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Warren B. French

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Warren B. French
Chair of the Virginia Republican Party
In office
January 16, 1970 – June 3, 1972
Preceded bySamuel E. Carpenter
Succeeded byRichard D. Obenshain
Personal details
Born(1923-04-14)April 14, 1923
Woodstock, Virginia, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 2021(2021-11-04) (aged 98)
Edinburg, Virginia, Virginia
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Patricia Hamill Teale
(m. 1949)
Children4
Alma materMassanutten Military Academy
University of Virginia
Military service
Branch/service United States Navy
Battles/wars

Warren Ballinger French Jr. (April 14, 1923 – November 4, 2021) was an American businessman and politician from Virginia. He served as Chair of the Virginia Republican Party from 1970 to 1972.

Early life

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French was born on April 14, 1923, in Woodstock, Virginia, the first of ten children of Warren French Sr. and Lena Belle Sheetz.[1] He attended Woodstock High School, Massanutten Military Academy, and the University of Virginia. In September 1941, he entered the V-12 Navy College Training Program, and later served in the United States Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater.[1] He was discharged from service in 1946, and returned to the University of Virginia where he received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1947.[1] In 1954, he started working for the Farmers Mutual Telephone System in Shenandoah County.[2]

Political career

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French served as the Seventh District Republican Party Chairman, delegate to the 1968 Republican National Convention, and Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia from 1970 to 1972.[1] He was elected chair on January 16, 1970, replacing Samuel E. Carpenter, who resigned.[3] In 1972, he received the endorsement of Governor Linwood Holton for reelection as chair, but lost to the more conservative challenger, Richard D. Obenshain.[4]

Personal life

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He married his wife Patricia Hamill Teale, in Silver Spring, Maryland, on September 17, 1949.[1] They had four children.[1] He died on November 4, 2021, aged 98 of natural causes.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Warren French Obituary (1923 - 2021) - Edinburg, VA - Northern Virginia Daily". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  2. ^ a b Daily, Charles Paullin The Northern Virginia (2021-11-11). "Visionary former Shentel leader Warren French Jr. was ultimate 'problem solver'". The Northern Virginia Daily. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  3. ^ "French Elected To Head GOP In Virginia". The Danville Register. 1970-01-17. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  4. ^ "Virginia GOP Pilot Switch Is Foreseen". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1972-06-02. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-02-01.