Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord (1906-1965)

From the Port of New York Authority annual report, 1959.

"No man contributed more to making politics and public life an honored calling in New Jersey. Thorn Lord brought men of integrity and intellectual ability into public life and imbued them with his dedication to making the Democratic process function effectively and responsibly."

   Such was the description by U.S. Senator Harrison Williams of Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord, a Democratic power player in New Jersey beginning in the 1940s. A former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Lord was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1960 and in the year following his defeat was elected chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He served in that capacity until his death in June 1965, having taken his own life at a friend's home. The story of this once-prominent Garden State political figure begins with his birth in Plainfield on August 24, 1906, being the son of Carroll Putnam (1875-1958) and Frances Roberts (Troy) Lord (1883-1952). Possessing a plentiful name, the origins behind the name Balfour Bowen Thorn remain unknown, and through his career in public life, he was known as Thorn Lord.

  The son of a cotton merchant, Lord removed with his family to the South at a young age and enrolled at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. His time at the university saw him as a member of Alpha Tau Omega, the Junior and Senior German Club, and was manager of the track team. He graduated in 1927 and decided to pursue a career in law. His studies took him to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his degree in 1931. Lord returned to New Jersey sometime later to accept a position as a clerk in the office of a federal judge, and in 1932 established his law practice in Trenton.

  Thorn Lord passed the New Jersey bar exam in 1933 and in January 1934 was admitted to the state bar. In that same year, he married Margaret Twining Eastburn (1906-1987), with who he had one son, Thorn Lord Jr. (1937-1987). The couple later separated, and in 1943 remarried to Nina Walton Underwood (1903-1976), and had one daughter, Nina.

From the Suwanee Cap and Gown Yearbook, 1926.

    In 1935 the New Jersey State Bar Association designated Thorn Lord as one of ten members of a special committee on unauthorized practice of law in the junior section of the state bar association. He continued his rise in New Jersey law circles in 1936, beginning service as Assistant U.S. District Attorney for New Jersey, and following U.S. Attorney Charles Phillip's resignation in November 1943, was appointed to succeed him. Lord quickly threw himself into his new duties, with the office of first assistant attorney being abolished, and two new administrative assistants for civil and criminal cases being created. Despite entering into such a prominent post, Lord cited his desire to serve his country during wartime, highlighting his previous application to the attorney general, noting "I am perfectly willing to serve, but I can't even resign."

  Not long after assuming the reigns as U.S. Attorney Thorn Lord announced that his office had summoned a grand jury in connection to black-market liquor sales in the state, remarking that the session would "disclose unusual revelations concerning a black-market in New Jersey." His two-year tenure as U.S. Attorney was highlighted during his senate candidacy, with the Camden Courier-Post noting:

"During World War II Lord and his aides received special commendation for setting up the machinery for enforcement of the Selective Service Act in New Jersey. His office was also recognized nationally for appointing distinguished New Jersey citizens to serve as members of the Alien Enemy Boards on a non-partisan basis."

  Lord left the U.S. Attorney's office in 1945 and soon partnered with future Governor Richard Hughes to form a law firm. In 1947 Lord was elected as a Democratic committeeman for Lawrence township and held the additional roles of police and fire commissioner. In June 1947 he was elected as a delegate from Mercer County to the state constitutional convention, where he was named to the committee on Credentials, Printing, and Authentication of Documents. 

   Further political honors came Lord's way in 1948 when succeeded his friend Richard Hughes as chair of the Mercer County Democratic Committee, serving in that capacity until his death. This post saw Lord gradually become a political kingmaker in state democratic circles, with the Hackensack Record noting that:

"Operating on a theory that most non-voters are Democrats, he organized an efficient operation to get them registered. His policies pumped life into the Mercer Democratic organization, which soon swept every County-wide office, ending a long G.O.P. reign." 

  A founding figure in the National Democratic Club of New Jersey in 1950, Lord served as one of that organization's trustees and led the fight to curtail the power of the political machine of Frank Hague, mayor of Jersey City. In 1953 Lord proved pivotal in the nomination of Robert Baumle Meyner's nomination for Governor, his candidacy first being proposed at Lord's home. With Lord's behind-the-scenes guidance, Meyner won the Democratic nomination and later the governorship, serving two terms from 1954-1962.

From the Montclair Times, November 3, 1960.

    Following Meyner's election, he appointed Lord as a commissioner for the Port of New York Authority, representing New Jersey. His appointment was confirmed by the state senate in August 1955, and during his tenure would inspect New York Harbor and Port Authority developments. In 1958 he served as vice chairman of the board's committee on port planning and was touted by the state Democratic establishment as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate. For the time being, Lord was denied the senatorial nod, not having the support of Hoboken mayor John Grogan and state conservation commissioner Joseph McLean.

  As the 1960 election year loomed, the New Jersey Democrats came to a consensus in February when Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord was announced as their U.S. Senate candidate, "being the unanimous choice of Democratic leaders from all 21 counties." By the time of his nomination, Lord was already a familiar face in the Mercer County Democratic Party but was little known in other areas of the state. Described as "Lincolnesque", with a Southern drawl, his favored brown fedora became a trademark part of his image, along with his trusty Ford, which he drove regularly for two decades. Noted as standing six feet two inches, the comparisons to Lincoln didn't end with height, however, with the Passaic Herald News remarking "Lord looks like Lincoln come to life. He walks and talks as most people think Lincoln used to walk and talk." The News further detailed Lord's long devotion to his party, noting:

"Nobody in the Democratic party has a better right to the U.S. Senate nomination than Lord. It is generally conceded that he could have been the candidate two years ago instead of Harrison A. Williams. He was one of the leading contenders. He discouraged the electors at that time, by expressing doubt that he was interested."

  Though given the nod by the state Democratic establishment, Lord himself didn't announce his candidacy until March 1960 and also noted that he'd be resigning from the New York Port Authority to focus on his campaign. That same month another New Jersey attorney, Richard Glasser, filed for the Democratic nomination, and in the April primary was soundly defeated by Lord, 177,429 votes to 40,134.

From the Hackensack Record, June 17, 1965.

  As the campaign season went into full effect, Lord took part in authoring the party platform unveiled at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles that August. Among the issues Lord pressed for were:

• Congressional action on medical care for the aged.
• An accelerated mutual security program.
• A minimum wage of $1.25 an hour.
• Housing and education legislation.
• "Meaningful" civil rights legislation.
• "A solution to national farm problems. We have been blessed by nature with abundance, and more ways should be found to share it with underprivileged peoples elsewhere."
• A strong support of aid to undeveloped nations, "not only on the grounds of humanitarianism but to counter the threat of Communist domination."

  During his campaign, Lord was brought into contact with presidential nominee John F. Kennedy, who campaigned in New Jersey during the fall of 1960. The two candidates both spoke at a Teaneck Armory rally in the waning days of the campaign and were both featured heavily in local political advertisements, with Kennedy himself remarking: 

"I shall rely on Thorn Lord's integrity, his broad experience in public life and his knowledge as a practicing politician to help solve some of the great problems facing the country today."

From the Passaic Herald News, November 3, 1960.

  Through the summer and fall, Thorn Lord traversed New Jersey to appeal to voters. Lord's Republican opponent that year was incumbent Clifford P. Case (1904-1982), a four-term U.S. Representative from New Jersey who had first been elected to the senate in 1954. In October 1960 he engaged in a debate with Case held at the Fair  Lawn Jewish Center in Hackensack, and spent further time in Gloucester County, meeting U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy at a Democratic function in Irvington. On election day in November it was Clifford Case who emerged victorious, polling 1,483,832 votes to Thorn Lord's 1,151,385. Though he polled an impressive vote count, Lord appeared "very hurt" by the defeat, with the Hackensack Record reporting in his 1965 obituary that:

"He lost by a big margin, and his eyes were filled with pain election night. There was speculation in the state house last night that perhaps he had never gotten over that defeat. It was hard to tell, though, as Lord was the sort of man who kept his own counsel."

   Despite his senatorial ambitions being dashed, Lord achieved a measure of consolation in April of the following year when he was elected as chairman of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee. As chairman, Lord pushed hard for the election of his old friend Richard J. Hughes as Governor, and in November 1961 saw him win the first of two terms in that office. Thorn Lord would simultaneously hold the posts of both state chairman and chair of the Mercer County Democratic committee until 1965, and just one week before his death was elected to another four-year term as Democratic state chair.

  On June 17, 1965, newspaper reports broke that Thorn Lord had been found dead at the home of his close friend Clifton Bennett, then serving as judge of the Mercer County Court. Reports of his sudden death continued to break, and in the coming days it was revealed that Lord had taken his own life by strangulation with an electric shaver cord, and was:

"Discovered about 4:30 pm yesterday slumped in an easy chair in the cellar recreation room of Mercer County Court Judge Clifton T. Bennett, his close friend of 25 years."

  Further investigation revealed that Lord had been despondent and had left a note prior to having "tied the cord around his neck and pulling both ends, garotting himself." On the day of his death, Lord had had breakfast with Bennett, who soon left for his daily work routine. Returning home later that day, Bennett discovered Lord's note and soon called the police. Newspaper reports published in the coming days gave varying stories in regards to Lord's despondency, with some reporting marital trouble, and others relating that he was still hurt by his senate loss.

  Lord's suicide shocked the New Jersey political establishment and left his family and friends in dismay. In the days following his death, numerous outpourings of grief appeared throughout state newspapers, memorializing Lord as "a leader of national stature." Among these memorials were the words of his friend, Governor Richard Hughes, who stated:

"The state has lost one of its finest citizens...His sole concern as a highly respected political and civic leader was good government and the well being of the people of this state."

 Balfour Bowen Thorn Lord was survived by his wife Nina, and his two children. He was later interred at the Trinity All Saints Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey. 

From the Bridgewater Courier-News, June 17, 1965.

Redfield Clipper Mills (1891-1965)

From the Iowa State Red Book.

  Iowa makes its first appearance on the site for 2021 with Redfield Clipper Mills, who was twice a state senator from the state's 17th district. The first veterinarian to be accorded a profile here, Mills returned to politics in 1948 with his unsuccessful run for Iowa lieutenant governor. A lifelong Iowan, Redfield Clipper Mills was born in Redfield, Dallas County, on January 22, 1891, the son of John Henry and Sarah Alice (Duck) Mills. A newspaperman, John Henry Mills was the publisher of the Redfield Record, which he purchased in 1889. Following its purchase, he renamed it the Redfield Clipper, and upon his son's birth in 1891 bestowed upon him the same name!

   A student in both the country and town schools, Mills graduated from the Redfield High School and for three years farmed in North Dakota. Deciding upon a career in veterinary medicine, Mills enrolled at the Kansas City Veterinary College and graduated in 1915. Following graduation, he opened his practice in Redfield and after American entry into WWI enlisted for service. For two years he served with the U.S. Veterinary Corps and attained the rank of First Lieutenant.

  After his return stateside Mills recommenced with his practice in Redfield and married in Dallas County on December 30, 1920, to Ella Frances Shaw (1902-1999). The couple's forty-four-year marriage produced six children: Clipper Eugene (1923-1994), Milton Locke (1925-2003), John Paul (1927-2018), Mary Alice (1928-2008), Donald Thurston (1932-2018), and Janet Elizabeth (1934-2016). 

  In addition to his veterinary practice, Mills was active in the Knights of Pythias Lodge and the American Legion. An active Republican in his region, Mills would attend "every precinct, district, and county Republican convention since 1920." He first pursued elective office in 1924 when he sought the Republican nomination for state senator from the 17th district. Following his win in the Republican primary, Mills went on to oppose Democratic nominee J.W. Morris, and that November defeated him by a vote of 11,646 to 6,246. He took his seat in January 1925 and during the 1925-27 session was named to the committees on Agriculture, the Board of Control, Dairy and Food, Fish and Game, Highways, Labor, Pharmacy, and the Suppression of Intemperance. He also chaired the Committee on Military Affairs.

From the 1925-26 Iowa State Red Book.

  A successful candidate for reelection in 1926, Mills was named to two new committees for the 1927-29 session, Mines and Mining, and Police Regulations. He again chaired the Military Affairs Committee and was named vice-chair of the Committee on Labor. Mills was defeated in his bid for a third term in the June 1928 Republican primary, losing out to Frank Bissell (1878-1970), 4,514 votes to 3,478. Mills would again seek his old senate seat in the June 1932 Republican primary but was defeated by George M. Hopkins (1866-1940), who went on to win the general election in November.

   In 1933 Redfield Mills returned to government service when he took on the post of chief doorkeeper for the Iowa state senate, and continued to serve until at least 1935. In 1945 he was named as a vice commander of the Iowa American Legion at its 47th annual convention, and in 1948 returned to politics when he announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. In a Dallas County News writeup on his candidacy, Mills's WWI service and terms in the senate were highlighted, with the News remarking:

"Mills is Dallas county's only candidate for state office  in the 1948 election, and is receiving numerous pledges of heavy support in his home county. He is well known throughout the state, but is particularly anxious that the vote in his home county be heavy as a tribute to his long service to Dallas County agriculture and the Republican party."

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette, March 9, 1948.

From the Dallas County News, April 28, 1948.

  One of three candidates vying for the Republican nomination, Redfield Mills lost out in the June primary, polling 88,098 votes to incumbent Kenneth Evans's winning total of 156,620. Two years following his loss he was named as an inspector for the U.S Poultry Association, and in the twilight of his life was a resident of the Iowa Soldier's Home in Marshalltown. He died there on June 12, 1965, aged 74, and was survived by his wife and six children. Ella Mills survived her husband by over thirty years and following her death at 97 in 1999, was interred alongside him at the East Linn Cemetery in Redfield. 

From the Dallas County News, June 16, 1965.

Du Brutz Cutlar Moore (1895-1965)

Portrait from the 1956 North Carolina State Manual.

   Following the lengthy write-up on  May 8th centering on Zanesville, Ohio Mayor Epaminondas L. Grigsby, we journey south to North Carolina for today's profile. The unusually named Du Brutz Cutlar Moore served five terms in the North Carolina State Senate and further distinguished himself in a variety of business endeavors in his home county of Robeson, North Carolina. Moore would gain additional distinction through his service as chairman of the State Board of Alcoholic Control, being named to that post by Governor Clyde Hoey.
  Du Brutz Cutlar Moore was born on August 6, 1895, in Pender County, North Carolina, the son of John Bailey and Serena Lee Moore. Moore attended the University of North Carolina from 1913-1914 and later was stationed in Europe during the First World War as a private with the Seventh Anti-Aircraft Battery. He married in June of 1922 to Ms. Ruth Robeson Norment, and three children were eventually born to the couple, Du Brutz Jr. (1923-2003), Ruth Moore Morgan (died 2004) and Mary Moore Warner.
   At the conclusion of his service in WWI, Moore returned to Lumberton, North Carolina, where he would be employed as a district manager for the Mutual Life Insurance Company. During the 1930s he became active in local politics and from 1934-36 held the post of secretary for the State Democratic Executive Committee. During the 1936 state gubernatorial election season Moore was affiliated with the campaign of Clyde Hoey, who, after winning the governorship, named Moore as the Chairman of the Alcohol Control Board of North Carolina in 1937. As the inaugural head of a board that was responsible for a "system of control of the sale of alcoholic beverages" in the state, Moore chaired this board until 1941, with his service later being lauded in the 1941 book North Carolina, the Old North State and the New, which stated:

"He is a man in the real sense of the word. His motto is 'Do the right thing under all circumstances.' He has proven the exception to the rule that a prophet is not without honor save for within his own country. Robeson County and Lumberton are proud of Cutlar Moore and his record, but if folks knew Cutlar's mother they would all understand why any trust committed to Cutlar Moore would be faithfully and conscienciously carried out."

   In addition to his involvement in the insurance business, Moore's 1965 obituary in The Robesonian newspaper also denotes his being a real estate developer and member of the North Carolina Association of Realtors. In 1952 Moore was elected to his first term in the North Carolina Senate from the 11th senatorial district and during the 1953-55 session was a member of the committees on Appropriation; Banks and Currency; Conservation and Development; Mental Institutions; Public Welfare; and Salaries and Fees. Moore was returned to the senate in the elections of 1954, 1956, 1958 and 1960, and in 1957 briefly held the post of state highway commissioner. His final senate term saw him named to several new committees, those being Agriculture; Banking; Education; Finance; Propositions and Grievances; Public Roads; and State Government. He would resign in 1961 to take on the post of U.S. Collector of Customs at Wilmington, North Carolina, where he would serve until his death. Moore is also recorded in his obituary as being the president of the Carolinas Broadcasting Company.
   While still attentive to state political affairs, Moore was also an active civic leader in Robeson County, being a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church and also was a member of the American Legion, Masons and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Named as Robeson County Man of the Year in 1956, Moore received further honors in the year prior to his death when he was bestowed the Liberty Bell Award from the Mecklenburg County Bar in recognition of his "service to the community and the law." Du Brutz Cutlar Moore died at the Duke Hospital in Durham, North Carolina at age 69 on March 27, 1965, after having been admitted for surgery a few days prior. He was survived by his wife and children and later was interred at the Meadowbrook Cemetery in Lumberton. 

 From the March 29, 1965 edition of the Lumberton Robesonian.