Howard Metcalf

METCALF, THOMAS, BRAUNNE

Posted By: Debbie Gerischer (email)
Date: 4/10/2009 at 19:04:34

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York
1931

HAROLD METCAFF, who was elected mayor of the City of Davenport in May, 1928,
has been one of the outstanding figures in the public life of that
Mississippi River city for the past eight years.

Mr. Metcalf was born in Western Illinois, on a farm near Blandinsville,
January 10, 1883, son of Charles and Elizabeth (Thomas) Metcalf. Both parents
are deceased. The Metcalfs were early settlers in Western Illinois. Harold
Metcalf grew up on an Illinois farm, attended the country school, and out of
his own efforts and ambitions rose from the obscurity of his environment. All
his life, whether as a lawyer or public official, he has had sympathy with
the common men and those who toil, borne out of his own early hard working
experiences. He worked and paid his way through Lombard College at Galesburg,
where he graduated with the BAchelors' degree. By his own earnings he also
completed the course of the Harvard Law School, graduating in 1909, and had his
practical training as a lawyer at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where for several
years he was law clerk with a prominent firm.

Mr. Metcalf has been a resident of Davenport since 1916. He started his
practice a stranger in the city, and in twelve years has made a notable record
as a member of the bar. He is a learned lawyer, skillful and resourceful, but
his outstanding characteristics both as a lawyer and official have been his
humanity and his understanding of the deeds of human motives.

Mr. Metcalf began his political career as a candidate for Police Court
judge, on the Socialist ticket, in 1920. In 1922 he was a candidate for
reelection on the same ticket, and the only candidate chosen. This was due in part to
his personal character, his freedom from any of the taint of general
incompetency in the city administration of the previous two years, and also to the
splendid manner in which he had conducted his own court. The confidence of
the people in his integrity and impartiality was increased during his second
term. In 1924 he announced himself as an independent candidate for police
judge and was elected by nearly eight hundred votes over the two candidates of
the major parties. Judge Metcalf gave six years of service to the Police Court
bench, and his record in that office will stand for a long time as witness
to his industry, consideration of the right of all parties that came before
him, and his most scrupulous integrity. While he was on the Police Court bench
he established a Morals Court, which removed form general publicity and
prurient curiosity the hearings of the cases of young girls and women, and as
judge of his court Mayor Metcalf is credited with having solved the crises in
the lives of many persons in a way that could not be effected by any other
agency or institution.

Several years ago Mr. Metcalf announced his allegiance to the Republican
party, and in the city convention of 1928 he was nominated as Republican
candidate for the office of mayor and was elected as the head of that ticket. In
reality he is as broadly representative of the citizenship of Davenport as any
official could be. His friendship and his clientele include all classes of
people, but mainly those who earn their daily bread by the labor and skill of
their hands. The confidence of business and professional men was placed in
him because his record showed that when he gave a promise he would not break
it, and that his ideals were safe for a bigger and better city.

Mr. Metcalf is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, the Improved Order of
Red Men, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Fraternal Order of Eagles and the
Mystic Workers. He married, in 1908, Idore Braunne, who was born in the State
of Maine. They have two children, Bertram and Idore.