President Franklin D. Roosevelt Name Frank McNinch Succeeded by James Lawrence Fly Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party | Preceded by George Otis Smith Died April 2, 1950 Preceded by Anning S. Prall Role Political figure | |
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Preceded by Thomas Leroy Kirkpatrick Full Name Frank Ramsay McNinch | ||
Frank Ramsay McNinch (April 27, 1873 – April 2, 1950) was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a political figure who served as the mayor of Charlotte, as chairman of the Federal Power Commission, and as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. In the 1928 presidential election, McNinch, a Democrat, supported Republican Herbert Hoover for president. After he was elected, Hoover appointed McNinch to a seat on the Federal Power Commission, leading to a split in the North Carolina Democratic Party that damaged the political fortunes of new U.S. Sen. Cameron Morrison, a friend of McNinch. He was later appointed FPC chairman by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The controversial 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio broadcast occurred during his tenure as FCC head. McNinch resigned as FCC chairman on July 25, 1939, due to ill health.
His home, the Frank Ramsay McNinch House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.