John Bolt Culbertson

John Bolt Culbertson was a member of the South Carolina General Assembly, an advocate for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and one of the defense attorneys for the trial of the lynching of Willie Earle in Greenville, South Carolina.[1]

John Bolt Culbertson
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Greenville County
In office
1949–1950
Personal details
Born(1908-09-16)September 16, 1908
Laurens County, South Carolina
DiedMarch 21, 1983(1983-03-21) (aged 74)
Houston, Texas
Resting placeGreenville, South Carolina
Alma materUniversity of South Carolina
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America
Branch/serviceU.S. Army

Early life

Born in Laurens County, South Carolina, John Bolt Culbertson was the sixth of thirteen children to John Dennis Culbertson and Lucia Bell Culbertson (nee Bolt).[2] He attended the University of South Carolina, working as a waiter and as delivering papers to pay for tuition, graduating with his law degree in 1934. He worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for two years as a special agent in the Midwest during J. Edgar Hoover's "War on Crime"[3] Culbertson would later say his time in Detroit, Michigan, helped shape his views and sympathies for the working class.[4]

In 1937, Culbertson started a law practice in Greenville, focusing on labor relations.[5] He would work as an attorney until he was drafted into the Army in 1943, a period that also included an unsuccessful run for the South Carolina House of Representative. In the Army, he served in the infantry and as an investigator throughout World War II.

Career

In 1947, Culbertson served on a team of defense attorneys for the 28 men accused of lynching Willie Earle, who was accused of robbing and murdering a cab driver. This would be a turning point in Culbertson's struggle between his personal convictions against segregation and racism and his career. Later, Culbertson would say:

"I decided life wouldn't have any real meaning unless a man was willing to make a sacrifice for the things he believed in and to stand up for his convictions. ...If I was willing to give up my life - which I was - for the idea of freedom in other countries, I ought to be willing as a citizen to give real meaning to the slogans of democracy at home."[6]

In 1948, Culbertson was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives where he served for one term in 1949 and 1950. He was involved in the passage of the first occupational disease law for the state.[7] Culbertson would go on to run as a Democrat variety of races including for Greenville mayor (1951), U.S. Congress (1965 and 1980), U.S. Senate (1968, 1972, and 1978), and Governor (1974).[8][9][10][4]

Although his frequent campaigns did not result in his election, they reinforced his role as a champion for liberal causes in the state of South Carolina. Culbertson continued to work as an attorney in Greenville on cases of worker's compensation and labor unions in textile mills, including a case of worker's compensation against J.P. Stephens Co. Inc. (now WestPoint Home).[11]

While never on the payroll, Culbertson was a major player in the South Carolina NAACP. He traveled among South Carolina's 46 counties, calling for integration and for people to join the organization. He also worked to try and force the courts to admit African-Americans onto South Carolina's jury pools.[12] In 1955, his membership drives saw 3,000 members join the state branch.[13]

Culbertson died of cancer in Houston, Texas on March 21, 1983, after seeking treatment at M.D. Anderson Hospital.

References

  1. West, Rebecca. "A Lynching Trial in Greenville". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  2. "John Bolt Culbertson (1908-1983) - Find A Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  3. "J. Edgar Hoover, May 10, 1924 - May 2, 1972". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  4. "John Bolt Culbertson Papers". South Carolina Political Collections. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  5. "Culbertson Will Run for Post in House Delegation". The Greenville News. May 31, 1946.
  6. Soehren, Irene (February 1966). "Color-Blind Lawyer". This Day: 52–53.
  7. Kirk, Lewis (April 14, 1972). "Culbertson: old form, new substance". The Clemson Tiger. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  8. Goodwin, William C. (May 23, 1974). "Culbertson - Plain and Functional". The State via NewsBank.
  9. "Senate Candidate Proposes Joint Press Conference". The State. May 15, 1978 via NewsBank.
  10. "Culbertson Candidacy Still Issue". The State. June 18, 1980 via NewsBank.
  11. "Filmmakers take on J. P. Stevensby Jackie Wolf". www.ejumpcut.org. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  12. Nordheimer, Jon (November 26, 1970). "Black Juryman: New Figure in the South". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  13. "The South's Bravest White Man". Ebony. 11: 106–109. July 1, 1956 via MasterFILE Premier.
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