Robert Church Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Reed Church Jr. October 26, 1885 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 17, 1952 (aged 66) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Morgan Park Military Academy |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sara P. Johnson (m. 1911) |
| Children | Sara Roberta Church |
| Parent(s) | Robert Church Sr. Anna Wright |
| Relatives | Mary Church Terrell (half-sister) |
Robert Reed Church Jr. (October 26, 1885 – April 17, 1952) was a prominent businessman and Republican Party organizer in Memphis, Tennessee. His father was the successful businessman Robert Reed Church, and Church Jr. succeeded his father as president of the Solvent Savings Bank and Trust Company after his father's death. An African American, he organized the first NAACP branch in Tennessee and was a member of the NAACP national board of directors. From the 1910s to 1940s, he was one of the most powerful political figures in his hometown of Memphis. Forced to leave Memphis because of harassment by Democratic boss E. H. Crump, Church moved to Washington, D.C., in 1940.