Background
He was the youngest son of Halifax County, Virginia tobacco warehouseman Robert James Tuck and Virginia Susan Fritts.
governor lawyer politician representative
He was the youngest son of Halifax County, Virginia tobacco warehouseman Robert James Tuck and Virginia Susan Fritts.
Tuck graduated from the College of William and Mary, earning a teacher"s certificate. He graduated from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1921 and was admitted to Virginia bar then was a Halifax, Virginia attorney who also served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and as the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1942 to 1946.
He served in United States. Marine Corps in 1917 in the Caribbean. As governor, he reorganized state government, enacted a right-to-work law, and created a state water pollution control agency. Tuck was elected as a Democrat to United States. Congress seat in 1953 to assume vacancy created by Thomas Bahnson Stanley who had resigned to run for Governor of Virginia.
There he opposed most major items of civil rights legislation during the 1950s and 1960s.
He also promised "massive resistance" to the Supreme Court"s 1954 decision banning segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, and helped draft the Stanley plan—a series of state laws designed to legally avoid Brown.
He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, South Boston, Virginia. He was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions of 1948 and 1952.
His personal papers, including papers from his time as congressman and governor, are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.
His executive papers from his time as governor are held by the Library of Virginia. His birthplace and home Buckshoal Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. 1945; Tuck was elected Governor of Virginia with 66.57% of the vote, defeating Republican Sidney Floyd Landreth and Independent Howard Hearnes Carwile.
1953.
Tuck was elected to the United States. House of Representatives with 57.81% of the vote in a special election, defeating Republican Lorne R. Campbell. 1954; Tuck was re-elected unopposed. 1956; Tuck was re-elected unopposed.
1958.
Tuck was re-elected unopposed. 1960; Tuck was re-elected unopposed. 1962; Tuck was re-elected unopposed.
1964.
Tuck was re-elected with 63.47% of the vote, defeating Republican Robert L. Gilliam. 1966; Tuck was re-elected with 56.18% of the vote, defeating Republican Gilliam.
Tuck was a member of the United States. House of Representative"s Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC).