PoliticalGraveyard.com

Politicians Who Were Involved in Professional Sports in West Virginia
as players, owners, commissioners, sports journalists, etc.

Gene Archer (1913-1978) — of Washington, D.C.; Brookeville, Montgomery County, Md. Born in Parkersburg, Wood County, W.Va., September 15, 1913. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; radio show host; singer; performed, Republican National Convention, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960; board member, Washington Redskins football team, 1956-73; also provided halftime entertainment at games; president, Washington-Baltimore local, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, 1969-70. Died, from cancer, in the Montgomery General Hospital, Olney, Montgomery County, Md., October 4, 1978 (age 65 years, 19 days). Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Ulysses Grant Archer and Alice (Jarett) Archer; married to Juanita White.   Don Chafin — of Logan, Logan County, W.Va. Democrat. Worked as bodyguard for his cousin, a professional boxer; Logan County Sheriff; delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1924 (member, Committee on Permanent Organization), 1928. Interment at Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington, W.Va.   Relatives: Cousin of Jack Dempsey. Fred L. Doringer (b. 1889) — also known as Joe Doringer — of Fairmont, Marion County, W.Va. Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Mass., October 19, 1889. Democrat. Auditor; talent scout for Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team; studio director, Radio Station WMMN, Fairmont; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Marion County, 1933-38, 1943-52. Lutheran. Member, Elks; Moose. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Phillip Doringer and Phillipine Doringer; married, March 11, 1922, to Cora L. Morris.   Image source: West Virginia Blue Book 1951   Joseph Harvey Farris (1922-1997) — also known as Joe H. Farris — of Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va., April 14, 1922. Radio and television personality; sports announcer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1991-97; died in office 1997. Episcopalian. Lebanese ancestry. Member, Lions. Found dead in a hotel room probably from cardiac arrythmia, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., August 10, 1997 (age 75 years, 118 days). Interment at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston, W.Va.   Relatives: Married to Mary Lou Corey (sister-in-law of Mario J. Palumbo; aunt of Corey Palumbo).   Political family: Palumbo-Corey family of Charleston, West Virginia. Frank A. Knight (b. 1907) — of South Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., October 4, 1907. Democrat. Sports editor, later managing editor, The Charleston Gazette newspaper; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1941-52; delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1948 (alternate), 1952. Catholic. Member, Knights of Columbus; Elks. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Charles Edgar Knight and Charlotte (Stanmeyer) Knight; married, July 21, 1930, to Orpha Regina Thomas; father of Thomas A. Knight.   Image source: West Virginia Blue Book 1951

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