Robert Church Jr. facts for kids

Robert Reed Church Jr. (born October 26, 1885 – died April 17, 1952) was an important businessman and political leader in Tennessee. His father, Robert Reed Church, was a very successful businessman. Robert Jr. took over his father's role as president of the Solvent Savings Bank and Trust Company after his father passed away.

As an African American leader, he started the first branch of the NAACP in Tennessee. He also served on the NAACP's national board of directors. From the 1910s to the 1940s, he was one of the most powerful political figures in his hometown of Memphis. In 1940, Church moved to Washington, DC. There, he joined the board of directors for the Fair Employment Practice Committee. This committee worked to prevent unfair treatment in jobs. His half-sister was the famous activist Mary Church Terrell.

Robert Church Jr.'s Early Life

Robert Church Jr. was born on October 26, 1885. His parents were Robert Reed Church and Anna Susan Wright. He had one sister named Annette Elaine.

His half-sister was Mary Church Terrell. She was a well-known civil rights activist and fought for women's right to vote. She was from his father's first marriage.

Church went to schools in Memphis and had private teachers. He later studied at Morgan Park Military Academy in Morgan Park, Illinois. He also attended the Berlin and Parkard School of Business in New York. After finishing school, he worked for two years on Wall Street, a famous financial area.

Church married Sara P. Johnson in Washington, DC, on July 26, 1911. They had one daughter, Sara Roberta Church. Robert Church Jr. passed away from a heart attack on April 17, 1952.

Making a Difference in Politics

Church started his career in Memphis working at his father's Solvent Savings Bank and Trust Company. He was a cashier there. When his father died in 1912, Robert Jr. became the president of the bank. He later left this job to manage his family's many real estate properties.

In 1916, Church created the Lincoln League in Memphis. This group helped African Americans gain political power. They organized events to help people register to vote. They also taught people how to vote and even helped pay poll taxes. Poll taxes were fees that people had to pay to vote, which often stopped poorer citizens from voting.

The Lincoln League supported candidates in the 1916 election in Memphis. Even though their candidates did not win, the group showed how important they were. Church's reputation as a national political leader also grew. He was chosen to be a delegate at the Republican National Convention eight times, starting in 1912.

In 1917, Church started a Memphis branch of the NAACP. This was the first NAACP branch in all of Tennessee. In 1919, Church became a member of the NAACP's national board of directors. He represented fourteen southern states.

At the peak of his career, Church was known as the "Colossus of Beale Street". This meant he was a very powerful figure in the area. He helped lead presidential campaigns for Republican candidates in 1920, 1924, 1928, and 1936. Because his work was so important for Republican votes in Tennessee, he became a key person for government job appointments in West Tennessee. This happened during the presidencies of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. Church was even given credit for helping Harry S. New become the postmaster general in 1923.

By 1920, Church's power was being challenged by Memphis Democratic leader E. H. Crump. Church and Crump became leaders of opposing groups in Memphis. Church's main helpers included Josiah T. Settle, Jr, George Klepper, and Baily Walsh. Church also faced challenges from within the Republican Party in Tennessee. For example, some people strongly opposed his attendance at the 1928 Republican National Convention. However, he was eventually allowed to attend.

Church's group sometimes supported Democrats in Memphis politics. This was because the Republican Party found it harder to win city-wide elections. One example was his family friend Watkins Overton, who was Memphis's mayor from 1928 to 1939. Other important allies in Western Tennessee included Perry Howard, Roscoe Simmons, Emmett Scott, John R. Hawkins, James A. Cobb, and L. K. Williams.

In 1940, Church's economic and political power in Memphis became much smaller. The city government took over his real estate properties. They also started to bother businesses that were connected to Church. Because of this, Church moved to Washington, DC. There, he continued to work for civil rights and the Republican Party. After Church moved, his real estate office on Beale Street was used by the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. This company was managed by Church's ally, George W. Lee.