George W. McCrary
George W. McCrary | |
---|---|
Chairman of the House Republican Conference | |
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | |
Speaker | Michael C. Kerr (1875–1876) Samuel J. Randall (1876–1877) |
Preceded by | Horace Maynard |
Succeeded by | Eugene Hale |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 1st district | |
In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1877 | |
Preceded by | James F. Wilson |
Succeeded by | Joseph Champlin Stone |
Personal details | |
Born | George Washington McCrary August 29, 1835 Read law |
George Washington McCrary (August 29, 1835 – June 23, 1890) was a
Education and career
Born on August 29, 1835, near
Congressional service
In 1868, McCrary successfully sought a U.S. House seat from
Congressional activity
In McCrary's first month in Congress, he received national attention for refusing to support an appropriation for a federal courthouse in Keokuk because the nation was in debt and he could not support such a courthouse in every district.[5] He published A Treatise on the American Law of Elections, in 1875.[3][6] In the 44th United States Congress, as a member of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary, he was the author of a farsighted (but unsuccessful) bill to reorganize the federal courts to enable reasonable and prompt judicial review.[7] He helped create the Electoral Commission to resolve the outcome of the 1876 Presidential Election, and served on the committee that investigated the Crédit Mobilier scandal.[3]
Maintaining his passion for law, McCrary established an expertise in contested elections and laws pertaining to elections.[8] He published A Treatise on the American Law of Elections in 1875, which later underwent four editions.
During his House years, McCrary allied with the congressional "Half-Breeds,"[9] the loosely organized and more moderate wing of the Republican Party (in comparison to the pro-spoils system Stalwarts) which emphasized industrial interests and protective tariffs in addition to supporting civil service reform.
Secretary of War
McCrary was the 33rd United States Secretary of War in the cabinet of President Rutherford B. Hayes from March 12, 1877, to December 11, 1879, when he resigned.[10] As Secretary, McCrary withdrew federal troops from the remaining reconstruction governments in South Carolina and Louisiana, and used federal troops in the 1877 railway strike and in Mexican border disturbances.[3] The greatest military conflicts during his watch occurred in the American West, in battles with certain Native American tribes in Colorado, New Mexico, and elsewhere.[11]
Memberships
McCrary was elected as a 3rd Class (honorary) member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS).[citation needed] This was probably due to President Hayes' influence as a prominent member of MOLLUS.[citation needed] (Hayes would later serve as MOLLUS commander-in-chief.)[citation needed]
Federal judicial service
McCrary was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes on December 1, 1879, to a seat on the United States Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit vacated by Judge John Forrest Dillon.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1879, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on March 18, 1884, due to his resignation, which he attributed to his family's financial need after his many years of public service.[1][3][12]
Later career and death
Following his resignation from the federal bench, McCrary resumed private practice in Kansas City, Missouri from 1884 to 1890.[1] He served as general counsel for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company in Kansas City, Missouri from 1884 to 1890.[3][12] He died on June 23, 1890, in St. Joseph, Missouri,[1] after suffering from a stomach tumor.[2] He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "McCrary, George Washington - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ^ a b "Obituary of George McCrary," New York Times, 1890-06-24 at p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "George Washington McCrary". Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army. United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 70-12. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
- ^ a b c d United States Congress. "George W. McCrary (id: M000379)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ "Needless Appropriations: Letter from George W. McCrary," New York Times, 1869-04-19 at p. 8.
- ^ George W. McCrary, "A Treatise on the American law of Elections," (Keokuk: R.B. Ogden 2nd ed. 1880).
- ISBN 1-4128-0612-7.
- ^ Goedeken, Edward A. McCrary, George Washington. The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ^ Welch, Richard E., Jr. (1971). George Frisbie Hoar and the Half-Breed Republicans, p. 91. Harvard University Press.
- ^ "Nominations by the President,' New York Times, 1879-12-02 at p. 3.
- ^ "War Department Needs: Secretary M'Crary's Annual Report," New York Times, 1879-11-24 at p. 2.
- ^ a b "Judge M'Crary Resigns," New York Times, 1884-01-02 at p. 1.
Sources
- United States Congress. "George W. McCrary (id: M000379)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- "McCrary, George Washington - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.