John D. Craddock Explained

John D. Craddock
Office:Member of the United States House of Representatives
Term Start:March 4, 1929
Term End:March 3, 1931
Predecessor:Henry D. Moorman
Successor:Cap R. Carden
Constituency:Kentucky's 4th congressional district
Birth Date:26 October 1881
Birth Place:Munfordville, Kentucky, U.S.
Death Place:Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Resting Place:New Munfordville Cemetery, Munfordville, Kentucky, U.S.
Party:Republican
Spouse:Mary E. Craddock (m. 1910)
Children:1
Education:Green River Collegiate Institute, Munfordville, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation:Farmer
Branch:United States Army
Branch Label:Service
Serviceyears:1898–1902
Rank:Sergeant
Unit:Troop F, 3rd Cavalry Regiment
Battles:Philippine–American War
China Relief Expedition
Battles Label:Wars

John Durrett Craddock (October 26, 1881 – May 20, 1942) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.

Biography

Craddock was born in Munfordville, Kentucky on October 26, 1881, a son of Berry Carter Craddock and Alice Green (McCarty) Craddock.[1] He attended the public schools of Hart County and the Green River Collegiate Institute.[1] The 1896 death of his father caused Berry to begin working to help support his seven brothers and sisters, and he was employed as a printer for the Hart County News.[1]

In 1898, Craddock joined the United States Army for the Spanish–American War and was assigned to Troop F, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.[1] He served in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War and in China during the China Relief Expedition, the U.S. response to the Boxer Rebellion.[1] Craddock was promoted to corporal and sergeant, and was discharged at Fort Yates, North Dakota in 1902.[1]

After returning to Kentucky, Craddock was employed in the transportation department of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.[1] In 1905, he accepted a position as a railroad engineer with the Isthmian Canal Commission, and he remained in the Panama Canal Zone until 1910.[1] He returned to Munfordville in 1910 and became the owner and operator of a successful farm that grew tobacco in addition to raising cattle and hogs.[1]

Craddock was active in politics as a Republican, and served as chairman of the party in Hart County.[1] In addition to serving for several years as a justice of the peace, Craddock was a member of the Munfordville Board of Trustees from 1910 to 1925.[1] [2] During World War I, he recruited volunteers for the American Red Cross and YMCA, and organized several Liberty Loan drives.[1] In 1922, he assisted in organizing the Burley Tobacco Growers Association, of which he served as a director until 1941.[2] He served as member of the Kentucky Mammoth Cave National Park Commission from 1922 to 1928.[2]

Craddock was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-first Congress (March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1931).[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress.[2] After leaving Congress, Craddock was a field representative for the Federal Farm Board in 1931 and 1932.[2] He was an agent for the Kentucky Blue Grass Cooperative Association in 1933 and 1934.[2]

From 1934 to 1935, Craddock served as treasurer of Hart County, Kentucky.[2] He later resumed farming, and was a member of the State Agricultural Adjustment Administration Committee from 1939 until his death.[2] Craddock died in Louisville, Kentucky on May 20, 1942.[2] He was buried at New Munfordville Cemetery in Munfordville.[3]

Family

In 1910, Craddock married Mary E. Craddock; despite having the same last name before their marriage, they were not related.[1] They were the parents of a son, John D. Craddock Jr.[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Connelley . William Elsey . Coulter . Ellis Merton . 1922 . History of Kentucky . IV . Chicago, IL . American Historical Society . 519 . 978-0-598-57298-1 . Google Books.
  2. Book: Joint Committee On Printing, U.S. Congress . 1961 . Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961 . Washington, DC . U.S. Government Printing Office . 747 . Google Books.
  3. Book: Spencer, Thomas E. . 1998 . Where They're Buried . Baltimore, MD . Clearfield Company . 184 . 978-0-8063-4823-0 . Google Books.