Charles Hudson Griffin

Charles Hudson Griffin (May 9, 1926 – September 10, 1989) was an American World War II veteran and Democratic politician who served three terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi’s 3rd congressional district. He represented Mississippi in Congress from 1967 to 1973, participating in the legislative process during a significant period in American history and working to represent the interests of his constituents.

Griffin was born on a farm near Utica, Hinds County, Mississippi, on May 9, 1926. He was the great-great-grandson of Isaac Griffin, who had served as a Congressman from Pennsylvania in the early nineteenth century, linking him to a family tradition of public service. Raised in a rural setting, he attended local schools and graduated from Utica High School before pursuing further education in his home state.

Following high school, Griffin attended Hinds Community College and then enrolled at Mississippi State University. He completed his studies at Mississippi State, graduating in 1949. His education, interrupted and shaped by wartime service, provided him with the academic foundation that would support his later work in government and politics.

During World War II, Griffin served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. He was assigned to duty in the Pacific theater of the war and held the ratings of third class apprentice seaman and quartermaster. His military service during a global conflict contributed to his later identity as a veteran-legislator and informed his understanding of national defense and veterans’ issues.

After returning from military service and completing his education, Griffin began a long career in public service as a congressional aide. From July 1, 1949, to January 15, 1968, he served as assistant to United States Representative John Bell Williams of Mississippi. In this role, he gained extensive experience in legislative affairs, constituent services, and the workings of the House of Representatives, positioning him as a knowledgeable and experienced figure in Mississippi politics by the late 1960s.

Griffin entered Congress himself following Williams’s successful campaign for governor of Mississippi. A special election was called to fill the resulting vacancy in Mississippi’s 3rd congressional district, and Griffin, running as a Democrat, was elected to the Ninetieth Congress. He took office on March 12, 1968, and was subsequently reelected to the Ninety-first and Ninety-second Congresses, serving continuously until January 3, 1973. Over these three terms in the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process during a period marked by the Vietnam War, civil rights struggles, and significant social and political change. Although he had served from 1967 to 1973 in the broader context of that era, he was not a candidate for reelection to the Ninety-third Congress in 1972.

After leaving the U.S. House of Representatives, Griffin continued his involvement in state government. He later served as Secretary of the Mississippi State Senate, a position he held from 1980 to 1989. In this capacity, he played an administrative and procedural role in the operations of the state’s upper legislative chamber, drawing on his decades of experience in both federal and state legislative environments.

Griffin remained closely tied to his hometown throughout his life. A resident of Utica, Mississippi, he lived there until his death on September 10, 1989. His career encompassed military service, nearly two decades as a congressional aide, three terms in the United States House of Representatives, and later service in the Mississippi State Senate, reflecting a lifelong commitment to public service at both the federal and state levels.