Frederick Steiwer
Encyclopedia
Frederick Steiwer was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Oregon
. A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate
from Eastern Oregon
and a veteran of World War I
. A Republican, he was elected to the United States Senate
and served there from 1927 to 1938. Twice a candidate for the Republican nomination to the U. S. Presidency, he delivered the keynote address during the 1936 Republican National Convention
.
, on a farm near the city of Jefferson
on October 13, 1883. The son of John F. and Ada (née May) Steiwer, he received his education in the local public schools. In 1902, he graduated from Oregon State Agricultural College (now Oregon State University
) at Corvallis
with a bachelor of science degree. Steiwer then attended the University of Oregon
in Eugene
where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1906 before attending the school's law school
, then located in Portland
.
In 1908, he was admitted to the Oregon State Bar
and began practicing law for the Portland firm Snow & McCamant
where he had already been employed. In March 1909, he left the firm and moved to Eastern Oregon
where he formed a partnership with G. W. Phelps in Pendleton
. A member of the Masons and a farmer, he also joined the Phi Delta Phi
legal fraternity.
for Umatilla County
, serving until 1910. In 1912, he was elected as the district attorney for the county and served until 1916. That year he was elected to the Oregon State Senate
as a Republican representing Umatilla County and District 20. He only served during the 1917 legislative session, resigning to enlist in the United States Army
during the First World War. He served from 1917 to 1919 in the Sixty-fifth Field Artillery with rank of first lieutenant.
In 1926, Steiwer was elected as a Republican
to the United States Senate
, defeating incumbent Robert N. Stanfield
in the primary. He won with only 39% of the vote, running against Democrat and later judge Bert E. Haney
and Stanfield, then running for re-election as an independent. In 1928, he was one of many candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination at the National Convention
, with fellow Oregonian Herbert Hoover
winning the nomination and then the fall election. At the 1936 Republican National Convention
he was the keynote speaker and temporary chairman, as well as an unsuccessful candidate for the nomination. Steiwer was re-elected in 1932 and served from March 4, 1927 until January 31, 1938, when he resigned to return to the practice of law after suffering health problems. He had undergone gall bladder surgery in November 1936.
While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments (Seventy-second Congress). He also served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and helped oppose President Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court
. Steiwer was an opponent of Roosevelt and The New Deal. In April 1937, he proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to create a nationwide primary for selection of the candidates for the U.S. Presidency and Vice-Presidency. No amendment was ever passed.
of IBM fame. His uncle was Winlock W. Steiwer
, a state senator. Upon leaving the Senate, he returned to the full-time practice of law in Washington, D.C.
Frederick Steiwer died in the District of Columbia on February 3, 1939, at the age of 55. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
in neighboring Virginia.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
from Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
and a veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. A Republican, he was elected 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 there from 1927 to 1938. Twice a candidate for the Republican nomination to the U. S. Presidency, he delivered the keynote address during the 1936 Republican National Convention
1936 Republican National Convention
The 1936 Republican National Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio at the Public Auditorium, from June 9 to June 12, 1936. It nominated Governor Alfred Landon of Kansas for President and Frank Knox of Illinois for Vice-President....
.
Early life
Frederick Steiwer was born in Marion County, OregonMarion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
, on a farm near the city of Jefferson
Jefferson, Oregon
Jefferson is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,487 at the 2000 census...
on October 13, 1883. The son of John F. and Ada (née May) Steiwer, he received his education in the local public schools. In 1902, he graduated from Oregon State Agricultural College (now Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
) at Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
with a bachelor of science degree. Steiwer then attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1906 before attending the school's law school
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
, then located in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
In 1908, he was admitted to the Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
and began practicing law for the Portland firm Snow & McCamant
Wallace McCamant
Wallace McCamant was an American jurist in Oregon. A Pennsylvania native, he served as the 46th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit...
where he had already been employed. In March 1909, he left the firm and moved to Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
where he formed a partnership with G. W. Phelps in Pendleton
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
. A member of the Masons and a farmer, he also joined the Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
legal fraternity.
Political career
Steiwer started his career in public office in 1909 as the deputy district attorneyDistrict attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Umatilla County
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
, serving until 1910. In 1912, he was elected as the district attorney for the county and served until 1916. That year he was elected to the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
as a Republican representing Umatilla County and District 20. He only served during the 1917 legislative session, resigning to enlist in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the First World War. He served from 1917 to 1919 in the Sixty-fifth Field Artillery with rank of first lieutenant.
In 1926, Steiwer 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 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...
, defeating incumbent Robert N. Stanfield
Robert N. Stanfield
Robert Nelson Stanfield was an American politician and rancher from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was a rancher before entering politics and serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, including one session as Speaker...
in the primary. He won with only 39% of the vote, running against Democrat and later judge Bert E. Haney
Bert E. Haney
Bert Emery Haney, alternately Bert Emory Haney , was an American attorney and jurist from Oregon. A native of Oregon, he served as United States Attorney for the Oregon District before becoming a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit...
and Stanfield, then running for re-election as an independent. In 1928, he was one of many candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination at the National Convention
1928 Republican National Convention
The 1928 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, from June 12 to June 15, 1928....
, with fellow Oregonian Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
winning the nomination and then the fall election. At the 1936 Republican National Convention
1936 Republican National Convention
The 1936 Republican National Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio at the Public Auditorium, from June 9 to June 12, 1936. It nominated Governor Alfred Landon of Kansas for President and Frank Knox of Illinois for Vice-President....
he was the keynote speaker and temporary chairman, as well as an unsuccessful candidate for the nomination. Steiwer was re-elected in 1932 and served from March 4, 1927 until January 31, 1938, when he resigned to return to the practice of law after suffering health problems. He had undergone gall bladder surgery in November 1936.
While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments (Seventy-second Congress). He also served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and helped oppose President Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court
Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, frequently called the court-packing plan, was a legislative initiative proposed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt's purpose was to obtain favorable rulings regarding New Deal legislation that...
. Steiwer was an opponent of Roosevelt and The New Deal. In April 1937, he proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to create a nationwide primary for selection of the candidates for the U.S. Presidency and Vice-Presidency. No amendment was ever passed.
Later years and family
On December 12, 1911, he married Frieda Roesch in Pendleton, and they would have two children. One daughter, named Elizabeth, had a son who married the daughter of Thomas J. Watson, Jr.Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
Thomas John Watson, Jr. was an American businessman, political figure, and philanthropist. He was the 2nd president of IBM , the 11th national president of the Boy Scouts of America , and the 16th United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union...
of IBM fame. His uncle was Winlock W. Steiwer
Winlock W. Steiwer
Winlock W. Steiwer was an American banker, rancher, and politician in the state of Oregon. Born in the Willamette Valley, he made his name in Eastern Oregon as the founder of a bank and as county judge...
, a state senator. Upon leaving the Senate, he returned to the full-time practice of law in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Frederick Steiwer died in the District of Columbia on February 3, 1939, at the age of 55. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
in neighboring Virginia.
External links
- 1936 Keynote speech - Time magazine