Richard "Ric" Converse (born December 26, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is one of the top "heels" on the Southeastern independent circuit, especially in the Carolinas, and currently competes for CWF Mid-Atlantic where he is a record 6-time CWF Mid-Atlantic Champion. He has wrestled for a considerable number of other independent wrestling promotions, most notably, Count Grog's Southern Championship Wrestling, NWA Carolinas, and Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX. He was also a star in the short-lived AWA Superstars promotion holding both the promotion's world heavyweight title and tag team title (with Xsiris) during 2006 and 2007.
Early life
Converse was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1998, he graduated from Robert B. Glenn High School in Kernersville, North Carolina. A victim of bullying as a child, Converse was inspired after watching Hulk Hogan on television and decided on a career as a professional wrestler when he was only 8-years-old. On September 15, 1998, Converse enrolled at Ken Spence's School of Pro Wrestling and spent the next four months in training.[1][2]
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1999–2002)
Converse made his professional debut on January 23, 1999, wrestling a tag team match with Mr. X against Dr. Feelgood and Double Trouble at Winston-Salem's VFW Hall.[2] He went on to wrestle for a number of local "indy" promotions during the first two years of his career: Alternative Championship Wrestling, Carolina Championship Wrestling Alliance, New Empire Wrestling, Ringside Championship Wrestling, Southern Wrestling Alliance, and the World Wrestling Alliance.[3] He also had a brief stint in Count Grog's Southern Championship Wrestling.[4]
It was during this period that Converse developed a cocky "heel" in-ring persona, calling himself "Slick Ric" and "Slick Diddy", parodies of pro wrestler "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and rapper P. Diddy respectively. His first major feud was with the Lumbee Warrior. Ten months into his rookie year he scored his first-ever victory by pinning the Warrior in July 1999. The two men eventually formed a tag team together, "Sudden Impact", which led to his first title victory on March 17, 2001 with an ECPW Tag Team title victory alongside his erstwhile rival. On September 7, 2001, he and Persephone teamed up a WWA show in Statesville, North Carolina to defeat Mikael Yamaha and Amber Holly in a mixed tag team match.[3] The following summer, Converse had won the major single titles of three different promotions in a three-week period. He was named "Performer of the Year" (2002) by the pro wrestling website IndyInsiders.com that same year.[5]
FWA-Carolinas (2002–2004)
Converse began wrestling for FWA-Carolinas, one of two US affiliates for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, in early-2002 where he aligned himself with manager Brad Stutts' Hostile Youth Project (HYP) with GeeStar, Special K, and J.T. Sparxx. He and GeeStar specifically feuded with Mikael Yamaha and Amber Holly, then FWA Women's World Champion, both in FWA-Carolinas and other promotions. Their first match, on April 26, 2002 at Final Judgement in Graham, North Carolina, resulted in Converse pinning Yamaha after knocking him out with Holly's championship belt. At Spring Showdown on May 11, they were joined by J.T. Sparxx for a 6-man tag team match against The Gemini Kid, Mikael Yamaha, and Amber Holly. The match ended with a second victory for the HYP when Converse pinned Yamaha after Stutts hit his opponent with a briefcase.[3] Converse followed this up by winning the FWA-Carolinas Cruiserweight Championship from Sexton Tyler on July 20 at Payback. A third and final mixed tag match took place at Explosive Elements on August 17, 2002, at A.L. Brown Middle School in Kannapolis, North Carolina which saw Sexton Tyler, Mikael Yamaha, and Amber Holly defeat Corey Edsel, Ric Converse, and GeeStar.[3]
The following year Converse appeared on the first episode of CWF Championship Wrestling where he lost his title to J-Money, ending his seven-month championship reign.[6] He subsequently entered the heavyweight division and spent the next few months feuding with FWA-Carolinas Heavyweight Champion Corey Edsel who had previously left the HYP months earlier. The two finally met on August 9, 2003, in Wentworth, North Carolina. Outside interference from Brad Stutts unintentionally caused Converse to lose the match. Afterwards, Converse turned against Stutts and hit him with his finisher. He was the last of the original HYPmembers to leave the group.[7]
The Converse-Edsel feud continued throughout the year and, on December 27, 2003, Converse defeated Corey Edsel for the title at the FWA-Carolinas Anniversary Show. On January 17, 2004, he teamed with Shane West and Garry Stevens in a losing effort to Corey Edsel, Bounty Hunter, and Rob McBride. At the end of the month, Converse defeated both Edsel and ACW Heavyweight Champion Quinson Valentino to unify CWF and ACW titles. Converse was one of the wrestlers Valentino thanked upon his retirement four years later.[5][8] Over the next four months, Converse successfully defended the title against Rob McBride, Bounty Hunter, Kid Justice, Trent Wylde, and Joey Silvia. He also took part in tag team matches. On March 6, he and Brad Rainz were beaten by Bounty Hunter and Otto Schwanz. He also teamed with Shane West and Garry Stevens to beat Brass Munkey, American Steel Ninja, and Corey Edsel on April 17. Converse was later awarded a new title belt by legendary announcer Bob Caudle which resembled the old NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. He also continued his rivalry with Edsel and lost to him in a non-title match on May 15. Their next meeting on July 10 ended in a double-countout. On August 28, he entered the 2004 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament in Thomasville, North Carolina and lost to Corey Edsel in the finals.[9] Another match on September 15 ended in a time-limit draw. Converse finally lost the title to Corey Edsel on October 2.[5]
Converse was unable to regain the title from Edsel in subsequent rematches, however, he did win an impressive victory over David Flair on October 23. He formed a brief partnership with Trent Wylde and Brad Attitude at the end of the year joining them in one or two 6-man tag team bouts. On November 20, the three wrestled Orlo, Kid Justice, and Jesse Ortega. A week later, he and Trent Wylde lost a tag team match to J-Money and Will B. Smooth at an interpromotional SWA/CWF Mid-Atlantic show. On December 4, 2004, Converse and Wylde were defeated by Corey Edsel and Orlo.[5]
AWA Mid-Atlantic (2004–2006)
On December 18, 2004, Converse regained the heavyweight championship from Edsel in Burlington, North Carolina. Earlier that year, the CWF had become the official AWA Superstars affiliate for the Mid-Atlantic United States and the title was renamed the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. His second reign as champion lasted over six months with wins over Xsiris, Brad Attitude, Otto Schwanz, The Gemini Kid, "Wild" Shane West, Jesse "El Fuego" Ortega, Donnie Dollars, and Mitch Conner. On May 21, 2005, Conner defeated Converse in a non-title match. A month later, he was also on the losing end of a 6-man tag team match with The $outh$ide Playas (J-Money and Will B. Smooth) (with Kiyia Moka) against Shane West, The Shadow, and Garry Stevens. Converse defended the title in a singles match against Stevens on June 24, which he won, but lost the title to him in a "King of the Road" match three weeks later at Friday Night Fights 2.[5]
Despite losing the title, Converse continued to be successful in the singles division defeating Bobby Ramone, Mitch Connor, and Julios Augustus during the summer. On August 19, he and Brad Attitude defeated Garry Stevens and Michael McAllister in a tag team match. The next night, however, he and The $outh$ide Playas lost a 6-man tag team match to Stevens, Mitch Conner, and The Shadow. Converse and Jesse Ortega defeated Garry Stevens and Super Spoiler in yet another tag match on September 10. A week later, he unsuccessfully challenged Steve Corino for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship in a bout lasting nearly 40 minutes. Converse also made appearances in other companies during this time, Big Time Wrestling and Carolina Wrestling Association, with he and Brad Thomas defeating Beau James and Sheik of Araby on September 27 in the former promotion.[5]
On October 1, Converse won the 5th annual 30-man "CWF Rumble" to earn a title show for the championship of his choice. He and Chris Vega were the first two entrants and eliminated Alex Adonis (with GeeStar, Kamakazi Kid, and Xsiris), Donnie Dollars (with Rob McBride), Coco Rojo, Brad Attitude (with Marcellus King), and Marcellus King to win the event. He lasted a total of 36 minutes and 57 seconds setting a new record as the longest time in the CWF Rumble and, as of 2012, remains unbroken. The following month, he wrestled Shannon Moore at a November 5 CWF show in Burlington, North Carolina. He was also accompanied by Harley Race in his match against Jake Manning for a Carolina Wrestling Association show on November 17; he returned to the CWA a month later where he and Jesse Ortega lost a tag team match to Jake Manning and Jason Jones. On December 3, Converse teamed with Joey Silvia beat The Street Sweepers (Gregory Vercetti and Jay Sinn) in a Bounty match. Two weeks later, Converse defeated Garry Stevens in a "Winner Take All" Steel Cage match at BattleCade VI to regain the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. Due to the pre-match stipulations, Converse also received a title shot against then AWA World Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino.[10] Corino lost the title to Shinjiro Otani only a week prior to their scheduled match, which saw Converse successfully retain the AWA Mid-Atlantic title.[5]
In early-2006, Converse formed a brief partnership with Joey Silva. On January 7, 2006, they defeated Alpha & Omega (Julius Augustus & Marcellus King). On February 4, they joined Xsiris in a 6-man tag team match to wrestle Marcellus King, Brandon Day, and Tony Kozina.[11] A week later, he wrestled Johnny Blaze on a special "legends" show for Carolina Championship Wrestling at the sold-out Mulberry Rec Center in Lenoir, North Carolina also featuring Amber O'Neal, Krissy Vaine, The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton), The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton), Total Protection ([[Curtis Hughes[Mr. Hughes]] and The Barbarian), Tom Prichard, Bob Armstrong, Brad Armstrong, George South, Ronnie Garvin, Tully Blanchard, and Dusty Rhodes.[12] On February 18, Converse again teamed with Joey Silva and Xsiris to wrestle Alpha & Omega and Brandon Day which ended in a no-contest.[5] Trent Wylde joined the match on the pretense of helping Converse after Silva was injured, bowing out at the last minute, and Xsiris became incapacitated. Silva later returned to ringside where he and Wylde turned on Converse. Wylde, who had previously been banned from the promotion, was reinstated by Commissioner William L. Cross at the request of Converse following the attack. Silva and Wylde subsequently formed "The New Dynasty" which was intended to mock the stable which Converse had founded.[13]
On a March 11 television taping for CWF Championship Wrestling, interference from Silva and Wylde cost Converse his match against Marcus King, losing via countout. On April 9, he defended his title in Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1 against Justin Smith. On April 22, he defeated Tracy Smothers at CWF's Carolina Sports Arena. The following week at Gate City Superclash in Greensboro, North Carolina, he faced Joey Silvia, Trent Wylde, and Steve Green in a 6-man tag team match with Xsiris and Jesse Ortega, which Converse's team lost. On May 13, a "best of four" team series was held between Team Dynasty (Joey Silva, Trent Wylde and Steve Greene) and Team Converse (Ric Converse, Jesse Ortega and Xsiris) at AC Fitness in Greensboro. Team Dynasty ended up winning the match series when Greene defeated Ric Converse in a no-submission, falls count anywhere "West Market Street Fight". This also allowed Greene to pick the opponent for Converse's next title defense. The opponent was revealed to be Converse's teammate Xsiris with their match ending in a no-contest. It was strongly hinted by The New Dynasty the Xsiris was their newest member, and while it appeared as though Xsiris was going to side with the group during their match, he ended up staying loyal to Converse. Afterwards, Converse challenged The New Dynasty to a 6-man tag match between members of the Original Dynasty versus Silva and Wyle's recent incarnation, which was accepted by his arch-rivals.[14] The two teams met at CWF's Summer Action Series on June 10 which saw Converse, Xsiris, and Brad Attitude beat Steve Greene, Joey Silvia, and Trent Wylde.[5]
AWA Superstars (2006–2007)
Converse (now dubbing himself "The 1st" Ric Converse) won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated ZERO1 wrestler Takao Omori for the title in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 14, 2006. Converse achieved a near-7 month reign before finally being defeated by Steve Corino on January 7, 2007 including victories over WWE superstars John Heidenreich and Aaron Aguilera, and Ring of Honor's Ricky Landell.[5]
Meanwhile, in his home promotion, Converse continued feuding with The New Dynasty. At the August 5th Summer Action Series, the original Dynasty defeated Joey Silvia, Trent Wylde, and AWA World-1 Champion Ricky Landell. Less than a week later, Converse successfully defended the AWA World title against Aaron Aguilera at AWA Super Clash in Amite, Louisiana.[15] On August 21, Converse also defended his title at a CWF show against Otto Schwanz.[16] In the fall of 2006, Converse toured the Mid-Atlantic defending the AWA World title against Ken Magnum in AWA Power Pro and Damian Wayne in NWA Virginia.[5][17]
On November 18, the Original Dynasty (Ric Converse, Brad Attitude and Xsiris) beat The New Dynasty (Joey Silvia, Steve Greene, and Jake Manning) (with Ty Dillenger) in Best 2-of-3 Falls match to win the rights to the Dynasty name. This match also saw the end of Converse's year-long feud with The New Dynasty, however, he did face Silvia once more in a singles match at BattleCade VII for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 30, 2006.[18][19] One week after this match, Converse dropped the belt to Corino in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.[5] Weeks earlier, Converse had interfered in an AWA World Tag Team Championship match between The Old School Blondes (Steve Corino and Ricky Landell) and AWA Mid-Atlantic Champions Tank Lawson and Rob McBride, counting the pinfall which awarded the belts to Lawson and McBride. Corino and Landell made an official complaint to the AWA Board of Directors, which was supported by Commissioner William L. Cross, and the belts were returned to their former owners.[20]
Three months after his world title loss Converse and Xsiris, as "The New Generation Dynasty", defeated Ricky Landell and Jonnie Stewart at AWA Power Pro Wrestling's "Night of Champions" for the AWA World Tag Team Championship at Union Pines High School in Cameron, North Carolina. Stewart was substituting for Landell's regular tag team partner Steve Corino who was touring Australia at the time. He and Xsiris successfully defended the titles in AWA Mid-Atlantic against Fatback Enterprises (Mitch Connor and Donnie Dollars) at Enter The Triad on April 14 and against Mitch Connor and Jesse Ortega in a non-title Texas Tornado match at a CWF-MAX! show a week later. At Cinco De Mayhem on May 5, Converse and Kamakazi Kid defeated AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Joey Silvia, AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene, and CWF Mid-Atlantic Commissioner Ty Dillinger in a 3-on-2 handicap match. Near the end of his tag team title reign Converse met Steve Corino, accompanied by C.W. Anderson, in a special grudge match at a show for UWF Wrestling in Greensboro, North Carolina.[21][22][23] Converse and Xsiris were eventually stripped of the AWA World Tag Team titles which were returned to the former champions Ricky Landell and Jonnie Stewart in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 13. Converse and Xsiris were still billed as the champions when they appeared at CWF Mid-Atlantic's Absolute Justice three days later. In the main event, they wrestled The Neon Lions (Lee Valiant and Chris Collins), AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Joey Silvia and AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene, and AWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions Rob McBride and Tank Lawson in an "Everything To Lose" Four Corners tag team match.[24][25]
CWF Mid-Atlantic (2007–2010)
A few weeks after losing the AWA World Tag Team title, AWA Superstars was forced to drop the CWF and other promotions as an AWA affiliate due to a court order. Converse remained with his home promotion, CWF Mid-Atlantic, where he resumed his feud with Joey Silvia. He wrestled Silvia for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship at an August 11 CWF Championship Wrestling television taping[26] defeating Silvia via disqualification; this was the first championship match to end in a DQ in over seven years.[27] He followed this up with victories over Little J at the 2007 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament on August 25[28] and Corey Edsel at Sumner Civitan SuperClash on September 8. Despite the win over the legend, Converse still has a losing record against Edsel.  Later that month, Destiny's manager Ty Dillinger "set up" Converse's brother Joseph for an attack by Silvia and Steve Greene resulting in a broken arm and an overnight stay in a local hospital. Two days after the attack, Converse "went berserk" at a TV taping for CWF Championship Wrestling interfering in a match between CWF Mid-Atlantic Rising Generation League Champion Roy Wilkins and "Jersey" Nick Richards, attacking both men with a steel chair, and knocking out the referee. He was eventually confronted by one-time rival Garry Stevens and the two agreed to join forces against Dynasty.[29]
Converse entered CWF Mid-Atlantic's "Lethal Lottery" in Greensboro a week later.[30] Using rules similar to World Championship Wrestling's Battlebowl, the participants were chosen at random with the winning teams meeting in a 10-man "Battle Bowl Battle Royal" main event. Converse was paired with Steve Greene (with Ty Dillinger) and the two defeated Gemini Kid and Black Pegasus to advance to the battle royal. Greene later eliminated Converse to win the Battle Bowl and become the 30th entrant in the upcoming "CWF Rumble". Converse himself was the 24th entrant at the "CWF Rumble!" on October 6 and the third last participant to be eliminated. Afterwards, he and former CWF Mid-Atlantic Commissioner William L. Cross got into a brawl with Ty Dillinger and Destiny which had to be broken up by security. Converse and Cross later accepted a challenge from Dillinger to a "street fight" with Destiny at an upcoming show.[31][32] At Date With Destiny on October 20, Team Cross (William L. Cross, Ric Converse and Garry Stevens) defeated Destiny (Ty Dillinger, Joey Silvia and Steve Greene) in a double pinfall with Stevens pinning Silvia for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship and Cross pinning Ty Dillinger to regain his position as CWF Commissioner. Blamed for the loss, Silvia was attacked by his stablemates Steve Greene and The VIPs (Jesse Ortega and Gemini Kid) causing the breakup of Destiny.[33]
With the end of his feud with Destiny, Converse challenged newly crowned heavyweight champion Garry Stevens. Shortly after their victory at Date With Destiny, Converse was attacked by his former ally at an October 3 CWF Championship Wrestling television taping. At Ultimate Survivor IV on November 17, Converse and a mystery partner (revealed to be Dynasty's Brad Attitude) defeated Stevens and Steve Greene in a "Triathlon Survivor" Best 2-of-3 Falls tag team match.[34] Converse regained the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship from Stevens in an Iron Man match at Battlecade VIII on December 15, 2007.[35] At the end of the 60 min. time limit the score was tied (2–2) and went into overtime with Converse winning via submission when Stevens' daughter Brandi Richardson and Stevens cornerman Little Billy threw in the towel. After the match Stevens announced his retirement and shook hands with the new champion.[36]
On January 5, 2008, Converse pinned Rising Generation League Champion "Jersey" Nick Richards in a non-title match at New Year's Knockout. A few weeks later, he made his first title defense against CWF Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene at A Cold Day in Hell on January 19, 2008.[37] On February 2, Converse reunited with Xsiris to defeat CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion Jesse Ortega and Marcellus King (with Sheik Lumpkin). Due to the pre-match stipulation, Xsiris and Kamakazi Kid won the right to challenge The VIPs for the tag team titles; the champions had previously stopped defefending the belts against US tag teams.[38]
At Civitans SuperBrawl II on April 19, Converse faced longtime friend Rob "Boogie Woogie Man" McBride. The following month, he joined McBride and Tank Lawson in a 6-Man Tag Team match against Gemini Kid, Jesse Ortega, and CWF Mid-Atlantic TV Champion Steve Greene at Six Man Vendetta on May 3. He also had successful title defenses against Evan Banks at Revelations and Matthew de Nero at Fallout!. It was at the latter event that Commissioner Cross, who had since "turned heel ", confronted Converse demanding that he join his new "Aftermath" stable. Converse, supported by McBride and Brass Munkey,[39] refused the offer causing Cross to make McBride his next opponent. Their match at Absolute Justice II saw McBride defeat Converse for the belt, however, a distraction by Cross and the Aftermath (in the form of a coded message on the Insiders-Tron) revealed was indeed the newest member of the Aftermath. On August 16, Converse entered the 2008 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament and lost in the finals to Brass Munkey in a Triple Threat match with Marcellus King.[9] Over the summer he was also a guest on the Canadian internet radio show Tha O Show hosted by Big Daddy Donnie and Dan-e-o where he shared a somewhat risque road story during his early career.[40]
Converse (with Commissioner Cross and an unknown masked man) attempted to win the title back from McBride in the fall. He was unsuccessful at Sumner Civitans SuperBrawl III on September 6 but regained the belt in a "street fight challenge" at Fatback Rising! two weeks later. After a victory over Otto Schwanz at the 8th annual CWF Rumble!, Converse and stablemate Ryan O'Reilly briefly feuded with CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions Xsiris and Mikael Yamaha. They lost to the tag team champions at CWF Mid-Atlantic's "200th Live Event Celebration" on November 1. With Soloman Spades, they also lost a best 2-of-3 falls 6-man tag team match to Xsiris, Yamaha, and Brass Munkey at Ultimate Survivor VI on November 15. Converse ended up losing the heavyweight title to Brass Munkey at BattleCade IX on December 20, 2008.[39][41]

On January 3, 2009 at New Years Knockout, Alex Adonis interrupted an in-ring promo with Converse and William L. Cross to issue a challenge to the former champion. Adonis had been brought into the CWF by Converse several years earlier and pointed out that he was the only person on the active roster that Converse had never beaten. Converse responded by leading the Aftermath in a 4-on-1 attack on the young wrestler and leaving him unconscious in the ring. Two weeks later, he and O'Reilly again wrestled Xsiris and Mikael Yamaha for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship at Night of Challenges but were unable to win the belts. He also faced former rivals Joey Silvia and Steve Greene in a tag team match with Marcellus King at End of an Era on February 7. At Fallout! on February 21, he pinned Cecil Scott.[42]
Nearly two months after New Years Knockout, Converse finally met Alex Adonis in a match at Don't Call It A Comeback! on March 7, which he won by pinfall. He and Marcellus King also defeated Adonis and Mitch Connor in a tag team match at Holding Out For A Hero! later that month. On April 4, Converse attempted to interfere in the Adonis-King match at Nowhere To Run! but was unable to prevent Adonis' victory. Afterwards Commissioner Garry Stevens ordered Converse to face Adonis, with The Kamakazi Kid as special guest referee, at the promotion's next show. Converse's match against Adonis at The Bunkhouse Stampede on April 25 ended in his defeat.[43]
On May 5, Converse defeated Chiva Kid by submission in a non-title match at Heartache Tonight. At the end of the month at Goodbye, Farewell & Amen Converse took part in a 10-man Farewell match with Steve Greene, Michael McAllister, and The VIPs (Gemini Kid and Jesse Ortega) wrestling Mikael Yamaha, Lee Valiant, Brass Munkey, Corey Edsel, and Amber O'Neal. At Absolute Justice III on June 20 Converse lost to Kamakazi Kid in a grudge match. He also entered the 2009 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament and made it to the finals in Burlington where he was eliminated by Kamakazi Kid on August 15.[9][44]
On September 9, Converse and King joined Joey Silvia, Steve Greene, and Ty Dillinger (with William L. Cross and Jaxson Dane) at Fatback Rising 2 to defeat CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Brass Munkey, Rob McBride, Kamakazi Kid, and The Neon Lions (Lee Valiant and Chris Collins) in a 10-man tag team match. Converse also defeated Tank Lawson at SuperBrawl IV on September 12 and teamed with Jaxson Dane to beat CWF Heavyweight Champion Brass Munkey and Kamakazi Kid in a tag team match at Unfinished Business a week later. At Ultimate Survivor VII, Converse was teamed with Xsiris, Alex Adonis, and Brass Munkey during the Incredible Pairs Wildcard Elimination match against Mikael Yamaha, Marcellus King, Jaxon Dane, and Kamakazi Kid. Converse's team won the match with he and Brass Munkey being the sole survivors. Converse was allowed a title shot at the heavyweight belt due to winning the event.[39][45]
On January 2, 2010, Converse lost a Three Way Dance with Brass Munkey and the Kamakazi Kid for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship at Battlecade X. He also lost Brass Munkey at New Years Knockout on January 16 to decide the number-one contender for the CWF Championship.[39] That summer, he won the 2010 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament defeating "High Definition" Steve Greene in the semi-finals and PWI International Ultra-J Crown Champion Xsiris in the finals on August 21, 2010.[9][46]
Recent years (2011–)
On April 1, 2011, Converse was one of several CWF Mid-Atlantic stars to take part in an interpromotional show with Dragon Gate USA. He was originally scheduled to wrestle Shane "Hurricane" Helms in a qualifying match for the PWI International Heavyweight Championship, however, this was changed to an official title bout at the last minute, which Helms won.[47][48] On August 20, he entered the 2011 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament but was eliminated by Arik Royal.[49] At Ultimate Survivor IX on November 19, he was part of the semi-main event wrestling in a Wildcard Incredible Pairs 8-man elimination tag team match with Trevor Lee, "Arrogant" Aric Andrews, and Joe Black against CWF Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Xsiris, Ben Tyler, Jason Miller, and Mikael Yamaha. Converse was the final man eliminated when he was pinned by Yamaha.[50] On December 3, 2011, Converse (with William L. Cross) pinned Mikael Yamaha at CWF's Road to BattleCade in Burlington, North Carolina.[51] Along with all his accomplishments, Converse is also credited for giving Robby "Whisker Biscuits" Walsh his start in professional wrestling.
Championships and accomplishments
Alternative Championship Wrestling
ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
AWA Superstars
AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[52]
AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Xsiris[53][54]
CWF Mid-Atlantic
CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[55][56]
CWF Mid-Atlantic Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)[57][58]
Johnny Weaver Cup Tournament winner (2010)[9]
East Coast Professional Wrestling
ECPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lumbee Warrior
New Empire Wrestling
NEW Regional Championship (1 time)
Premier Wrestling Showcase
PWS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Marcellus King
Ringside Championship Wrestling
RCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Pro Wrestling International
PWI International Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)[59]
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him #324 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009.
Southern Wrestling Alliance
SWA Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)

 on IMDb


James Paine Wolfenden (July 25, 1889 – April 8, 1949) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
James Wolfenden was born in Cardington, Pennsylvania.  He attended Friends' Central School and Penn Charter Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He was engaged in the manufacture of cotton and woolen goods in Cardington, Pennsylvania.
He was elected to the 70th United States Congress as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas S. Butler.  He was reelected to the 71st United States Congress in 1928 and the eight succeeding Congresses.  He did not run in 1946.  He died in Philadelphia.
Biography
On May 26, 1928, Congressman Thomas S. Butler of West Chester, Pennsylvania died at age seventy-three, after having represented the Delaware/Chester County 8th congressional district for an unprecedented thirty-one years.  He was eulogized by various Delaware County leaders, who referred to him kindly as "Uncle Tom" and with whom he had developed a good rapport.  Now, however, it was the more populous Delaware County's turn for the two-county congressional seat.  By the 1920 census, Delaware County had led Chester County in population by about 173,000 to 115,000, but a gentlemen's agreement between the Republican leaders of each county had allowed the popular Butler to continue his service.
Vacancy
At a meeting on July 31, attended by forty-two Republican conferees from Delaware County and twenty-two from Chester County, thirty-nine-year-old James Wolfenden of Upper Darby was nominated to fill the unexpired term without opposition.  Born on July 25, 1889 in Cardington, Delaware County, Wolfenden was an Upper Darby Township Commissioner for nine years and had run his father's cotton and woolen goods manufacturing firm, Wolfenden-Shore, for seven years.  He also was a vice president of the Citizen's Bank of Lansdowne and vice president of the Delaware County Hospital, besides being the Republican leader of Upper Darby and later would be named by John J. McClure to the then-young Delaware County Board of Republican Supervisors (War Board).  McClure, himself a candidate for the state senate district, which encompassed all of Delaware County, offered a resolution recognizing Butler's passing as the "loss of a great statesman and national leader."   The Chester Times heavily praised the choice of Wolfenden, stating that he "will make a good representative" with his "business training" and that he was "progressive", a "leader" and a "booster".
Much excitement was generated in Delaware County and around the nation in the contest for the presidency between  Republican Herbert Hoover,  President Coolidge's secretary of commerce, and New York Governor Al Smith, a Democrat.  Since Smith was a Catholic and, in that era, religious prejudices were then very pronounced,  there was a lively debate nationwide.
When the dust had settled election day, Hoover carried staunchly Republican Delaware County by about 83,000 to 29,000.  Likewise, Wolfenden defeated his Democratic opponent, Henry Davis,  by a whopping 116,266 to 34,607. McClure was also elected to the state senate.  The Republicans, having been the dominant party nationally since the turn of the 20th century, had a commanding 267 U.S. House seats to the Democrats 163, with a similar lead in the Senate, 56 to 39.  Having also won the special election to fill the remainder of Butler's term, several weeks earlier, against token opposition, Wolfenden was able to take his seat in the House of Representatives on November 6, 1928.   He would be the tenth person since 1852 to represent the district in Washington.
1st term
During his tenure in Congress, he served on the following committees: Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Accounts, Interstate and Foreign Commerce and the Joint Committee on Printing.  Some of his activities during his first two terms included serving on a funeral committee for fellow Pennsylvania representative W.W. Griest and introducing bills to increase the pensions of Civil War and Spanish–American War veterans, build an addition to the Veterans Bureau Hospital in Coatesville, remodel a public building in Phoenixville, and survey the Darby River, as Darby Creek was called then.  He also had received and noted in the Congressional Record petitions from the West Chester Farmers' Club, Dilworthtown Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and New Century Club of West Chester: all opposing any change in Prohibition.
Congressman Wolfenden generally kept a low profile, in line with McClure's wishes that War Board members keep out of the public spotlight.  Less than a year after he took office, the stock market crash occurred in October 1929 and the protracted misery of the Great Depression began for the American people.
One notable vote was his in favor of the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930, which helped erect a protectionist trade barrier for the United States and was retaliated against by our trading partners, who raised their own tariffs.  It is thought by many economists that this tariff helped to worsen the Depression by hurting exports.  In 1930, he also cast a pro-labor vote, voting against the Anti-Injunction Act.
As the Great Depression was gaining momentum and Republicans nationally fell out of favor with the public, Wolfenden, bucking the trend, was easily reelected in 1930, beating his Democratic opponent, Harry Wescott by 64,000 votes, 84,521 to 20,443. Widespread discontent, brought on by untold economic suffering and misery, caused the Democrats to make a net gain of 53 House and eight Senate seats.  The Republicans clung to a one-vote lead in the Senate, 48 to 47, and two votes in the House, 218 to 216, although the deaths of several GOP members gave the Democrats a majority by the time Congress reorganized several months later.
2nd term
After the census of 1930, Pennsylvania's share of congressional seats was reduced from 36 to 34. Evidently, there was very little controversy in the state legislature regarding reapportionment, with the bill being introduced on April 22, 1931, then passed by the House and Senate and signed by the Governor by June 27.  Delaware County, due to its population growth, was separated from Chester County, which was shifted into the Tenth congressional district with Lancaster County.   Delaware County in its entirety became Pennsylvania's Seventh Congressional District and would remain so for 36 years.
By dividing Pennsylvania's population by the number of House seats it was entitled to, the ideal district size in 1930 was 283,275. Dividing Philadelphia's population by its seven congressional seats, gave each district an average of 278,709, giving it a slight overrepresentation.  Delaware County's population of 278,662 made it slightly over-represented, also.  In other words, a vote cast in the neighboring Tenth District, with a population of 326,511, carried less weight that a vote cast in Philadelphia for Congress.
The reason for this was political: county lines were rarely, if ever, crossed when the legislature drew up congressional districts.  It would not be until the "one man, one vote" ruling of the Supreme Court some 30 years later that this inequality would be rectified.
3rd term
By 1932, as Hoover's sincere, but insufficient efforts to ease the widespread economic crisis could not arrest the continuing downturn, it was clear that voters were turning to the Democratic nominee, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  On November 3, there was a massive pre-election GOP rally in Media, attended by 1,500 of the party faithful, which Senator McClure described as "an inspiration".
Governor Arthur James, himself not up for election, vigorously defended the Hoover record, comparing the latter to Abraham Lincoln, in whom "people had faith and reelected" against great odds during the Civil War.  Congressman Wolfenden, who was up for election, however, was only listed as a "guest" at the rally and did not speak, according to the ChesterTimes.
President Hoover carried Delaware County by 75,291 to FDR's 32,413, including the City of Chester by over two to one.  In fact, the GOP machine that dominated Pennsylvania for many years was still able to deliver the state for the unpopular Hoover, 1,453,540 to 1,295,948, making it one of the few major industrial states to swing his way.
Wolfenden won by an even larger majority than Hoover, 70,177 to 32,139, in beating Democrat Matthew Randall.  The lopsided county registration figures of 134,038 Republicans to only 8,152 Democrats certainly made the task of winning quite difficult for any Democrat.
But, when Wolfenden returned to Washington to serve his third term, he would find many fewer of his Republican colleagues sitting with him.  The GOP’s ranks in Congress were decimated, the venerable old party having lost no fewer than 101 House seats and twelve Senate seats, in the FDR landslide.  That left the House lineup in favor of the Democrats, 313 to 117, with five independents, and 59 to 36 in the Senate.
In 1933, President Roosevelt, in order to try to relieve the widespread misery due to a now unthinkable unemployment rate of 25% that he inherited from the previous Republican administration, began submitting his New Deal legislation to Congress, which had a top-heavy Democratic majority.  From 1933 to 1938, Wolfenden voted against most New Deal proposals, with the exception of several major pieces of legislation, such as the constitutional amendment to repeal Prohibition and allow the purchase of  liquor (1933),  the Relief Act to allocate money to relieve suffering (1933);  the Gold Reserve Act, which devalued the dollar taking the U.S. off the gold standard (1934); the Social Security Act (1935);  the Fair Labor Standards Act, which set a forty-hour work week along with a minimum wage (1938).
Some of the bills he voted against were: the Agriculture Adjustment Act to raise farm prices and distribute surplus food to the needy (1933); the Tennessee Valley Authority to federally fund power development in an area especially hit hard by the Depression (1933), the NIRA to allow employees to collectively bargain without interference, along with banning child labor (1933); the Securities Act to reform the stock market (1934); the Reciprocal Tariff Act (1934), the Tax Bill to raise revenue, mostly from the wealthy (1934).  Other bills he opposed were: the Relief Act (1936), the Holding Company Act (1936),  the Guffey-Snyder Coal Act to help raise the price of Pennsylvania's coal (1936); the Soil Conservation and Relief Act to reforest land (1938) and federal Crop Insurance (1938).
He also voted for isolationist neutrality legislation and opposed earlier efforts to build up defenses, which also reflected the view of the majority of his party and a large segment of the public.
During this period, Wolfenden served on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and also introduced HR164, which was aimed towards "discouraging, preventing, punishing the crime of lynching", one of the most vile manifestations of racial hatred still occurring in the Deep South. With conservative Southern Democrats generally controlling the major committees, there was little chance of civil rights legislation being passed.
4th term
In October 1934, the Chester Times rallied behind Congressmen Wolfenden's reelection bid, running a column showing each of his major votes during his third term.  They touted the fact that he had voted against 49 New Deal bills and in favor of only 14.  Further, it was stated that "several powerful organizations have thrown their support in the coming election" to Wolfenden, such as the Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Allied Veterans' Association of the United States and four transportation worker brotherhoods.  Both groups based their support on his "good record" in Congress.  On October 30, Congressman Wolfenden spoke briefly at the annual GOP rally and made some bland remarks, in keeping with his generally low-profile style.
When the votes were counted nationwide in the first referendum on President Roosevelt and his New Deal, the Democrats, instead of the customary mid-term loss of congressional seats, had gained nine House seats and ten Senate seats.  Their majorities now stood at 322 to 103 in the House and 69 to 25 in the Senate.
For the first time since 1890, a Democratic governor, George H. Earle, was elected in Pennsylvania, but Wolfenden won a fourth term, capturing 60,139 votes to 43,426 for John E. McDonough, his Democratic opponent.  The Congressman's victory margin dropped from 65.8% of the vote in 1932 to 57.2% in 1934, a harbinger of what was to come.
5th term
Finally, following another two years of fighting tooth-and-nail against most New Deal legislation, the Republican Party had what it thought was a chance to recapture the presidency with the nomination of Governor Alf Landon of Kansas.  Based on progress towards easing the wretched conditions of the citizens, President Roosevelt was enthusiastically renominated by his party and an energetic election ensued.  Politicians in Delaware County were also caught up in the excitement at a pre-election rally, with War Board chairman and state Senator McClure stating: "I doubt his sincerity" in describing President Roosevelt's efforts to improve the economy.  Congressman Wolfenden, in a more expressive mode, said: "What we need to save America is for the GOP to elect Landon and John McClure."  In what appears to be a tribute towards working class women, he further elaborated: "I am for the Republican ticket from Landon down to the scrub woman, if there was a scrub woman on it."
Although FDR did not carry the county, he made an impressive showing of 65,117 votes to Landon's 74,899, in the official count.  The Democrats did carry the City of Chester, 11,600 to 10,500, in a stunning rebuke to the McClure Machine.
Roosevelt carried the blue collar/working class towns of Aston, Chester Twp., Lower and Upper Chichester, Clifton Heights, Collingdale, Colwyn, Darby Boro, Darby Township., Eddystone, Marcus Hook, Parkside, Ridley Twp., Trainer and Tinicum, while Landon drew his strength from the more rural or upper middle class areas of the Marple, Newtown, Radnor, Springfield and Upper Darby.   Wolfenden was reelected by an uncomfortably close margin, officially tallying 73,335 (52.6%) to Howard Kirk's 66,119 (47.4%).   Wolfenden's popularity evidently was ebbing, as his opponent ran about 1,000 votes ahead of the President, and the congressman some 1,500 votes behind Governor Landon.  By 1936, with the general popularity of the New Deal, Democratic registration in the county had surged to a high of 37,000 and the GOP outnumbered them by only 3.4 to one.  However, this would only be temporary, and the Democrats would not have as many registered voters again until another twenty years later.
Nationally, the FDR juggernaut swept Landon aside with 60.7% of the vote and the Democrats took an additional eleven House seats from the GOP and now held a whopping 333 to 89 majority, with thirteen third party members.  They commanded the Senate by over four to one, 75 to 17, with four elected from other parties.
This would be the Democrats greatest triumph in history and would mark the high-water mark of their national power.  In spite of concerted and sometimes vicious attacks from the Republicans, the New Deal and the hope that it provided, had been decisively and overwhelmingly ratified by the working class, poor, elderly, blacks, and middle class across the nation.
6th term
In 1938, as the New Deal drew to a close, the Republicans made a strong comeback from near-oblivion, gaining eighty seats in the House and six in the Senate. The Republicans recaptured the governorship of Pennsylvania and locally, Wolfenden gained a sixth term with 68% of the vote over C. Ferno Hoffman, his Democratic challenger.  Continuing the previous trend, however, Wolfenden fell 1,800 votes below the average vote for the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. senator, while Hoffman was 1,100 votes higher than his running mates.
Attention was now shifting toward ominous developments overseas, with both Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan committing acts of aggression against their neighbors.  As the international crisis worsened, with a full-scale war in Europe in September 1939, President Roosevelt asked Congress to strengthen the military in order to deter aggression.
Like most of his Republican colleagues, Wolfenden voted the isolationist line, against the Naval Expansion Act of 1938, the Lend-Lease Act, and the extension of the Selective Service in 1941.  Even though the public was divided on most of the defense measures and many were hoping that the U.S. could miraculously avoid war, if these and other military defensive measures had not been adopted, the results could have been catastrophic.
7th term
What occurred at the 1940 GOP presidential convention was remarkable in its time and totally unimaginable in today's times.  In the Pennsylvania Republican primary of  April 23, New York City District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey, a young (only 38 years old), attractive major contender for the nomination, who gained a national reputation as a racket-buster,  had won with over 66% of the vote.
Dewey's only competition in Pennsylvania was, believe it or not, President Roosevelt, who scored a large 10.5% as a write-in candidate and Pennsylvania Governor Arthur H. James, a "favorite son" candidate, with 10.3% of the vote.
In July, Philadelphia played host to the GOP National Convention, which was held at the Convention Center.  On the first ballot, no candidate had received the 501 votes needed to be nominated.  The tally was Dewey, 360 votes; conservative Ohio Senator Robert Taft, 189; Indiana businessman Wendell L. Willkie, a political "dark horse", 105; Governor James, 74; conservative Michigan Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, 76; and former president Herbert Hoover, 17.
With the exception of Willkie, all of the candidates were isolationists and had various degrees of political experience.  By the fourth ballot, Willkie had catapulted to first place, mostly at Dewey's expense, and by the fifth ballot, Willkie had captured over 400 delegate votes, while Dewey dropped to only 57.  By the sixth ballot, Governor James swung Pennsylvania's 72 votes to Willkie, putting him over the top, with 659.  It was reported that at 1:50a.m. the crowd of more than 16,000 marched out of Convention Hall, their job done, and shouted Willkie's name to the night.
The Republicans' shouting would be to no avail, as the Democrats, due to the deepening international crisis, renominated Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term.  FDR, it appeared, was genuinely undecided about another term until France fell to the Nazis in May 1940. Voters, in keeping with tradition and not wishing to change national leadership in the midst of a crisis, reelected Roosevelt to an unprecedented  third term, with a decisive 54% majority.
This time, he increased his margin in Chester, winning by 11,900 to 9,600.  Congressman Wolfenden won another term, with 69,649 to 46,960 for his Democratic opponent,  E. Adele Scott Saul.  It would not be again until 1994, that a female would run in the general election under the banner of either major party for this office in this congressional district.
In the congressional redistricting following the 1940 census, the boundaries of the Seventh District were unchanged, although Pennsylvania's representation in the House was lowered by one seat to thirty-three and Philadelphia, likewise, lost one seat, retaining six.  The ideal population for a congressional district in Pennsylvania in 1940 was 300,005.  With Delaware County's congressional district representing 310,756 persons and each of Philadelphia's districts averaging 321,889, both the county and city were slightly short-changed in representation.
In December 1941, both houses of Congress voted without dissension, except for Republican Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin of Montana, to declare war on Germany and Japan. Wolfenden voted on December 8 to declare war on Japan, but missed the vote on December 11 to declare war on Germany and Italy.
8th term
In 1942, the Republicans, in a stunning comeback, gained 10 Senate seats and 47 house seats, nearly jeopardizing Democratic control in the house.  Wolfenden was handily reelected, but not after a stiff challenge from Vernon O'Rourke, a Swarthmore College professor, who was aided by liberals and independents.
This coalition effort foreshadowed the campaign of  fellow Democrat Bob Edgar, 32 years later.  O'Rourke attacked the incumbent's isolationist voting record and waged an intensive door-to-door campaign.  Nevertheless, the Congressman won by 48,210 to 34,164, with 58% of the vote in a low turn-out wartime election.  But, the candidate for governor, Edward Martin, received 8,000 more votes than Wolfenden in the county.
In the 1944 election, FDR ran for a fourth term against Dewey, who was governor of New York.  The campaign both nationally and locally was hotly contested and brutal at times, with various unsavory charges flying back and forth between the two parties.  Wolfenden was also running for another term, his ninth, against the same opponent as last time.  The election had a different twist in that O'Rouke had resigned his professorship at Swarthmore and was serving as a lieutenant, junior grade, aboard a destroyer escort.  Since he was at sea and navy regulations forbade active political campaigning, O'Rourke campaigned through stand-ins.
At a Democratic rally at the Odd Fellows Temple in Chester, Owen Hunt, former state insurance commissioner, stood in for O'Rourke.  In his remarks, Hunt referred to Wolfenden as "treacherous", having voted against twenty-two important defense bills in the past ten years.  Further, he stated that the congressman never cast a vote without "ulterior motives" and served "special interests and sinister influences", such as big business and international cartels.
In charges that smacked of the McCarthyism that would develop in a few years, Hunt seemed to be attempting to impugn Wolfenden's loyalty by stating that the Japanese, prior to the war, had not possessed the resources to build a military machine, until they were supplied by the so-called "sinister influences".  He also said that on December 8, the day war was declared, Wolfenden was "out shooting ducks along the Chesapeake".
The Auditor General of Pennsylvania, Democrat Clair Ross, likened the GOP of 1944 to the party of 1920, saying that they were both "haters" and under the "control of reactionaries and isolationists".  Further, he elaborated that the Republicans were the party of  "Hoover, Landon and Heart; McCormick, Taft and Nye; Martin, Barton and Fish", referring to isolationist members of Congress, as well as former candidates.
Next on the attack was Congressman Francis J. Myers, candidate for U.S. Senate, who painted Dewey as anti-labor and decried the latter's use of "innuendoes" towards certain critics by referring to them as "Russian" or "foreign born".  He also criticized efforts by the county government to purge recent voters from the registration rolls, by calling them in for questioning about their residency.
On September 22, Roosevelt, in replying to Republican charges about advance knowledge within the administration regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor, said anyone with such knowledge should notify the military boards who were conducting investigations.
As the allies penetrated deeper into German soil, three months after the landing at Normandy, the headlines were dominated by this news, as well as the growing casualty lists.  With unemployment virtually erased in the United States, the U.S. Employment Service reported that there were 7,594 immediate job openings in Delaware County, with 3,415 of those needing unskilled workers.
In October, Delaware County's population was estimated at 335,000, based on the number of rationing books sent by the local offices.  According to statistics provided by the Chester Rationing Board, with Chester as a huge wartime manufacturing and commercial center, two-thirds of the county populace lived in Chester and the surrounding towns of Chester Twp., Upland and Parkside.  Some of the other Rationing Boards in the county were located in Marcus Hook, Glenolden, Ridley Park, Media and Clifton Heights.
Also in October, Democratic U.S. Senator Joseph Guffey offered a $10,000 reward for any legitimate knowledge of voter fraud in Delaware County, denouncing the alleged "debauchery of the ballot", as practiced by Joseph N. Pew, Jr. and McClure.
Charges of "who-really-got-us-into-this-war" continued to fly, as Republican Congressman Hugh Scott, later to become senator, accused President Roosevelt of "criminal negligence" regarding the positioning of the Pacific fleet immediately prior to Pearl Harbor.   Republican loyalists in Chester and  Delaware counties, as well as across the Commonwealth, called for a "Day for Dewey",  during which volunteers would be asked to donate eight hours to enlist their friends and neighbors to support the cause.
At a rally held at the Chester Elks' Hall, Wolfenden, reacting to the strong labor support for his opponent, hammered away at the "radical, criminal" leadership of the political action committee for the CIO labor union.  He called on the unions to purge their ranks of these elements and shot off a series of rhetorical questions to Leon Weiner, editor of the newspaper for Local 107 of the Electrical Workers, questioning the latter's alleged ties to Communist or leftist groups.  Wolfenden then paraded his letters of endorsement from the national American Federation of Labor and four railroad brotherhoods.
On October 27, over 3,000 residents gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of President Roosevelt as his train passed through Delaware County.  As the train slowed at the Baltimore and Ohio station at 12th Street and Providence Avenue in Chester, Roosevelt waved from the window and flashed his famous smile, causing the crowd to surge forward in excitement.  One woman stated: "I almost saw him."  Although knowledge of his deteriorating health was kept from the public, FDR regained some of his old form and returned the fire of Dewey, accusing the Republicans of placing "party over patriotism".
On election eve, there were 141,006 Republicans registered in the county, as opposed to only 27,184 Democrats.  In Chester, the GOP also led, 20,588 to 4,687.  Although organized labor, which never had it so good with the wartime boom, was pushing hard for Roosevelt and O'Rourke, county GOP leaders predicted that there would be very little ticket-splitting, due to difficulties with the voting machines.
As it had done before, the Chester Times opposed Roosevelt's reelection, citing, in a front page editorial, his "inefficiency" regarding domestic affairs, an "improvised" foreign policy, the possible "dictatorship" of another term, and his choice of Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman, as a "person of  no outstanding ability".
9th term
In spite of all the opposition, FDR won his fourth, and last term, beating Dewey, with 25.6million votes to 22million.  Governor Dewey, however, officially led Roosevelt in the county, 78,533 to 64,021.
When the voting machines were tallied, Wolfenden had 67,081 to O'Rourke's 64,484.  However, some 10,000 absentee ballots, cast mostly by those in the military, remained to be opened on November 22.  Not to take chances, the Democrats received court permission to place a twenty-four-hour watch on the vault where the ballots were locked away.
O'Rourke could only overcome Wolfenden's narrow lead of 2,597 votes by taking 64% of the soldiers' ballots, a difficult, but not impossible task. As the ballots were counted over the next several weeks, it was clear that Wolfenden would be reelected, with the final totals of 72,289 (51.5%) to 68,161 (48.5%).
Contrary to the Republicans' predictions, there was some ticket-splitting, since O'Rourke had polled some 4,100 votes more votes than the top of the Democratic ticket.  According to party sources, due to his close call in the election, Wolfenden promised McClure that he would not run again in 1946.
In December, it was announced that Wolfenden would tour the Pacific war fronts.
In 1945, Delaware County's congressman voted with 299 other members to override the veto of a tax bill that President Roosevelt described as "not a tax bill, but a tax relief bill providing tax relief not for the needy, but for the greedy".   Wolfenden also voted that year for Congress' first pay raise since 1925.  Other notable bills that he voted or took positions on in his last term were the Manpower Draft Bill (N); giving permanent status to the House Un-American Activities Committee, which investigated Communists and other "undesirables", (Y); the Trade Agreements Act (N); outlawing the Poll Tax, which was used to prevent blacks in the South from voting, for federal elections (Y); the Full Employment Act (Paired Against);  Federal Aid to airports (N); the School Lunches Act (Y).
On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage and Vice President Harry Truman was sworn in, as the war in Europe was moving towards a close.
Era ends
On February 13, 1946, true to his promise to McClure, Wolfenden announced he would not seek another term in Congress. In a press release, he stated: "It will always be one of my cherished theories that I have voted in accordance with my conscience in an effort to protect the best interests of Delaware County".
On May 23, he was involved in a bizarre boating accident while on vacation in Ocean City, New Jersey.  The Evening Bulletin reported that Wolfenden was aboard the Ram, 28-foot cabin cruiser, as a guest of assistant county coroner, Charles H. Drewes, when an engine backfire caused seventy gallons of gasoline that had just been loaded to explode.  Wolfenden was in the cockpit and sprayed with flaming gasoline, then blown overboard by the force of the explosion.
He was rescued and spent several days recovering from first and second degree burns in a Hamonton nursing home owned by a relative.  With his left foot remaining permanently injured, his voting attendance declined, along with his health.  As he was having another operation on his foot at Temple University Hospital, he died on April 8, 1949,  two years after leaving office.
James Wolfenden had faithfully represented Delaware County for eighteen years, the longest tenure of any to hold the office since Tom Butler.  His service covered the entire Hoover and Roosevelt presidencies and the first two years of Truman's. He served as both a majority and minority member of the House, attaining the positions of Assistant House Republican Whip and chairman of Pennsylvania's GOP delegation, as well as being the state's ranking member.
His record showed he was basically an isolationist and protectionist, but did show compassion towards the elderly with his favorable Social Security Act vote and towards children with his School Lunch vote.  He also took a small, but initial step towards assuring civil rights for all Americans by voting to abolish the poll tax in federal elections.  All in all, his service was neither distinguished or inspired, but did attempt to balance the interests of a district that was undergoing a rapid transition from primarily sleepy rural to a growing, bustling bedroom community.
Sources: Delaware County Daily Times, Facts on File, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, News of Delaware County, Congressional Record
Sources

When did James Paine Wolfenden become a Republican?