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BIOGRAPHIES
UNITED STATES SENATORS AND
REPRESENTATIVES
Transcribed by Debbie
Clough Gerischer
L. J. DICKINSON, ALGONA. - United
States Senator, was born in Lucas county, Iowa, October 29,
1873; descendant of Nathaniel Dickinson, of Hadley, who
settled in Massachusetts in 1630; graduate Cornell college,
Iowa, B.S., 1898, State University of Iowa, L.L.B., 1899;
admitted Iowa bar 1899; located in Algona, Iowa, 1899;
married, August 21, 1901, to Miss Myrtle Call; two children,
L. Call and Ruth A.; served as county attorney Kossuth county
two terms; committeeman tenth Iowa district on republican
state central committee 1914-1918; elected to the sixty-sixth,
sixty-seventh, sixty-eighth, sixty-ninth, seventieth, and
seventy-first congresses. Elected United States Senator in
1930, term expiring March 4, 1937. Delegate-at-large to the
republican national convention in 1932.
LOUIS MURPHY, DUBUQUE. - United States
Senator, was born in Dubuque, November 6, 1875, and since has
been a continuous resident of that city; third of eight
children of John S. (deceased) and Ann Murphy, the former a
newspaper editor; educated in public grade and high schools;
newspaper reporter and editor for 20 years; collector of
internal revenue for Iowa, 8 years, 1913-1920; income tax
counselor 11 years; married in 1917 to Ellen Emma McGuire;
five children - Charles, Mary, Elinor Ann, Imelda and Ellen;
nominated in democratic primary on June 6, 1932, in a field of
five, and elected to six-year term in the United States Senate
on November 8, 1932, receiving 538,422 votes, to 399,929 for
Henry Field, republican, and 43,174 for Senator Smith W.
Brookhart, progressive. A democrat.
EDWARD CLAYTON EICHER, WASHINGTON. -
Representative in Congress for the first congressional
district, was born December 16, 1878, on a farm near Noble,
Washington county, Iowa, son of Benjamin and Lydia Sommer
Eicher; graduated from the University of Chicago in June,
1904, receiving the degree of Ph.B.; admitted to the Iowa bar
in 1906 and the Illinois bar in 1907; member of the Mennonite
church of Noble, Iowa, and of Alpha Delta Phi college
fraternity and Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity; married on
August 19, 1908, to Hazel Mount; member of governor's
commission to take Iowa soldiers' vote, 1918; member
Washington county, Iowa State, and American Bar associations;
delegate to democratic national convention. 1932; elected to
the seventy-third congress at the November, 1932, election. A
democrat.
BERNHARD M. JACOBSEN, CLINTON. -
Representative in Congress for the second congressional
district, was born in Germany March 26, 1862, coming with his
parents to Clinton, Iowa, when he was fourteen years of age.
At the age of twenty-three he embarked in the mercantile
business in which he was continuously engaged until 1926 when
he closed this out and in 1927 organized the Clinton Thrift
Company of which he is now the head. Served as postmaster of
Clinton from 1914 to 1923. Married, May 28th, 1885, to Miss
Lena Trager of Clinton, and has five children, William S.,
Alma, Alvina, Marvin J. and Bernice. He is a thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason, member of Odd Fellows, Elks,
Eagles, and Turner Society, Rotary, Kiwanis and Wapsipinicon
clubs. Member of Lutheran church. Elected to seventy-second
congress November, 1930, and re-elected to the seventy-third
congress November, 1932. A democrat.
ALBERT CLINTON WILLFORD, WATERLOO. -
Representative in Congress for the third congressional
district, was born September 21st, 1877, at Vinton. Benton
county, Iowa; attended country and town schools and for a
short time Tilford's Academy at Vinton. Served as chief
engineer of the electric light, power and water company at
Vinton for eight years; moved to Waterloo in 1906; built and
operated an artificial ice plant for three years, and for the
last twenty-five years has been engaged in the seed, feed and
coal business; was public library trustee for twelve years;
served on the Black Hawk county jury commission for six years
president of the Iowa stationary engineers for one year;
served two years as president of the Izaak Walton League of
America for Iowa, and has been a national and state director
of the Izaak Walton League for ten years; president of the
Waterloo Baseball Club for four years; member of the A. F. and
A. M. and thirty-second degree Mason; president of the
Consistory Club at Waterloo for one year; on the court of
honor for the Boy Scouts of America for fifteen years, and an
active member of that organization since its inception in
Iowa: married Miss Edna Tharp, September 15th, 1898, and has
one son, Berl C. Elected to the seventy-third congress in
November, 1932. A democrat.
FRED BIERMANN, DECORAH. -
Representative in Congress for the fourth congressional
district, was born March 20, 1884, at Rochester, Minn.'
graduated from the Decorah high school in 1901; attended the
University of Minnesota for three years; graduated from
Columbia University with a bachelor of arts degree in 1905;
attended Valder's Business College in Decorah in 1906 and
Harvard Law School 1907-8; editor and publisher of the Decorah
Journal, 1908-1931; married Miss Adel Rygg, January 25, 1930.
During the World War was a volunteer in the United States
army and served from May, 1917, until June, 1919; of this
period ten months was spent overseas as first lieutenant in
the Eighty-eighth division. Postmaster at Decorah, 1913-1923;
park commissioner at Decorah since 1923; for about twenty
years was chairman of the democratic central committee of
Winneshiek county, and for eight years was a member of the
democratic state central committee; elected to the
seventy-third congress on November 8, 1932. A democrat.
LLOYD THURSTON, OSCEOLA. -
Representative in Congress for the fifth congressional
district, was born in Clark county, Iowa, March 27, 1880;
served in Spanish-American, Philippine, and World wars;
married; graduate of State University of Iowa, 1902; county
attorney Clarke county four years; state senator four years;
elected to sixty-ninth, seventieth, seventy-first,
seventy-second and re-elected to the seventy-third congress in
November, 1932. A republican.
CASSIUS C. DOWELL, DES MOINES. -
Representative in Congress for the sixth congressional
district, was born in Warren county, Iowa; graduated from
Drake University in the liberal arts and law departments;
lawyer by profession; represented Polk county in the senate of
the state for a number of years; member of Loyal Order of
Moose, Modern Woodmen of American, Maccabees, Odd Fellows,
Knights of Pythias, Masons, Grotto, Consistory, Mystic Shrine,
Delta Theta Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, and the University Church of
Christ; married Miss Belle I. Riddle, of Des Moines, Iowa;
elected as a representative to the sixty-fourth congress and
to each succeeding congress, including the seventy-third. A
republican.
OTHA D. WEARIN, HASTINGS. -
Representative in Congress for the seventh congressional
district, was born on a farm near Hastings, January 19, 1903;
attended country school, graduating from Tabor Academy in
1920, and received A. B. degree from Grinnell College in 1924.
Prior to and since 1924, has been associated with his father
in farm work; elected treasurer of Wearin rural school
district in 1926; delegate to state democratic conventions of
1924, 1926, 1928, and 1930; assistant secretary of Iowa
democratic convention, 1928; temporary chairman, keynoter, and
permanent chairman of Iowa state democratic judicial
convention, 1930; elected to Iowa state legislature in 1928
and re-elected in 1930; assistant floor leader of minority
party in forty-forth general assembly of Iowa; appointed by
Governor of Iowa as a delegate to the International Mid West
Aeronautics convention in Minneapolis, 1930; while abroad in
1927 studied farm production and did research work in the
International Institute of Agriculture in Rome; author of "An
Iowa Farmer Abroad;" editor of weekly syndicate "An Iowa
Farmer in Foreign Fields"; a co-editor of weekly syndicate,
"New Roads in Old Mexico;" staff contributor to Wallace's
Farmer; member of Iowa State Historical Society, Valley Forge
Historical Society, Grinnell alumnae, and farm organizations;
elected to the seventy-third congress November, 1932. A
democrat.
FRED C. GILCHRIST, LAURENS. -
Representative in Congress for eighth congressional district,
was born in Pennsylvania in 1868, moved to Iowa, 1871, and has
lived here since. Educated in common schools and at state
teachers college. Taught school tow years and was county
superintendent of Pocahontas county, 1890-92. Completed law
course at State University of Iowa in 1893 and was admitted to
the bar. Married Ellen Hurley in 1896 and has three children.
Was a member of the Iowa house of representatives in the
twenty-ninth general assembly. Elected to the state senate in
1922 and re-elected in 1926. Elected to congress in 1930 and
re-elected in 1932. A republican.
GUY MARK GILETTE, CHEROKEE. -
Representative in Congress for the ninth congressional
district, was born in Cherokee on February 3, 1879; attended
and graduated from Cherokee high school, and was graduated
from Drake University, Des Moines, with L.L.B. degree in 1900;
admitted to the bar in 1900 and commenced practice in
Cherokee, Iowa; is also interested in agricultural pursuits;
served as prosecuting attorney of Cherokee county, 1907-1909;
member of the state senate, 1912-1916; served as sergeant in
the Spanish-American War, and as captain of infantry during
the World War; married Miss Rose Freeman in 1907, and they
have one son; elected to the seventy-third congress on
November 8th, 1932. A democrat. |
