LENOIR, N.C. — Senator James Thomas Broyhill, son of the founder of Broyhill Furniture Inds., died Feb. 18. He was 95.
Broyhill was born Aug. 19, 1927, in Lenoir, N.C., and began his career at the family company before entering public service, starting as president of the Lenoir Chamber of Commerce in 1956 and 1957.
In 1962, Broyhill was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Republican to be elected in his district in the 20th century. During his 23 years’ tenure in the House, he represented one-third of North Carolina’s counties, serving on the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee and the House Small Business Committee.
In 1986, he was appointed by N.C. Governor Jim Martin to the U.S. Senate, where he served on the Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
He continued public service after leaving Washington, serving on a number of North Carolina boards, including chairman of the N.C. Board of Economic Development, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce, and member and chair of the Economic Development Committee of N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry, among many other university, community and state boards.
Broyhill received the I.E. Ready Award by the N.C. Community College System for outstanding work for the Community College system and was inducted into the N.C. Republican Party Hall of Fame and the N.C. Business Hall of Fame.
He has received an Honorary Doctor of Law from Catawba College, Honorary Degree of Associate in Arts from Richmond Community College, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award and the North Carolina Award in the field of public service, the highest civilian award given by the state.
Broyhill is survived by his wife of 71 years, Louise Horton Robbins of Durham, N.C.; his daughter Marilyn Broyhill Beach and his son J. Edgar Broyhill; six grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his son Philip Robbins Broyhill, his parents, James Edgar and Satie Hunt Broyhill, and his siblings: Allene Broyhill Stevens, Paul Hunt Broyhill and Bettie Broyhill Gortner.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Philip Robbins Broyhill Memorial Fund at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27157; the First Baptist Church of Lenoir, 304 N. Main St. NW, Lenoir, N.C. 28645; Centenary United Methodist Church, PO Box 658, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101; or the Overmountain Victory Trail Assn., Suite 5, Box 154, 1101 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tenn., 37620.
A service will be held in Winston-Salem at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Centenary United Methodist Church, 646 W. 5th Street, with a reception to follow at Forsyth Country Club, 3101 Country Club Rd. A graveside service will be held that afternoon at 3 p.m. at Little Rock Baptist Church near Lenoir, 248 Little Rock Church Rd, Boomer, N.C.
The post Son of Broyhill Furniture founder, James Broyhill, dies at 95 appeared first on Furniture Today.