Norman S. Case

Norman Stanley Case (October 11, 1888 – October 9, 1967) was the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island from 1927 to 1928 and the 56th Governor of Rhode Island from 1928 to 1933. He also served in the Army during World War I, and was the U.S. District Attorney for Rhode Island from 1921 to 1926. Case was a member of the Republican Party during his entire time in office. He was a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. He was also an active member of the Freemasons, and was a Baptist.[1]

Norman Case
Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission
In office July 11, 1934 – June 30, 1945
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	William Wills
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 2, 1930 – April 27, 1932
Preceded by	George Dern
Succeeded by	John Garland Pollard
56th Governor of Rhode Island
In office February 4, 1928 – January 3, 1933
Lieutenant	James G. Connelly
Preceded by	Aram J. Pothier
Succeeded by	Theodore F. Green
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
In office January 1927 – February 4, 1928
Governor	Aram J. Pothier
Preceded by	Nathaniel W. Smith
Succeeded by	James G. Connelly
Personal details
Born	Norman Stanley Case October 11, 1888 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died	October 9, 1967 (aged 78) Wakefield, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Emma Arnold
Children	3
Education	Brown University (BA) Harvard University Boston University (LLB)
Awards	Order of the Black Star
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Rhode Island National Guard
Battles/wars	World War I

Early life and career

Norman S. Case was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to John Warren Case and Louise Marea (White) Case. He attended Brown University, graduating in 1908, and went on to Harvard Law School. He left Harvard for Boston University Law School, from which he received his law degree in 1912.

Case opened a law practice in Providence, and was soon elected to the Providence City Council as a Republican. Case was married on June 28, 1916, to Emma Louise Arnold.

Military service

A member of the Rhode Island National Guard, Case was called to active duty on June 14, 1916 and served on the Mexican border as captain of Troop A of the 1st Cavalry Squadron until the unit was mustered out of Federal service in November. Shortly after the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Captain Case and his troop were mustered into Federal service on July 25. On August 20, Case's troop was re-organized as Company A of the 103d Machine Gun Battalion which was assigned to the 26th Division.

He sailed for Europe on October 2 and served in France with his unit. He was reassigned as Judge Advocate of the 26th Division on January 1, 1918 and as Assistant Provost Marshal for the Services of Supply on February 13. He was reassigned to the administrative section of the Headquarters of the Services of Supply on August 11 and to the supply section on April 20, 1919.

He returned to the United States on July 17, 1919 and was discharged two days later. He was awarded the Order of the Black Star of Benin by the French government in recognition of his service. Case remained a city councilor during his military service.[2]

Case during his time with the FCC

Political career

President Warren G. Harding appointed Case U.S. District Attorney for Rhode Island in 1921; he left the position in 1926 to run for Lieutenant Governor. He won the election, taking office in 1927; just over a year later, on February 4, 1928, Governor Aram J. Pothier died in office, making Case acting governor. Case won the governorship in his own right in 1928, and was reelected in 1930.

Case was soundly defeated by T. F. Green in his 1932 bid for reelection.[3][4] This election marked a tidal shift in Rhode Island politics from being predominantly Republican to being predominantly Democratic.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Case as one of the initial commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission when that agency was set up in 1934, and reappointed him for a full seven-year term in 1938. In 1945, by-then Senator T. F. Green opposed Case's candidacy for a third term, and President Harry Truman did not renominate him.[5][6] Case was succeeded on the FCC by former Vermont governor William H. Wills.[7] After leaving the FCC, Case returned to private law practice, joining Frank W. Wozencraft, former general counsel for RCA, in the Washington firm of Case & Wozencraft.[8]

References

1. "Freemasons: Politician members in Rhode Island". PoliticalGraveyard.com. December 12, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
2. Harvard's Military Record in the World War. Harvard University Press. 1921. pg. 166.
3. "Rhode Island Governor Norman Stanley Case". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
4. Gubernatorial elections, 1787-1997. Congressional Quarterly. 1998. p. 77. ISBN 1-56802-396-0. Theodore Francis Green (D) 146,474 [votes] 55.2 [percent]; Norman S. Case (R) 115,438 [votes] 43.5 [percent]
5. "Complete list of FCC Commissioners". Retrieved 2011-12-29.
6. "Closed Circuit". Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 28 (22): 4. May 21, 1945.
7. "Truman Nominates Wills to Succeed Case". Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. 28 (26): 13. June 18, 1945.
8. "Case, After 11 Years on FCC, Becomes Partner in Law Firm". Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. 29 (1): 18. July 2, 1945.

FCC Commissioners Frederick I. Thompson, T.A.M. Craven, Chairman James L. Fly, Commissioners Thad H. Brown, and Norman S. Case, left to right, inspect the latest in television, December 1, 1939.

External links

• "The Political Graveyard" profile of Norman S. Case