Senator James Thomas Broyhill

1927 - 2023

Senator James Thomas Broyhill

August 19, 1927 - February 18, 2023

Senator James Thomas Broyhill was born August 19, 1927 in Lenoir, NC, and passed away February 18, 2023. He served in the United States Congress for 24 years, both in the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career in his family's company, Broyhill Furniture Industries, which his father founded.

He entered public service early. He became President of the Lenoir Chamber of Commerce in 1956 and 1957, chaired the Caldwell County Blood Drive in 1957, and was named "Young Man of the Year for Lenoir and CaldwellCounty" in 1957 by the Lenoir Jaycees. He was Vice-Chairman of the Furniture and Plywood Council of the NC Forestry Association from 1955 to 1962 and was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Lenoir.

In 1962, Jim was elected to the US House of Representatives where he served on the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee (subsequently the Energy and Commerce Committee) where he was ranking minority member, the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee, and the House Small Business Committee.

He was awarded "Watchdog of the Treasury" trophies by the National Association for Small Business each year he was in Congress. In 1986 he was appointed by Governor Jim Martin to the US Senate where he served on the Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

After leaving Washington he served as Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Economic Development, the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Member and Chair of the Economic Development Committee of NC Citizens for Business and Industry, Co-Chairman of the State Bond Drive benefiting NC Schools, Co-Chairman of the State Bond Drive benefiting the NC University System and Community College System and Co-Chairman of the North Carolina Welfare to Work Business Council.

He received the I. E. Ready Award by the NC Community College System for Outstanding work for the Community College system. He was inducted into the North Carolina Republican Party Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame. The Lenoir, North Carolina Post Office and a section of US 321 between Hickory and Blowing Rock, NC, are named in his honor.

Jim served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Appalachian State University and Member of the Appalachian State University Foundation Board. He was a Member of the Boards of Directors of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, Senior Services, Inc. in Winston-Salem, and the North Carolina Museum of History Foundation. He was a Member of the Boards of Visitors of the Babcock School of Management, Wake Forest University, and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

He has received an Honorary Doctor of Law from Catawba College, Honorary Degree of Associate in Arts from Richmond Community College, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, and the North Carolina Award in the field of public service, the highest civilian award given by the state. He was particularly proud of his part in establishing and preserving the over 330 mile long Overmountain Victory Trail as part of the U S Historic Trails System, in memory of the patriots who marched along the trail to defeat the British in the decisive Battle of King's Mountain on October 7, 1780.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Louise Horton Robbins of Durham, NC. They met at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They were married in 1951, a year after his graduation and shortly after hers. Jim and Louise were true partners throughout their seven decades of marriage, in both their lives in public service and at home. He is also survived by his daughter Marilyn Broyhill Beach (Robert), his son J. Edgar Broyhill (Melanie), six grandchildren: Elizabeth Broyhill Morris (Scott), Laura Beach Dugan (Brendan), James Broyhill (Britney), Lindsay Beach Grdina (John), Penn Broyhill (Natalie), and Ashley Beach Brooks (Brian), and 13 great-grandchildren, and many beloved nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his son Philip Robbins Broyhill, his parents, James Edgar and Satie Hunt Broyhill, and his siblings, Allene Broyhill Stevens, Paul Hunt Broyhill, and Bettie Broyhill Gortner.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Philip Robbins Broyhill Memorial Fund at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, the First Baptist Church of Lenoir, NC, 304 N Main St NW, Lenoir, NC 28645, Centenary United Methodist Church, PO Box 658, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, or the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, Suite 5, Box 154, 1101 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tenn., 37620.

A service will be held in Winston-Salem, Tuesday, February 28, at Centenary United Methodist Church, 646 W 5th St., at 10 a.m., with a reception to follow at Forsyth Country Club, 3101 Country Club Rd. A graveside service will be held that afternoon at 3 p.m. at Little Rock Baptist Church near Lenoir, 248 Little Rock Church Rd., Boomer, NC. Condolences may be made online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 South Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101