Arthur Ravenel Jr.
Arthur Ravenel Jr. (March 29, 1927 – January 16, 2023) was an American businessman and a Republican politician. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st congressional district. He served from 1987 through 1995.

Ravenel Jr. decided not to run for re-election in 1994, to run for Governor instead, but lost in the Republican primaries to David Beasley.
In 2005, Ravenel Jr. suffered from Guillain–Barré syndrome.[1] The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, near the Cooper River, is named after him.
Ravenel was a member of Moultrie Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and was a supporter of the Confederate flag being flown at the South Carolina statehouse. He made controversy at a rally for the flag in 2000 when he called the NAACP as the “National Association for Retarded People”.[2] Ravenel upset even more people after he apologized to mentally handicapped people for comparing them to the NAACP.
Ravenel died on January 16, 2023 at the age of 95.[3]
References
- "Our Lowcountry Skyline, Ten Years Later: The Ravenel Bridge". Mount Pleasant Magazine. 7 July 2015.
- "Giuliani's South Carolina adviser has controversial history with NAACP". "Political Ticker" blog. CNN. 2007-06-26. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- Leatherwood, Dylan (16 January 2023). "Former State Sen. Arthur Ravenel, Jr. dies at 95, family says". Live 5 News. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
Other websites
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post