Elmer Burkett
Encyclopedia
Elmer Jacob Burkett was a Representative and a Senator from Nebraska
.
Burkett was born on a farm near Glenwood, Iowa
. He attended the public schools and graduated from Tabor College in 1890 and from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law in 1893. He served as principal of the Leigh, Nebraska
, public schools from 1890–1892; he was admitted to the bar in 1893 and commenced practice in Lincoln, Nebraska
. Burkett was a trustee of Tabor College from 1895-1905. He was a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives
1896-1898.
Burkett was elected as a Republican
to the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, and Fifty-eighth Congresses (March 4, 1899-March 4, 1905); he was reelected to the Fifty-ninth Congress, but resigned, effective March 4, 1905, to become a Senator. He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate
and served from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1911. During his term, he served as the chairman of the Committee on Indian Depredations
(Fifty-ninth Congress) and on the Committee on Pacific Railroads (Fifty-ninth through Sixty-first Congresses). Burkett was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1910. He then resumed the practice of law in Lincoln; he declined the candidacy for Governor of Nebraska
in 1912, and was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Vice Presidential
nomination in 1912 after the death of incumbent James S. Sherman
. He died in Lincoln on May 23, 1935, and was interred in Wyuka Cemetery.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
Burkett was born on a farm near Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood is a city in and the county seat of Mills County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,269 in the 2010 census, a decline from 5,358 in the 2000 census. -History:...
. He attended the public schools and graduated from Tabor College in 1890 and from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law in 1893. He served as principal of the Leigh, Nebraska
Leigh, Nebraska
Leigh is a village in Colfax County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 442 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Leigh is located at ....
, public schools from 1890–1892; he was admitted to the bar in 1893 and commenced practice in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. Burkett was a trustee of Tabor College from 1895-1905. He was a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
1896-1898.
Burkett was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, and Fifty-eighth Congresses (March 4, 1899-March 4, 1905); he was reelected to the Fifty-ninth Congress, but resigned, effective March 4, 1905, to become a Senator. He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and served from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1911. During his term, he served as the chairman of the Committee on Indian Depredations
United States Senate Committee on Indian Depredations
The Committee on Indian Depredations was a standing committee of the United States Senate from 1893 to 1921. It was superseded by a select committee which operated from 1889 to 1895.- History :...
(Fifty-ninth Congress) and on the Committee on Pacific Railroads (Fifty-ninth through Sixty-first Congresses). Burkett was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1910. He then resumed the practice of law in Lincoln; he declined the candidacy for Governor of Nebraska
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
in 1912, and was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Vice Presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nomination in 1912 after the death of incumbent James S. Sherman
James S. Sherman
James Schoolcraft Sherman was a United States Representative from New York and the 27th Vice President of the United States . He was a member of the Baldwin, Hoar, and Sherman families.-Early life:...
. He died in Lincoln on May 23, 1935, and was interred in Wyuka Cemetery.