Maurice B. Rowe III

{{Infobox officeholder

| birthname = Maurice B. Rowe III

| image =

| order = 1st & 3rd Virginia Secretary of Commerce

| office =

| governor = John N. Dalton

| term_start = January 14, 1978

| term_end = January 16, 1982

| preceded = Earl J. Shiflet

| succeeded = Betty Jane Diener

| governor1 = Linwood Holton

| term_start1 = July 1, 1972

| term_end1 = January 12, 1974

| preceded1 = Position created

| succeeded1 = Earl J. Shiflet

| order2 = 2nd Virginia Secretary of Administration

| office2 =

| governor2 = Mills Godwin

| term_start2 = January 12, 1974

| term_end2 = January 14, 1978

| preceded2 = T. Edward Temple

| succeeded2 = Charles Walker

| party =

| birth_name = Maurice Broaddus Rowe III

| birth_date = {{birth date|1922|10|04}}

| birth_place = Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2014|11|26|1922|10|04}}

| death_place = Richmond, Virginia, U.S.

| resting_place = Westhampton Memorial Park
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.

| spouse = {{marriage|Joyce McKissick|1952}}

| children = 2

| relations = Maurice B. Rowe (grandfather)
Absalom P. Rowe (great-grandfather)

| alma_mater = Virginia Tech (BS)

| profession =

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1943–1946

| battles = World War II

}}

Maurice Broaddus Rowe III (October 4, 1922 – November 26, 2014) was an American civil servant who served in multiple senior roles in Virginia's state government. In 1972, Governor Linwood Holton appointed him the Commonwealth's first Secretary of Commerce and Resources after he had served the previous seven years as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Early life

Maurice Broaddus Rowe III was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Dorothy and Maurice B. Rowe Jr.{{cite web|title=Obituaries & In Memoriam: Rowe, Maurice|url=http://www.richmond.com/obituaries/article_048d6d6b-a0c6-53eb-98f6-5cc8b5d98555.html|publisher=Richmond Times-Dispatch|accessdate=September 3, 2024|date=November 29, 2014}} His great-grandfather was Absalom P. Rowe and his grandfather was Maurice B. Rowe.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-free-lance-star-capt-rowe-dies-sudd/154610648/ |title=Capt. Rowe Dies Suddenly at Home |date=1933-01-10 |newspaper=The Free Lance-Star |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-09-03}}{{Open access}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofvi05tyleuoft/page/826/mode/2up |title=Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography |editor=Lyon Gardiner Tyler |volume=5 |year=1915 |pages=825–827 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-09-03}}{{Open access}} He spent his early years at his family's dairy and livestock farm at Brompton. He graduated from James Monroe High School in 1941. He attended Virginia Tech and participated in the Cadet Corps there until 1943 when he entered military service. After World War II, he returned and graduated from Virginia Tech in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education.

Career

Rowe served in the Fifth Infantry Division of the Third Army. He served from 1943 to 1946 in the European theater. He received various commendations for his service.

After graduating, in 1948, Rowe joined the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Commerce. He served in a number of roles before being appointed as commissioner by Governor Albertis Harrison in 1965. He was later appointed to the governor's cabinet in 1972 as the first Secretary of Commerce and Resources. He served in the cabinet of three Virginia governors, Holton, Godwin and Dalton. He retired in 1983.

In 1966, Rowe became a member of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond. He served as its president from 1975 to 1976. He served on the Keep Virginia Beautiful board of directors in the late 1960s and was president of the board from 1994 to 2009. He was a member of the State Fair of Virginia board of directors for several decades. He served as its chairman at one point.

Personal life

Rowe married Joyce McKissick, daughter of Andrew McKissick, of Blackstone, Virginia, in November 1952.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-free-lance-star-joyce-mckissick-m/154609993/ |title=Joyce McKissick, M. B. Rowe III Married in Blackstone Rites |date=1952-11-07 |newspaper=The Free Lance-Star |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-09-03}}{{Open access}} They had two children, Caroline and Maurice B. IV. He was a member of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church and became an elder in 1964. He lived in Richmond.

Rowe died on November 26, 2014. He was buried at Westhampton Memorial Park in Richmond.