairman of the South Carolina Public Service Authority, 1934-1939
  
• US Senate, 1941-1954

Other Accomplishments, Honors, Distinctions

• Maybank served on the American Battle Monuments Commission, 1947-1954
• Maybank served in the US Senate from the time he resigned as governor until his death, 1941-1954

Web Resources

• Biographical information - US Congress
  
• Listing of records available at SC Archives and History Center
  

Election Results