Background
Townsend was born August 2, 1888 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the son of Richard Walter Townsend (1824-1900) and Mary Mary Aurora McDuffie Townsend(1866-1906).
Townsend was born August 2, 1888 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the son of Richard Walter Townsend (1824-1900) and Mary Mary Aurora McDuffie Townsend(1866-1906).
Columbia Law School; Columbia University.
He was the father of Columbia Broadcasting System Radio news reporter Dallas Townsend. He was a graduate of Columbia University and Columbia University Law School. He was a partner at Barry, Wainwright, Thatcher & Symmers in New York City before starting Townsend & Lewis, also a New York law firm.
Townsend served in the United States. Army during World War I. He took part in the Meurthe and Moselle campaigns and was discharged as the youngest full colonel in the Army.
He returned to active military service during World World War II as a full Colonel, providing staff service in Washington, Iceland and Hungary. He remained in Hungary for eighteen months after the war to serve as the Deputy Commander of the American Military Mission, which was part of the Allied Control Commission.
Townsend was elected Town Commissioner in Montclair, New Jersey in 1936. He served as Director of Public Safety.
He was re-elected to a second term in 1940.
He resigned in 1942 to go on active military duty during World World War World War II In 1938, Townsend became a candidate for the United States. House of Representatives, running in New Jersey"s 12th congressional district. Kean was endorsed by the "Clean Government" faction of the Essex Grand Old Party, while Townsend had the backing of the "Suburban Republican" faction. Townsend lost the Republican Primary to Kean by an exceedingly narrow margin of 713 votes, 13,923 to 13,210.
With Townsend"s endorsement, Kean defeated Towey in the General Election.
In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9095, establishing the Office of Alien Property Custodian. Townsend supervised the seizure of enemy property and assets seized during World World War World War II Testifying before a United States. Subcommittee in 1957, Townsend argued that a return of 10% of seized enemy property was a sufficient amount.
"One of the most unfair aspects of the a general return of all German and Japanese property is that it would donate huge windfalls to large enemy corporations, industrialists and their agents, many of whom were strong supporters of the militaristic and aggressive policies of the former Governments of Germany and Japan," he told Senators. Townsend seized $329 million in proceeds of Interhandel, a Swiss holding company, saying that it was a front for the real owner, I.G. Farbenindustrie, the German chemical cartel.
He served as until 1960, when he returned to his law practice in New New York
Townsend married Adelaide Elizabeth Henerman (1890-1962) on November 28, 1917. They had four children, including Columbia Broadcasting System Radio news reporter Dallas Townsend. After leaving the Department of Justice in 1960, he returned to New Jersey and to his Manhattan law firm.
He died on May 28, 1966 in Montclair.
The seat was viewed as likely to return Republican, and six Republicans sought the nomination in the September 20 primary.