James H. Price was a governor of Virginia (1938–1942) who advocated for a series of progressive policies designed to help those hurt by the Great Depression of the 1930s. His most notable achievement came in 1938 with the enactment of an Old Age Assistance Plan that enabled Virginians to receive federal Social Security benefits. Throughout his term, Price battled with United States Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. and members of his political machine over policy and patronage issues. While Price won some of these battles, by 1940 Byrd and the Byrd Organization had derailed his legislative agenda, leaving a defeated Price to spend most of his last two years in office helping to mobilize Virginia for war. Price’s term as governor ended in 1942. Price died on November 22, 1943 after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Further Reading
- Hall, Alvin Leroy. “Politics and Patronage: Virginia’s Senators and the Roosevelt Purges of 1938.” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 82 (1974): 331-350.
- Syrett, John. “The Politics of Preservation: The Organization Destroys Governor James H. Price’s Administration.” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 97 (1989): 437-462.
This Vignette Provided By
This Vignette is brought to you by Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and is drawn from an Encyclopedia Virginia entry by Dan Tulli, a social studies teacher for Prince William County Schools.
