Thomas Sterling

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For the computer scientist of the same name, see Thomas Sterling (computing).
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Thomas Sterling
United States Senator
from South Dakota
In office
March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1925
Preceded byRobert J. Gamble
Succeeded byWilliam H. McMaster
Dean of University of South Dakota
College of Law
In office
July 1, 1901 – June 10, 1911
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byMarshall McKusick
Personal details
Born(1851-02-21)February 21, 1851
Amanda, Ohio
DiedAugust 26, 1930(1930-08-26) (aged 79)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyRepublican
RelativesJohn A. Sterling (brother)
EducationIllinois Wesleyan University
Signature

Thomas Sterling (February 21, 1851 – August 26, 1930) was an American lawyer, politician, and academic who served as a member of the United States Senate and the first dean of the University of South Dakota College of Law.

A Republican, he served in the Senate from 1913 to 1925. He later served as dean and law professor at George Washington University Law School. The University of South Dakota School of Law awards "Sterling Honors" to their graduating top 10% in honor of their first dean.

Early life and education

Sterling, was born near Amanda, Ohio. He moved with his parents, Charles Sterling (1821–1905) and Anna Kessler (1827–1908) to McLean County, Illinois in 1854, where he attended the public schools and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington in 1875.

Career

He was superintendent of schools of Bement, Illinois, from 1875 to 1877.[1] His brother John A. Sterling, became a U.S. representative from Illinois.

Law

Sterling studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1878, commencing his practice in

Territory of Dakota and located in Northville, Dakota Territory. He moved to Redfield in 1886 and continued the practice of law, serving as district attorney of Spink County, South Dakota, from 1886 to 1888. In 1889, he became a member of the State constitutional convention, and a year later in 1890 a member of the State senate. From 1901 to 1911 he was the first dean of the University of South Dakota College of Law at Vermillion
.

Politics

He was elected in 1912 as a Republican to the United States Senate, was reelected in 1918, and served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1925. During this time, he served on the

Sixty-eighth Congress. While he served in Congress he served with William Williamson and Royal C. Johnson, two of his first graduates from the College of Law
.

Later career

He practiced law in

George Washington University School of Law. He was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
in 1925 as field secretary of the Commission for the Celebration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington.

Death

Sterling died in Washington, D.C., on August 26, 1930.

Cedar Hill Cemetery
.

References

  1. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. XV. James T. White & Company. 1916. p. 287. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Sterling Dies In Washington". Argus Leader. Redfield. AP. August 26, 1930. p. 1. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

Party political offices
First
Class 2)
1918
 Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from South Dakota
1913–1925
Served alongside: Coe I. Crawford, Edwin S. Johnson, Peter Norbeck 		Succeeded by
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