Misplaced Pages

James Albertus Tawney
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st district
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1911
Preceded by	William H. Harries
Succeeded by	Sydney Anderson
House Majority Whip
In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1905
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	James E. Watson
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office 1890
Personal details
Born	James Albertus Tawney January 3, 1855 Mount Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 12, 1919 (aged 64) Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Emma B. Newall
Children	5
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison

James Albertus Tawney (January 3, 1855 – June 12, 1919) was an American blacksmith, machinist and U.S. politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota. He was the first House Majority Whip, holding that position from 1899 to 1905.

Early life

Tawney was born in Mount Pleasant Township, near Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania. He apprenticed with his father as a blacksmith, and subsequently learned the trade of machinist. In 1877, he moved to Winona, Minnesota, where he was employed as a blacksmith and machinist until 1881. He attended the law department of the University of Wisconsin–Madison "having previously devoted mornings and evenings to the study of law for about two years," and was admitted to the bar in 1882 and commenced practice in Winona.

Political career

Tawney was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1890. In 1892, he was elected to Congress as a Republican, and served in the 53rd, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th, and 61st congresses. During his time in Congress, Tawney served as Majority Whip and as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

In 1910 he was defeated in the Republican primary by 30-year-old Sydney Anderson, who had the support of Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and other Progressive Republicans. Anderson ran on a platform of drastically reduced tariffs and opposition to Cannonism (with which Tawney was identified).

After Congress

Tawney was a member of the International Joint Commission (created to prevent disputes regarding the use of Boundary Waters between the United States and Canada) from 1911 until his death, serving as chairman of the United States section from September 17, 1911, to December 1, 1914.

Tawney died at Excelsior Springs, Clay County, Missouri.

References

1. ^ "S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 November 1903. p. 56. Retrieved 2 July 2023.

• Minnesota Legislators Past and Present

• United States Congress. "James A. Tawney (id: T000060)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

• Media related to James Albertus Tawney at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Majority whips of the U.S. House of Representatives
Tawney Watson Dwight Bell Knutson Vestal McDuffie Greenwood Boland Ramspeck Sparkman Arends Priest Arends Albert Boggs O'Neill McFall Brademas Foley Coelho Gray Bonior DeLay Blunt Clyburn McCarthy Scalise Clyburn Emmer

v t e Republican Party whips of the U.S. House of Representatives
Tawney Watson Dwight Burke Hamilton Knutson Vestal Bachmann Englebright Arends Michel Lott Cheney Gingrich DeLay Blunt Cantor McCarthy Scalise Emmer

v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on Appropriations
Stevens Washburne Dawes Garfield Randall Clymer Holman Atkins Hiscock Randall J. Cannon Holman Sayers J. Cannon Hemenway Tawney Fitzgerald Sherley Good Davis Madden Anthony Wood Byrns Buchanan Taylor C. Cannon Taber C. Cannon Taber C. Cannon Mahon Whitten Natcher Obey Livingston Young Lewis Obey Rogers Frelinghuysen Lowey DeLauro Granger Cole

This article about a Minnesota politician is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1855 births
• 1919 deaths
• American blacksmiths
• Machinists
• Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
• Republican Party Minnesota state senators
• University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
• University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
• People from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• People from Winona, Minnesota
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature
• Minnesota politician stubs