Stanford Parris

Stanford Parris
Born	Stanford Elmer Parris (1929-09-09) 9 September 1929 Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Died	27 March 2010(2010-03-27) (aged 80) Mathews County, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, politician
Years active	1964–1991
Known for	U.S. Representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district; Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth

Stanford Elmer Parris (September 9, 1929 – March 27, 2010) was an American attorney and Republican political figure. He served as the representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 until 1991. His political career also included roles on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, in the Virginia House of Delegates, and as Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth. Parris was a United States Air Force veteran who flew during the Korean War and received multiple military honors.

Early life

Born in Champaign, Illinois, Parris attended local public schools before earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1950. While employed as a doorkeeper for the United States Senate, he completed his LL.B. at George Washington University in 1958. During the Korean War, he served as an F-84 Thunderjet fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, surviving being shot down and subsequently rescued. His commendations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, multiple Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and two Presidential Unit Citations. After leaving military service, Parris briefly pursued a career as a commercial airline pilot prior to attending law school. Upon admission to the bar in 1958, he established a private legal practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Additionally, he held leadership positions as president of a Chrysler automobile dealership based in Woodbridge, Virginia, and managed the Flying Circus Aerodrome air show.

Politics

Parris served a single term on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1964 to 1967. He was subsequently elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1969, holding office from April 11, 1969, until November 21, 1972. During his tenure, he sparked controversy with a remark joking that the 14th Street Bridge connecting Virginia and Washington, DC was the "longest in the world" because it "extends from Northern Virginia to Africa." Despite this, he won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1972. However, he was defeated in his reelection attempt by Democrat Herb Harris amid the fallout from the Watergate scandal. In a rematch during the 1980 elections, Parris narrowly reclaimed his seat by a margin of 1,090 votes. He pursued the Republican nomination for Governor of Virginia in 1985 but withdrew his candidacy in May of that year. In 1989, he once again sought the governorship but was defeated in the Republican primary by former Attorney General Marshall Coleman and ex-U.S. Senator Paul S. Trible. Additionally, Parris held the office of Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth during the late 1970s.

While serving in the 93rd Congress, Parris was assigned to the House Committee on Science and Technology, participating in its subcommittees on Aeronautics and Space Technology, Science, Research, and Development, and Energy. Economic difficulties combined with a federal budget impasse contributed to his defeat in the 1990 election, where he lost to Alexandria mayor James P. Moran Jr. Among his legislative efforts was a bill introduced during his initial term that banned the National Football League from enforcing television blackouts for games that were not sold out. As the senior Republican on the House District Committee, Parris frequently clashed with officials from the District of Columbia government, including repeated disputes with Mayor Marion Barry.

Considering a run for the United States Senate seat vacated by Harry F. Byrd Jr. in 1982, Parris ultimately chose instead to seek reelection to his House seat after Harris attempted to regain it. He won that contest by approximately 1,600 votes, expending $700,000—making it Virginia’s most costly congressional race up to that time. He then defeated State Senator Dick Saslaw in 1984 with relative ease and secured reelection against underfunded Democratic challengers in both 1986 and 1988. Nevertheless, in a surprising upset during the 1990 election cycle, he was defeated by Alexandria’s mayor Jim Moran by a seven-point margin. During this campaign, Parris criticized Moran’s stance on the Gulf War, stating: "The only three people I know who support Saddam Hussein’s position are Moammar Gadhafi, Yasser Arafat, and Jim Moran." Moran retorted sharply by calling Parris "a deceitful, fatuous jerk" and expressed a desire "to break his nose." Moran’s well-funded campaign also highlighted Parris’ opposition to abortion rights. Ultimately, Moran triumphed over Parris by a margin of approximately seven percent.

Shortly after leaving Congress in 1991, President George H. W. Bush appointed Parris as President of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for a seven-year term. He resigned from this role four years later to pursue a seat in the Virginia Senate. Following his congressional career, his principal residence was located in Melbourne, Florida, though he maintained property ownership within Mathews County, Virginia.

Death

Stanford Parris passed away due to heart disease on March 27, 2010, at his residence in Mathews County, located in eastern Virginia. His final resting place is at Arlington National Cemetery.

After Parris's passing, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell released a statement highlighting Parris's significant leadership contributions. These included initiatives such as the creation of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, efforts in flood management, and the closure of the District of Columbia's former Lorton Reformatory in Fairfax County, Virginia. McDonnell emphasized that "He dedicated his life to serving others and advancing the principles and ideas he deeply valued."

External links

• Profile of Lobbyist
• Memorial Notice published in the Washington Post
• Collection of Stanford Parris Papers, 1964–1987
• Template:C-SPAN