Clarence Godber Burton

Clarence Godber Burton (December 14, 1886 – January 18, 1982) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and a long‑time civic and business leader in Lynchburg. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he was the son of Joseph Godber Burton and Annie Severn Burton. He moved with his parents to Lynchburg, Virginia, at an early age, where he was raised and spent the remainder of his life. Burton attended the public schools of Lynchburg and pursued further training in business, graduating from Piedmont Business College in Lynchburg.

Following his education, Burton entered the hosiery manufacturing industry, a field in which he would spend much of his professional life. He advanced rapidly in this business, becoming treasurer of a hosiery firm in 1907 and rising to the presidency of the company in 1921. Over time he became chairman of the board of Lynchburg Hosiery Mills, Inc., reflecting his prominence in the local industrial community. In addition to his work in manufacturing, Burton engaged in cattle raising and banking, diversifying his business interests and establishing himself as an important figure in the economic life of Lynchburg and the surrounding region. He also served as director of the American Federal Savings and Loan Association from 1924 to 1968 and continued as its chairman until 1980, underscoring his long association with the financial sector.

Burton’s public service began at the local level. He served as a member of the Lynchburg School Board from 1938 to 1943, acting as vice chairman during his tenure and participating in the oversight of the city’s public education system during the late interwar and World War II years. He was subsequently elected to the Lynchburg City Council, serving from 1942 to 1948. During this period he held the office of mayor of Lynchburg from 1946 to 1948, a role in which he helped guide the city through the immediate postwar era. His municipal service established his reputation as a civic leader and provided the foundation for his later congressional career.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Virginia, Burton contributed to the legislative process during three terms in office. He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia in a special election on November 2, 1948, to the Eightieth Congress, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of J. Lindsay Almond. At the same time, he was elected to the succeeding Eighty‑first Congress. In the special election of 1948 he received 65.24 percent of the vote, defeating Republican John Strickler, and in the general election held the same day he was elected with 64.67 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Strickler and Socialist J. B. Brayman. He was reelected without opposition to the Eighty‑second Congress in 1950, and in total served from November 2, 1948, to January 3, 1953. Burton’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the early Cold War and the beginning of the Korean War, during which he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Virginia constituents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1952 to the Eighty‑third Congress, losing his bid to retain the seat.

After leaving Congress, Burton returned to his business and civic activities in Lynchburg. He continued his leadership role in the hosiery industry as chairman of the board of Lynchburg Hosiery Mills, Inc., and remained active in local financial institutions through his long association with the American Federal Savings and Loan Association. He further contributed to municipal affairs as a member of the Lynchburg Board of Zoning Appeals from 1957 to 1977, helping to shape land‑use and development policy in the city over two decades. Burton resided in Lynchburg, Virginia, until his death there on January 18, 1982. He was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg.